Meet the Trainer: Tanya Sprunks

TCAP trainer Tanya Sprunks switched careers from policing to veterinary physiotherapy and hasn’t looked back since.

Tanya’s passion for working with animals ignited when she signed up to study canine massage with TCAP in 2017. Having subsequently built a successful physiotherapy practice, she’s delighted to now step into the role of trainer.

Q: TANYA, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CAREER AND HOW YOU CAME TO BECOME AN ANIMAL PHYSIOTHERAPIST.

A: I joined the Metropolitan Police aged 19 and stayed for 31 years, retiring as a senior officer. Towards the end of my police career I realised I wanted to work with animals and started to explore my options.

About seven years ago I looked around and discovered the TCAP equine massage course and then three years before I was due to retire, I moved on to the Diploma in Animal Physiotherapy.

Covid-19 stopped my new career slightly in its tracks, so at the recommendation of another veterinary physio, I used the downtime to complete a Degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy and cement my knowledge. My course actually started at BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture) and transferred to Plumpton College, where I graduated with first class honours.

As a Veterinary Physiotherapy student at BCA, I was the oldest student by some way in my cohort of 15. Returning to education later in life, I’m so proud to have achieved a first class honours degree and – having left school with five O-levels so many years ago – to have rekindled my passion for learning.” – TANYA

Q: ARE THERE ANY PARALLELS YOU CAN DRAW FROM YOUR CAREER IN POLICING WITH TRAINING TCAP STUDENTS?!

A: I’ve always trained people and in the service, I recruited trainers, trained sergeants and inspectors and even outside of work I was teaching,  just as a fitness instructor. So I was always in front of people.

 I LOVE training and finding different ways for people to learn. As a visual learner myself,  I include lots of visual cues in my training days, blending this with words and hands-on practical experience to help students ‘lock-in’ that knowledge. 

In just the same way as a police officer needs to remember laws and dates, a physiotherapy student needs to know how to examine or palpate – you have to have the practical knowledge sitting alongside the theory.

Q; IS YOUR FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY CANINE?

A: My primary focus is canine as most of my patients are canine and my work as a Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) Advisor, means I’m known as an arthritis specialist in dogs and cats. I actually do interviews and podcasts on the topic and work across four locations in Devon, taking referrals from Dr Hannah Capon and the team at CAM. 

However, I’m a horse rider and treat horses too.  In fact, when I had my first group of TCAP students, we were able to include an equine patient in our training.

Q: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST TCAP TRAINING EXPERIENCE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH OUR  STUDENTS?

A: It was really enjoyable! I had six students and it was so lovely to teach people with a real passion: they asked all the right questions and we covered everything from assessment and treatment right through to how to clean up the clinic. We focused on theory in the mornings with practical training in the afternoons, including seeing some of my own canine patients in order to make it as realistic an experience as possible.

I’ve actually found more job satisfaction in the last three years as a physiotherapist than I had in over 30 years in the police. It is incredibly rewarding.

Q. IF YOU HAD ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO OFFER PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

A: Sometimes you have to do something scary to make a change. So take that step: as daunting as it might be, you have no idea how far this new career could take you. After all, who wouldn’t want a career making dogs or horses better!