From fencing to foot care
I have been a podiatrist for almost 44 years. In this time I have seen many changes within the profession but believe its core values are still very much there. One the biggest challenges of our job is keeping people pain free, mobile, and active. This is important at every stage of life.
In my younger life I was an international athlete, competing for Scotland and Great Britain in fencing. I was introduced to fencing by my PE teacher at school aged 11. Fitness and exercise were a huge part of my life from then on. When I was not competing, I was coaching younger children. I was lucky enough not to suffer from any serious sporting injuries, but I understood the importance of caring for my body. Posture, balance and footwork were essential for fencing. At school I really enjoyed studying the sciences, and studied Latin because I knew I wanted to become a medical professional. When I was 17 years old, I applied to study Physiotherapy and Dietetics, but changed my mind when I was offered positions at college. I chose Chiropody because my older brother, Duncan, had just graduated from The Edinburgh Foot Clinic. I started studying there in 1977 and graduated in 1980. I also continued fencing during this time, training with Edinburgh University Fencing Team.
After graduating, I worked part-time for NHS Lothian, and set up a private practice in Bo’ness with my brother. After a year, I applied for a job working as a School’s Chiropodist in NHS Forth Valley and was lucky enough to secure this promoted post. My job as a School’s Chiropodist was to inspect children’s feet at the age of nine, in schools throughout the area. At this age I was looking for any serious health conditions found within the foot; foot posture issues, common foot complaints such as verrucae and athletes foot. It was also my responsibility to provide foot health education to all the children and staff within those schools. I continued do my private patients in evenings and weekends. Life was busy! By then I had met my husband Leslie and got married, so we shared the work load. I worked in this role until I had my first child in 1984. After I had my second child in 1987, I pursed my work in private practice.
Since then, our practice has grown from strength to strength. I continued to work in the Bo’ness area and had a clinic attached to my house. This was very handy when raising a young family. My daughter, Nikki, joined the practice as a podiatrist herself in 2010. In 2022, we moved, expanded and rebranded our Bo’ness Clinic to a three-chair clinic in the town centre. First For Footcare is continuing to grow providing more foot health services to the people of Bo’ness and its surrounding areas. Some of the most loyal clients have been with me every step of the way, over the past 40 years.
My career has brought me many incredible opportunities over the years. It is a privilege to provide my services to whole generations of families in my local area. As a woman, having a career and a family can be a challenge, I have been lucky enough to manage to do both. I have always been very passionate about my career in podiatry. I continue this by helping to support the next generation of podiatrists we have coming to join our practice. I especially enjoy working with them on their clinical skills and passing on my experience and knowledge. When I am not working with my patients, I spend my time working on the practice. I am responsible for clinic governance, finances, and human resources. This has certainly been a learning curve due to the constant pace of change within our business.
In my free-time I enjoy spending time with my family. I especially love cooking and baking, which Leslie is happy to sample! I really enjoy long walks with my rough-haired collie, Louie. My daughters enjoy taking me to shows, for afternoon tea and shopping trips.
