22/05/2026
“In October 2023, I fully ruptured my ACL and was told by multiple NHS consultants that returning properly to football or combat sports without ACL reconstruction surgery would be extremely unlikely. Hearing that was incredibly difficult — especially as someone who trains multiple times a day, six days a week. Every consultant I spoke to gave me the same outlook, and surgery began to feel like my only option. But the thought of being sidelined for 18 months or more, with no guarantee of success and a real risk of re-rupture, was something I found hard to accept.
After receiving the same recommendation from two different consultants, I decided to seek another opinion and went to see Tom at Teesside Centre of Health and Performance in January 2024 while waiting for my surgery date. From the very first appointment, his approach felt different. Rather than immediately steering me toward reconstruction, he carried out a thorough assessment, explained that my knee still showed good signs of stability, and reassured me that a non-surgical route could still be a realistic option — provided I fully committed to the rehab process.
Just three days before my scheduled operation, I made the huge decision to cancel the surgery and put my trust in Tom and the rehabilitation process instead. It was one of the most daunting decisions I’ve ever made, but without question one of the best.
I committed everything to my rehab, and with Tom’s expertise, guidance, and constant support, I was cleared back to full fitness in under nine months. Since then, I’ve gone on to compete internationally in judo, joined a football team while working away in Thailand, returned to training six days a week, and even stepped into the ring for three amateur boxing bouts — all without having surgery.
What Tom did for me went far beyond physical rehabilitation alone. At a point where I genuinely believed my sporting life was over, he helped rebuild my confidence mentally as much as physically. His professionalism, depth of knowledge, and belief in the process completely changed the path I was on.....”
