Sports Physios was born largely from a vision to create an entity that could provide an all-encompassing service in the sporting and orthopaedic fields: whether you are an amateur or professional sportsman, recovering from orthopaedic surgery or simply have biomechanical or postural issues due to the demands of everyday life and routine.
The practitioners working in our dynamic practice have worked extensively together and individually in various orthopaedic and sporting fields. We have had the privilege of working with athletes of various ages and skill levels, ranging from school sport to professional athletes competing in the PSL, Super Rugby, Varsity cup, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, as well as the Sunshine and European tour.
The postgraduate studies obtained between all of us gives the practice a broad spectrum of expertise in various fields. We strive to provide everything you need to, not only identify and treat the cause of your pain, but also to correct your body’s movement errors so that you function better in the future and avoid struggling with recurring injuries or pain.
Willie completed a degree in human physiology at TUKS (B.SC Human Physiology) in 2009, which set the platform for his interest to develop his career in the medical field. He studied a BSc. Physiotherapy degree at UFS, which he completed in 2013. During this time, Willie travelled with the CUT rugby side during their varsity shield and Varsity cup campaigns.
He moved to Johannesburg in 2015 to complete a post graduate qualification in osteomanipulative therapy. During this time, he worked with athletes such as Sunnette Viljoen (Olympic silver medalist Javelin), Evan Maripa and Lucas Sithole (wheelchair tennis SA). In 2017 he got the contract to work for the Highlands park soccer team and toured with them as part of the PSL.
Willie has always had a keen interest in golf and his end goal was always to build a reputation and a practice where he could work with professional golfers. In 2017, he travelled to the UK to become certified with the Titleist Performance Institute as a medical professional. Willie has since worked with golfers competing on the Sunshine tour, European tour, PGA tour as well as the Sunshine- and European ladies tour. He has had the pleasure of working with some of the best South African golfers.
Willie is a determined individual and his personality is easy-going and relaxed. These characteristics set the tone for the practice making it a very pleasant space to be in, as both a professional and a patient.
Chantalle’s love for sport started at school level where she competed in the 800m track event and hockey at provincial and national levels. She always felt the natural progression was to pursue a career in sport and she completed her physiotherapy degree (cum laude) at UFS in 2013. During her time at varsity, she travelled extensively with the Free State women’s Netball team.
After completing her comm serve year she completed two years of post-graduate studies in sport- and osteo-manipulative physiotherapy. Chantalle worked with various sports teams during this time including UJ Hockey and rugby sides. In 2016, she had the privilege of working at the Lions rugby union and gained experience in treating players from both their junior and super rugby sides.
She joined Willie at the NHC Honeydew in 2019. This fulfilled the initial vision of joining their skill-sets, expertise and experience to run van den Berg and associates as a husband-wife team. The diversity of the practice and the specialised services they offer are thanks to a combined effort and years of pre-empted planning and preparation.
Lisa’s dream to become a physiotherapist started from an early age, stemming from a passion for sport and being physically active. At a school level she played all of the sports available with a special interest for hockey, athletics and tennis. She played hockey at provincial levels and took that through to university where she played for the Wits university first team with whom she travelled to many intervarsity tournaments. She completed her BSc Physiotherapy at Wits in 2021 during which she volunteered to assist at the 94.7, and assisted with the Wits hockey teams.
Lisa is an eager learner and has done multiple courses on dry needling and strapping. She plans on continuing her studies over the next few years through Wits University. Currently in Lisa’s free time she cycles competitively, plays hockey in the premiere league, spends time in the gym and enjoys road running. Her devotion for moving her body has led to a passion for movement analysis and rehabilitation in order to help others love movement as much as she does.
Nicolene Breed is a physiotherapist with 19 years’ experience. She believes in a completely hands-on approach to treating patients, and she is passionate about helping patients live their best pain-free and injury-free lives. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pretoria in 2006 and continued to obtain her Master’s degree in back and neck pain at the University of Pretoria in 2013. She has an international qualification in fascial manipulation therapy and an international BASI Pilates diploma. She is impassioned about using her knowledge and experience to heal and rehabilitate her patients. Nicolene is currently doing her PhD in Physiotherapy at the University of Pretoria.
She travelled with the under 16 SA cyclist team in 2006 and toured with an elite cyclist team in 2013. She has toured with cycle teams for both the Argus and the Cape Epic and treated a tri-athlete competing at the World’s Triathlete Competition in 2016. Nicolene believes in continually furthering her education and has done courses on neuromuscular re-education, dry needling, cupping, taping, golf reconditioning, tempero-mandibular joint dysfunction and headaches, breast cancer rehabilitation, and lymphoedema.
My lifelong fascination with human performance began at age 11, inspired by the launch of the IPL. While I loved playing sports, I realized my true calling wasn’t on the field as a player, but on the sidelines helping athletes reach their peak. This passion was solidified by my own experiences with injuries; frustrated by treatments that only addressed symptoms, I became determined to understand the biomechanical root causes of physical setbacks.
I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physiotherapy from the University of Pretoria. My journey into elite sports physiotherapy truly began when I started traveling with the Tuks Women’s 7s Rugby team. That experience was a turning point—it highlighted the complexity of the field and fuelled my commitment to continuous education and professional growth.
Since then, I have embraced the life of a traveling sports physiotherapist, working across a vast range of disciplines including Team Sports, Endurance Events and Professional Golf: Currently serving as part of the Sunshine Tour Physiotherapy team.
Beyond biomechanics, I have developed a deep passion for concussion rehabilitation. In the high-stakes world of sports, head injuries are often misunderstood or overlooked. I am dedicated to implementing evidence-based protocols that ensure athletes recover safely and effectively, protecting their long-term cognitive health alongside their physical performance.
To bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance, I also became a BASI Pilates instructor. I firmly believe that the human body is not a mystery, but a system that simply needs to be understood. Whether I am managing a complex concussion case or teaching a Pilates class at Planet Fitness, my goal remains the same: to help people understand their bodies so they can achieve results that truly amaze them.
Melt completed his BSc (Hons) in Biokinetics at Stellenbosch University in 2018 and has since developed a career rooted in evidence-based rehabilitation and performance care. He initially practised as a Biokineticist, gaining extensive experience in sport and orthopaedic rehabilitation. Motivated by a desire to further optimise patient outcomes and broaden his clinical skill set, he pursued a degree in Physiotherapy, graduating Cum Laude from Stellenbosch University in 2024. He now practises through an integrated approach that combines Biokinetics and Physiotherapy, allowing for comprehensive, well-rounded care that draws on the strengths of both disciplines.
Throughout his academic and professional journey, Melt has prioritised continued learning and clinical development. He has completed additional training in sport massage, sport-specific taping, sport injury management, fascia therapy, myofascial integration, and trigger point therapy. He completed his community service year at the world-renowned Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where he gained valuable experience managing a broad range of conditions. These included treating elite and recreational athletes, geriatric patients, individuals with chronic pain, and those recovering from acute and traumatic injuries. During this time, he further enhanced his skill set by obtaining a dry needling qualification.
As an active individual, Melt has participated in various sports including cricket, hockey, running, racket sports, and golf. His personal experience with training, injury, and return-to-sport informs his holistic understanding of rehabilitation and performance.
Melt is known for his diligent, patient-centred approach, with a strong emphasis on building trust and meaningful therapeutic relationships. He is committed to thorough assessment, thoughtful treatment, and collaborative goal-setting, with the aim of helping each individual achieve optimal function and long-term physical well-being.
Kerry has always been an avid sportswoman. She participated in athletics on a provincial level at school as well as obtaining her protea colours for equestrian show jumping. Kerry completed her Human movement sciences degree at the University of Free State and furthered her studies by doing a honours degree in Biokinetics at the University of Pretoria in 2017.
Since then she has practiced in the Honeydew and Fourways area where she currently has her own practices. Kerry enjoys seeing a large variety of patients, but has a special interest in orthopaedic and sports injury rehabilitation. She pays close attention to new research and often attends local and international conferences to ensure she is continuously aware of the latest techniques and research in the field.
Kerry believes in a patient-centred, individualised approach. Each person has different causative factors to their ailments as well as individual goals for the rehabilitation process. Kerry has always loved being outdoors and believes that health and wellness is one of life’s greatest blessings. She currently enjoys trail running as well as staying active and healthy at the gym.
