Student Therapist Alumni Spotlight: Anthony DeBenedictis
Give us a quick insight into what your experience as a student at Humber was. (What teams were you with, accomplishments, years, places you travelled etc).
My experience at Humber was amazing and very influential on my career! I was at Sheridan in my third year when given the opportunity to work at Humber. I was assigned to work with Men’s Baseball and Varsity Badminton. Two sports I initially knew nothing about. I learned a lot about the demands of overhead athletes and got comfortable with treating shoulder injuries which many classmates of mine saw as intimidating. That 2018 year baseball took provincial OCAA silver and badminton took home CCAA gold in women’s doubles and silver (??) in mixed doubles. The environment at Humber really made the experience valuable for me. I got to work with and for some amazing people, always being surrounded by people that are committed and dedicated is contagious and drove me to do the same.
What are you doing right now in your career?
Currently, in my Athletic Therapy career, I am developing my own practice - 211 Performance Therapy, which is focused on Tactical Athletes, specifically firefighters. I am working to develop health wellness and performance programs for Fire Service organizations and departments. I also work with Firefighters and candidates to prepare or recover from physical demands within the job.
What are the accomplishments you’ve achieved since being a student at Humber College?
Since completing my placement at Humber, I went on to work with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL football team for the 2018 season, graduated from Sheridan and became Certified as an Athletic Therapist and Strength and Conditioning coach. I’ve also completed my Pre-Service Firefighting diploma and am currently a Part-Time Firefighter in my municipality.
Do you have any projects planned or do you have a 5-10 year plan?
Yes, I want to continue to build my practice and help be an influence for future AT’s, showcasing that there is no textbook definition of Athletic Therapy. You can mould it into virtually anything you put your mind to, we have a unique set of skills and come from a background that is unlike other healthcare professionals, don’t waste it by settling on a “job”, make your own career and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Advice to Humber athletes/student therapists?
- Be a sponge, soak up everything that this experience has to offer and never make the same mistake twice.
- Don’t be afraid to do some things for free, people don’t know who we are as AT’s and if we put up paywalls for everything, our profession's growth is limited.
- Don’t overthink it (I still have trouble with this one, LOL) and lastly have all-in attitude and all-out effort!