The Robert McCutchen Athletic Therapy Clinic is located on the first floor of the Bedard Athletic Complex, across from the Bedard Gymnasium (room 109).
The mission of the Athletic Therapy Clinic at St. Andrew’s College is a rapid and safe return to participation. Our objective is to provide athletic therapy services for all St. Andrew’s College student-athletes and those visiting us, including the prevention, assessment, and coordinated rehabilitation of athletic injuries.
The Athletic Therapy Clinic is devoted to the safety and total well-being of our students. The clinic is a safe environment where individual dignity and confidentiality are honoured. The certified therapists and student therapists work closely with the Health Centre, strength and conditioning staff, the Athletics Department, and other health care professionals to meet our student's needs.
OUR STAFF
Heather Tugnett M.Sc., R.Kin, CAT(C)
Head Athletic Therapist
Heather Tugnett became a full-time Athletic Therapist at St. Andrew’s College in September 2011. As a Certified Athletic Therapist and Registered Kinesiologist, Heather enjoys providing care to St. Andrew’s College students and mentoring athletic therapy students as they prepare for certification in the profession of athletic therapy. Heather holds a BA in Kinesiology from Wilfrid Laurier University (2008), a Bachelor of Applied Health Science (Athletic Therapy) degree from Sheridan College (2011), and a Master of Science from McMaster University (2016). In 2013, Heather travelled to Madagascar, Africa, with a group of students as a medical chaperone for the St. Andrew’s Society for Service around the World (SASSAW) program. Outside of her work at St. Andrew’s, Heather is a Committee Chair for the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, teaches First Aid and First Responder courses for the Canadian Red Cross, and volunteered as a medical practitioner for the 2015 Pan Am Games (Toronto, ON) and 2019 Canada Winter Games (Red Deer, AB).
Natalie Figueira HBa (Kin), BAHSc, CAT(C), CSCS
Athletic Therapist
Natalie Figueira is a Certified Athletic Therapist and a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and started at St. Andrew’s College as a full-time Athletic Therapist in August 2021. Prior to this, Natalie worked in both a multidisciplinary clinic and a variety of sports environments with athletes at various levels of competition, including Junior A hockey and lacrosse, University football, international tournaments, and professional organizations. Natalie spent 2 years as the Head Athletic Therapist with the Oakville Blades Jr. A Hockey club. She was also a Certified Athletic Therapist with the Toronto Argonauts for their 2019 football season, and the Head Athletic Therapist with Hockey Canada’s Team Canada East at the World Jr. A Challenge in the winter of 2019. Natalie attended Wilfrid Laurier University to obtain her BA (Hons.) degree in Kinesiology (2015) followed by Sheridan College to acquire her BAHSc (Hons.) degree in Athletic Therapy (2018). As a Certified Athletic Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Natalie has a strong passion for proactive injury prevention, the rehabilitation process, as well as student and athlete education.
The St. Andrew’s College Athletic Therapy Clinic provides an opportunity for students from the athletic therapy programs at Sheridan College and York University to apply their academic knowledge in a practical setting. Our athletic therapy students work with several teams throughout their placement and assist with on-field game coverage and clinical assessment and rehabilitation.