TEAM
Patrick Peng
BHSc (Physio), PGCert (Acup), CMP
patrick@physioimpact.co.nz
Patrick is a high-performance, sports-specific physiotherapist. Having done Gymnastics at a high level for 15 years of his life; 2 Commonwealth Games and 5 World Championships later, he ended up getting a pretty good idea of what the human body is capable of. Now that he is all washed up as an athlete, Pat works with various different International Athletes and Sports teams in an attempt to vicariously live through them.
Even though he was one of the OG founders of Physio Impact. Pat has always said that his team are way better than he is, and the people around him make him look way better than he actually is. But if you must...
To book with Pat
Patrick@physioimpact.co.nz
Amy Schischka
BHSc (Physio), CMP, MPNZ
amy@physioimpact.co.nz
Amy graduated with a BHSc (Physiotherapy) in 2011. Since then she has worked in the musculoskeletal field, and has developed a strong interest in diagnostics, biomechanics, sports-specific physiotherapy and surgical rehabilitation.
Amy has dedicated a lot of her time and learning in the area of surgical management - having spent hours observing Auckland's top surgeons at work and reviewing their rehabilitation protocols. Amy has carried out extensive post-graduate training in dry needling, as well as achieving her Certified Mulligan Practitioner qualification.
Outside of work, Amy is a competitive horse rider in Showjumping and Eventing, and enjoys relaxing with her family and friends.
Josh Rogers
BHSc (Physio), MPNZ
josh@physioimpact.co.nz
Joshua graduated from AUT in 2011 with a BHSc: (Physiotherapy). Since then he has worked in a High-Performance Sports centre for young athletes dealing with a variety of problems from Acute injuries to long-standing biomechanical deficits. Along with this, Josh is an experienced sideline physio for national and international winning rugby teams. This makes Josh our acute injury specialist as he has seen it all.
From acute knees to concussion testing and rehab. Josh believes in maximising recovery time by providing comprehensive assessment and diagnosis, combined with a strong rehab focus specific to your sport or activity.
Vendy Vespalcova
BHSc (Physio)
Vendy began her path to becoming a Physiotherapist in her home country in the Czech Republic studying an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Sports, with minor of Coaching fitness in Masaryk University in 2010. Vendy shortly moved to New Zealand and graduated in 2021 from AUT with BHSc (Physiotherapy).
These learning experiences enable Vendy to use a hands on approach to treatment, in combination with exercise prescription in order to get the best results for her clients.
Vendy’s dedication to managing her own niggles and injuries throughout many years competing in Crossfit, Strongwoman, Weightlifting and Powerlifting on the highest level inspired her to become a physiotherapist. It also gave her a good understanding of barbell sport injuries and its impacts on physical and emotional well-being.
Vendy believes that rehab and training are the same thing, but the starting point might be a little different. She likes to program rehab based on client’s interests and goals.
Vendy also currently works as a Crossfit coach and works closely with people with spinal cord injuries.
Maddy Barbarich
BHSc (Physio)
admin@physioimpact.co.nz
Maddy has always had a passion for sports, focusing on mainly equestrian through her youth and playing premier level hockey. This led her to study exercise science in a pursuit of understanding how the body moves and adapts. It wasn’t until 2018 that she discovered CrossFit but she has never looked back.
Maddy also began working as a personal trainer before making the switch to CrossFit coaching in 2020. Whilst she is fascinated by the theoretical side of movement, she found her true passion working with the community to put theory into practice.
Returning to university to retrain as a physiotherapist, she aims to combine this with her coaching to help people understand how to move optimally for performance, injury prevention, quality of life, and enjoyment.
Allie le Lievre
BHSc (Physio)
allie@physioimpact.co.nz
Allie qualified from AUT with a BHs Physiotherapy in 2012. She has since worked in Musculoskeletal private practice both in New Zealand and London. She has also worked with International Rugby and Netball teams during this time.
She completed her post graduate studies in APPI Clinical Pilates in 2016 and has utilised her specialist training to diagnose, treat and cure a vast spectrum of clients. These include elite sports people, youth athletes, post operative clients (particularly spinal and knee) and of course your classic '8 hours at a desk' clients. Good posture is the foundation!
Ignacio Parodi
Ignacio is a registered physiotherapist in Canada, Chile and New Zealand. He has done several courses on Manual therapy in the United States at the "International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine "IAOM-US"
He is also certified in dry needling "IMS" and on an Australian approach to manual therapy for the spine called "Maitland"
He became interested in the field of physiotherapy after having a serious shoulder injury at the age of 18 years old which prompted him to undergo physiotherapy treatment for 7 years. This long process helped him to realize that a "Manual therapy" and "neuromuscular control" approach were the two pillars needed to actually resolve his condition. He also understood that, besides the technical knowledge, involvement and empathy towards the patient is crucial for an effective and successful treatment. This shaped the way Ignacio treats his patients.
Ignacio graduated in Chile in 2012 and moved to Canada in 2016 where he is a registered physiotherapist with almost 5 years of experience in that country .
Finally, he posses specific knowledge about sports such as: Tennis, Martial Arts, Running, calisthenics and weight lifting.
Penny Matkin-Hussey
Massage therapist Sport and Exercise Scientist Nutritionist
Penny is a qualified sports and exercise scientist, sports massage therapist and nutritionist. She specialises in soft tissue therapy with over ten years’ experience of working with different sports and athletes.
Penny’s experience includes working with the London Wasps professional rugby team, the Australian Women’s Football team – The Matilda’s, regional CrossFit athletes, Commonwealth Games Olympic weight-lifters and with numerous competing athletes including runners, triathletes, rowers, and Olympic and power lifters.
Penny has great experience with all levels of athletes, helping them achieve their goals, be it to return from an injury, break a PR or just have a pain free day at their desk. She believes the benefits of sports massage therapy are not just for the sporting elite or even the active amateur; everyone needs to look after their body, ensuring it is in the best possible condition for everyday life, as well as their chosen sport.
Penny is also currently studying for a Masters in Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, where her thesis is investigating the recovery from Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
Beau
Senior Therapy Dog
Beau graduated from doggo school 9 years ago. He is very experienced and great at his job, however his background story is somewhat vague. Beau prides himself in providing friendly welcome cuddles, as well as relaxing background tunes in the form of snoring.
Beau started with the team at Physio Impact in April 2021, and has fitted in well. Beau enjoys the occasional stroll, but won’t be running a marathon any time soon. Be forewarned, once you start a conversation he’s hard to say no to, so make sure you allow extra time for the chats and pats.