Physio Angela Watson's communication skills will be a boon at the Cycling World Championships

Physiotherapist Angela Watson, who has spent most of her career working in the mental health field, talks to PhysioUpdate editor Ian A McMillan about her volunteer role at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.

Are you enjoying volunteering at the championships?

Absolutely! This is my first volunteering event and I’m really happy to be doing something that is a wee bit different from my day job. I have taken annual leave for two weeks to be able to work at the cycling championships.

What is your role? Tell us how physiotherapy fits into the medical team as a whole.

My role in the championships is with athlete services at the Velodrome, looking after the athletes and athlete areas for track cycling and para track cycling. This includes making sure the competitors get to the track safely, providing water for the teams, observing secure areas and to helping lay out medals for the ceremonies. 

There are many teams here in Glasgow representing many countries. From a physiotherapy perspective, some teams have their own physio staff but a full complement of medical staff is available at the track centre. 

Are you a keen cyclist yourself and how did you become involved in the championships?

At work we have Cycle Friendly Community and Employer status and have been very fortunate to have received funding from Cycle Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust. This has allowed us to purchase a range of specialist bikes for service users and staff to use no matter their mobility or physical/mental health. Cycling is part of our treatment options and the physio team are out on the bikes several times a week. 

Personally, I have started getting back into cycling and currently have an ebike on loan from work.

Tell us about your ‘day job’ in mental health. And will those skills come into play in working with cyclists?

I have specialised in mental health for 17 years. Our team supports inpatient mental health care for adults and older adults across a full range of specialties including the perinatal and dementia specialties. Although I am a team lead, which involves managerial tasks and meetings, I carry my own caseload and most days are varied as we can receive referrals for almost any setting. This includes polytrauma rehab, falls and mobility issues, MSK [musculoskeletal], neurological and respiratory conditions alongside exercise and anxiety management.

We do group work as well as one-to-one and doubles. I love mental health because it's really varied. You never stop learning but you can be dynamic in your treatment approaches. We often have to think way outside the box to help our service users achieve their physical health goals while factoring in the impact of their mental illness. That's what makes it challenging on so many levels. Our observation skills and building a rapport are key to working in mental health. 

During the championships my observation and communication skills absolutely come into play. It's a busy environment and you need to make sure you do your job without impeding on teams and cyclists. 

Are physios in the mental health field at risk of being isolated professionally? 

No, I would say the complete opposite. We have many requests for support/in-service training from our colleagues in other areas and if I am ever stuck, I know I can email or call any specialist area for advice. Many of our service users will access mainstream services and I would argue that we need to do more to provide our workforce with the skills to understand and support those with mental illness, particularly through undergrad/preregistration level education and provide more opportunities to gain experience in this area with student placements and Band 5 rotations. 

How do you look after your own mental health outside work?

Working in mental health can be very challenging so we encourage each other to take care of ourselves. If we aren't healthy, both physically and mentally, how can we help others? The key thing is recognising how you feel and giving yourself permission to take a small break when you need it, even if it is a very busy day at work or otherwise.

I use a range of things from exercise and getting outdoors to watching a good film or TV series and using the calm app, good music and spending time with family and friends. 

Are you taking annual leave from work for the championships and will you have a ‘proper’ holiday too this year?

I have five days off at the end of my volunteer shifts and plan to relax as well as attend some of the events including BMX, cross country, artistic cycling and cycle ball. It's a great opportunity to spectate at events I have never seen.

My husband and I are looking forward to getting away for a week after the peak summer season. 

To find out more about the UCI Cycling World Championships, which run from 3-13 August, click