Danique Reynders

I am 27 years old and have been working as a physiotherapist for the past five years. I grew up in the Eastern Cape and attended high school in Port Elizabeth before moving to Bloemfontein to complete my undergraduate degree in physiotherapy. After graduating, I relocated to Nelspruit for my community service year at Mpumalanga's Area Military Health Unit, where I also became heavily involved with the Pumas rugby team.

This experience sparked my interest in sports physiotherapy and allowed me to develop valuable field-side rugby physiotherapy skills. Following my community service year, I moved to Pretoria and spent three and a half years working in a private physiotherapy practice specialising in cardiothoracic rehabilitation across three different hospitals. During this time, I worked with a wide range of post-operative patients recovering from procedures such a coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, video-assisted thoracic surgery and thoracotomies.

I have since returned to my roots in Port Elizabeth, where I currently work at a private physiotherapy practice based at St George's Hospital, treating a diverse patient population across cardiothoracic, paediatric, postnatal, orthopaedic, and outpatient settings. While I have found my career in physiotherapy incredibly rewarding, my growing interest in medical device sales and the role technology plays during surgical procedures has become a clear long-term career aspiration. I take every opportunity to observe procedures in theatre and have realised that I see my future in that environment.

My experience working across multiple hospitals has given me a strong understanding of the hospital ecosystem, enabled me to build effective relationships with multidisciplinary healthcare teams, and taught me how to navigate complex clinical environments with confidence. Outside of work, I enjoy running, going to the gym, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and reading.

Physiotherapist at Deidré Steyn Physiotherapy (2026-08 – Present)

Physiotherapist at Du Preez Physiotherapy (2023-01 – 2026-07)

Community service physiotherapist at Area Military Health Unit Mpumalanga (2022 – 2022)

Field-side physiotherapist for the U/21 Pumas rugby team at Airlink Pumas Rugby Union (2022 – 2022)

MSc in Physiotherapy – University of the Witwatersrand (2024 – 2027-02)

BSc in Physiotherapy – University of the Free State (2021)