It’s the final over, the score is tied, and the crowd is on the edge of their seats, it’s set up to be one of those nail-biting finishes. The fifth ball is bowled but mistimed and connects to the star player- she crumbles to the ground in agony. The stadium goes silent as the medical team rushes onto the field. This is the kind of the high pressure, exciting front lines that our very own Angelica Holder can often face as a sports physiotherapist.
Born and raised in Linden, Angelica Holder is the physiotherapist to the West Indies Women’s Cricket Team- an outstanding career achievement at just the age of twenty-eight. After graduating from Queens College, Angelica was inclined to pursue a career in medicine but quickly decided that was not her path. She was intrigued by a new program offered by the University of Guyana in Physiotherapy.
Sports was a big part of her life growing up. Her father William Holder, was a national badminton champion and she saw him struggle with and overcome sports injuries. More importantly, she witnessed how an active, healthy lifestyle has kept him playing well into his seventies. With his support and encouragement, she pursued her degree in physiotherapy and has been advancing in the field ever since.
Angelica describes physiotherapy as her passion, “It’s something I enjoy doing; I wake up every day excited to do it.” She says a common misconception about physiotherapy is that it’s about massages and for athletes- but it is so much more. After graduating Angelica spent about four years working in the public health sector, gaining exposure and experience in a wide range of physiotherapy settings. She has worked in the intensive care unit, Palms Rehabilitation Centre, West Demerara Regional Hospital and Ministry of Health. During that time, she has worked with a wide range of patients from those with neurological deficits, spinal injuries, stroke, orthopedic patients and patients with disabilities.
One of her most memorable and rewarding experiences was working with a young patient in the intensive care unit that was in a coma. She was part of a team of health professionals trying to keep him alive after a major accident. To her, her role seemed small compared to the lifesaving procedures needed at the time, but she did her job diligently and respectfully, always mindful of the theory she had read in her text books – that even when a patient cannot respond, they can still be conscious of your presence. When the patient regained consciousness one of the first things he said to her was, “I remember the sound of your voice”, That moment stuck with her- it reinforced her belief that even small efforts can have major impact.
Angelica’s efforts to grow her career, however, have been anything but small, coming from a humble upbringing, she knows that success requires hard work and making use of every resource available. While working full time in the health sector and studying, Angelica volunteered on the weekends with different sporting organizations working with athletes in football, cricket and track and field. Through this, her interest in sports medicine grew. Her experience in sports led her to a career- defining opportunity- serving as the physiotherapist and COVID-19 Liaison Officer for the Guyana contingent at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan. She was among the youngest in her field, and while that was intimidating, she focused on doing her best and learning as much as she could. She continued her journey in sports physiotherapy, and in 2022, started working with the Guyana Harpy Eagles and later with the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women’s team. She joked that as a child, she did not like cricket as it often meant that when a game was on, she couldn’t watch cartoons- but now she is the biggest fan, following her players and all of their different franchises every step of the way.
As physiotherapist for the West Indies Women’s Team, Angelica travels all over the world with the team- she has been to India, Dubai and is gearing up to head to Pakistan soon. The international exposure has been a game changer for Angelica. While its inspiring to see how far we have we have come, it also highlights how much further we still have to go in sports and supporting our athletes.
Wanting to have a greater impact on the sports industry and help bridge the gap in resources available to athletes and others in need, Angelica co-founded InSync Therapeutics in 2024. The facility has a team of specialized and qualified physiotherapists offering a range of services including physical rehabilitation, exercise testing, massage and mobility therapy, strength and conditioning, and recovery room access. She hopes to grow InSync into a premiere institution that creates and supports elite athletes and those who want to improve their health and well-being.
Angelica is currently in the final stages of her Masters in Sports Medicine program and wants to continue her work in the international sports arena. She is a strong advocate for women and girls in sports and delights at the fact that you can now turn on your television at any time and find coverage of a women’s cricket game. In the future Angelica hopes not only to strengthen the sports industry but also address the prevention of chronic diseases through physical activity. She urges us all to make the time to exercise- it is the key to your physical and mental health.
