Georgie’s Story – Physical Health
Georgie Murgatroyd, head person for trainer Neil Mulholland, was told by her surgeon she may never ride again following an accident at work which left her with a broken ankle and severe damage to her ligaments.
Faced with losing her career with horses and unable to move for five months, Georgie contacted Racing Welfare for help.
One of the main aims of racing’s occupational health service is to keep people in work or to get them back into work as soon as possible. Georgie’s local Welfare Officer recognised that she had been off work for months and needed help with her physical health to get her back to a role she loved.
Racing Welfare were able fund physiotherapy treatment for Georgie at Oaskey House in Lambourn, and within weeks she was back on a horse. She recalls the process of recovery:
I broke my ankle in the August three years ago and I was off work, unable to move for five months. From January through to September I started treatment twice a week and then went to once a week, then once a fortnight and now once a month.
“From the first treatment I was back on a horse in five weeks.
I’m very independent, I don’t rely on anybody and I don’t like asking for help. I lost all self-confidence, I lost all confidence in my ability and also the reality was that I wouldn’t be able to go back to work and do a job that I enjoyed doing.
Without Racing Welfare’s support and Oaksey House I wouldn’t be back in work – it’s as simple as that.”
Following the support Georgie received from Racing Welfare, she is passionate when talking about its services and says she is the first to recommend the charity to any member of staff in racing who has issues with mental health, physical health, or those wanting to take part in training courses to further their career – something Georgie has also done:
I completed my LGV training last year in May. I spoke to Welfare Officer, Nicky, last January to arrange it. It has opened up doors and added another string to my bow and if I can’t ride because of issues with my ankle, it allows me to do some driving.
If you need help with a physical injury, do not hesitate to contact us on 0800 6300 443 or you can visit our Occupational Health page for more information.
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