Kévin has lived in China for three years, but only recently moved to Shanghai to join the team at UP. Originally from Bordeaux, France – a region you might recognize if you are a wine connoisseur –  Kévin first began his ‘China’ journey when he was recruited to collaborate with the preparation of national teams for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This was back in 2022. Now in Shanghai, he’s had quite a journey since then. Read on to learn more about his experiences and expertise! 

When I was younger, I used to play soccer, but I had back problems, so I was very often in contact with physiotherapists. As a result, I turned to this as my career.

Graduating in 2015 (from IKPO (Institute of Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Podiatry), I always wanted to work for myself, and being a sports lover (running, CrossFit…), this was really the type of audience that I wanted to work with. So, I decided to open my own physical center (RehabSport33: for sports rehabilitation, and 33 because it is the geographic code for Bordeaux). Here we focused on athletes using a very active approach. In particular, I followed the American football team methodology for several seasons, which enabled me to develop a wide range of skills in sports traumatology, rehabilitation planification and on-field care. 

In 2022, the Chinese Olympic Committee recruited several French professionals to collaborate on the preparation of national teams for the Paris 2024 Olympics. That’s how I started my Chinese adventure, along with several other physiotherapists and physical trainers. I worked with the national wrestling and judo teams before coming to Shanghai to personally train Song JIAYUAN, a shot-put athlete with whom we went on to win a bronze medal in Paris. For me, this was one of the greatest achievements of my career. But after this period, I really wanted to go back to physical therapy and a ‘normal’ life, which is how I ended here at UP.

Definitely my mother. She has faced some big illness, but continues to fight every day. She is a model of strength and resilience.

In addition to sports rehabilitation and training, I specialize in posture analysis and mobility. My approach is very active, because I know that in the long term, passive therapies don’t show lasting results. It’s important to put the patient at the center of his rehabilitation program, to make him or her understand that the success of his treatment will depend on how much he or she invests into it. It’s really a partnership between the physiotherapist and the patient.

My mottos are:

– KISS (Keep It Simple and Stupid) : The simplest exercises are often the most effective

– YOU are the actor of YOUR rehabilitation

Every case is unique and it’s easy to fall into a routine protocol, but finding the cause of pain is really like an investigation. And sometimes, as in every investigation, there are false leads, and we have to review our strategy. That’s what really fascinates me about this profession.