ABOUT PIPPIN HACKETT
Hi, Pippin here. I am lucky that I knew I wanted to be a physiotherapist from my early teens. I am fortunate that 30 years on there still isn’t any other career I would rather do. How many people can genuinely say that? This genuine enjoyment of work feeds into the treatment I provide for runners who are in pain and want to keep on running. My 20 years of physio clinical experience, ongoing enthusiasm and insight drawn from my running journey puts me in a solid position to be able to help you.
My sporting background has only ever been recreational; but I’m competitive by nature. A dose of natural ability and my easy sense of enjoyment meant no hardship to participate in team sports over the years but I wouldn’t say I really pushed myself. Sport for me was about the commitment…to a team, friendship, bonding, support, safety in numbers and most importantly fun. I came to running after the birth of my third child as a way to regain netball fitness. Three pregnancies in four years takes its toll on many levels! I still play and love netball, my court agility undoubtedly improved with the cross training of running but it’s wider impact lay deeper. Where parenthood threw the rule book out of the window running offered a sanctity I did not realise I craved. Where parenthood tore strips off my sense of self and my confidence, running carved out space to restore it. Where parenthood and juggling hijacked any familiar structure, running provided the opportunity of a routine to stick to. Don’t get me wrong, our kids are wonderful and I’m deeply grateful for the highs and lows of the parenthood journey. Earning their pride is a key motivator in everything I do and I strongly believe that I will be a better parent because of the added dimension running has given me.
Running has challenged me in ways that other sports have not and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying this. To my surprise I thrived with the commitment and discipline needed to follow the training plan for and subsequent completion of the Beachy Head Marathon in October 2021, the 50k Serpent Trail Ultra in July 2023 and the Virtual London Marathon in April 2024. From those initial 3-5k havens for headspace that offset the seismic shock of parenthood I am now comfortable with 10k, enjoy a 10 mile push and love regular hilly half marathon trail runs exploring the Surrey Hills.
I know what it is like for running to be a major piece of the puzzle, for running to be the constant in a sea of moving parts. I understand what is at stake if your ability to run pain free is threatened, or if the only advice you are being given is to just stop running…not an option in my book!
No two runners are the same, there’s no right or wrong way to run, there’s not necessarily a right or wrong way to rest or rehab as there is no ‘one size fits all’ with running related injuries. Taking time with a client reveals clues, patterns and goals that are unique to each individual client and how running fits in to your world, your lifestyle, your identity, and your physical and mental health journey.
Running is a booming industry so plenty of advice exists. Still, it can be challenging to filter the relevant information that is applicable to your pain, your needs and your running goals at that particular time. I suspect you have realised that your specific pain is not settling on its own so you need someone you can trust to help you.
The problem might be complex (multifactorial and multi-layered) but the most effective solutions are often simple. I have the knowledge and education to demystify all the factors that might be contributing to your pain and have empathy for having been there myself. We can find a solution by creating a personalised action plan including advice, strategies and targeted rehab based on my comprehensive physiotherapy assessment, 2D video running gait analysis and, where indicated, manual therapy treatment, dry needling and taping.
My goal is to ensure you feel informed and empowered to be engaged and active with this process so that you can keep on running.