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For the past 13 years, DarleeAnn Mathieson has been a Registered Massage Therapist. She has worked in a variety of health environments & currently at Edmonton’s Athletica Sport and Fitness Centre as well as doing her own home visits. “It’s about giving; it’s the grass roots movement to help someone who really needs it”, says DarleeAnn proudly when describing her work. “I enjoy the variety of work, but I enjoy the people too – including my clients in senior’s homes where they may not be able to get out as often. When I visit them, they can enjoy the caring touch of another human”.
“It was quite the journey, but I knew I wanted to help people. I always knew massage felt good from receiving massage myself. My initiation was a weekend course that I took which also gave me the introduction to the medical knowledge required behind massage training. I mulled it over after that weekend course and knew I was at a crossroads. I took a deep breath along with a leap of faith, trusted myself and my instincts and I enrolled in West Coast College”.
Written by Marcia Barhydt
Before becoming a Registered Massage Therapist, I’d tried many different jobs – retail, flight attendant, bank clerk, legal secretary, training, but “I didn’t want to settle – life is too short to do something your not passionate about’>
DarleeAnn graduated as a Registered Massage Therapist from West Coast College in 1995, where her program included doing outreach programs for clients with Multiple Sclerosis, which gave her a first taste of working with physically challenged individuals. After graduation, “I started with family and friends to gain experience. Knowing the spa environment wasn’t my niche, I sought out the medical avenue of massage & started in a chiropractic office and where I gained valuable insight from a variety of patients, designing & implementing treatment plans and physically noticed each individual’s progression.
“I have a family friend in palliative care and I get more reward from working with her knowing that I provide an answer to her needs, a service that helps her. All my home visits are such a great service because it’s so efficient & convenient plus a home massage gives them a great level of comfort with the process that they might not have in a clinic setting”.
DarleeAnn moved into sports massage because of friend Cathy King, an elite curling champion in 1990. DarleeAnn worked with Cathy & her Team to start which soon extended her sport massage to include the everyday ‘weekend warrior’. Athletes now compromise approximately a 1/4 of her practice.
Her involvement with curling athletes developed into a referral business for national sporting events. “Being an avid curler myself, I understand their challenges and physiology and psychology of the sport. You end up being the psychologist while you are treating the physical demands of the sport ”. DarleeAnn’s client list has included: the Kia Cup Men’s Provincial Curling Championships, The Nokia Brier, The Scott Tournament of Hearts (Scotties), Team B.C. and Team Ontario Team Saskatchewan, and the 2001 Edmonton IAFF World Track & Field Championships. Currently, she is also the resident therapist at Tollwood Stables.
“My involvement with dragon boat racing takes me to two or three festivals and competitions yearly. And it’s where I met my fiancé, John”. Her team includes breast cancer survivors who she’s proudly worked with.
About Roaring Women: “The neat part of Roaring Women is about connecting and supporting other women, but it’s also more about getting to know the women as well. It’s not so much about business as it is about friendships and relationships. If you establish that part first, then the business will surely follow”.
“I first learned of Roaring Women from my real estate agent, Loida Lumanlan, who sold me my first home. I went to a meeting, met Edmonton Regional Director Monica Velt, & found Monica to be so energetic and personal, I joined after my first meeting”.
The final word is DarleeAnn’s: “Nothing is more rewarding than being able to give the gift of massage to a client, but when they in turn want to give that gift to someone else, that alone speaks volumes and that’s my reward”.
“I let my hands speak for themselves”. |
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