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about semli

SEMLI is a Research Institute which prioritises research, education and training. Our dedicated team of experts are here to make sure you get the very best treatment available.
Meet the SEMLI Team

Clinical & scientific services

SEMLI promotes the health and well-being of people through lifestyle interventions, reducing exercise-related illness, injuries and medical complications, promoting participation in exercise and facilitating improvements in sports performance. The main services we provide are Sport and Exercise Medicine, Biokinetics, Sports Physiotherapy, Sport Science, Nutrition, Psychology and Orthopedics.

Research Programmes

SEMLI is involved in a number of research activities in the fields of sport, exercise medicine and lifestyle interventions for chronic disease. The main research focus areas being Lifestyle Interventions for Chronic Disease, Exercise-related Injuries, Medical complications & Illness during Exercise, Sports Performance and Sport and physical activity in society.

SEMLI

Education

SEMLI hosts and presents informative seminars/webinars, lectures and conferences involving local and international experts in the fields of sport, exercise medicine and health promotion. Some of these are CPD-accredited and relevant to specific clinical or scientific professional groups, while others are available to members of the public for knowledge sharing and interaction.

SEMLI

Training

The clinical and scientific services platform at SEMLI forms an important part of clinical training in the disciplines of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Biokinetics, Sports Science, Sports Psychology, Sports Nutrition, Sports Physiotherapy, Orthopaedics, and Radiology. As such, the role of the clinical and scientific service delivery platform is to provide specialist services to patients and clients, and serve as an experiential mechanism for staff and students.
semli biokinetics

Improving the quantity and quality of life for all

The Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) at the University of Pretoria, was established in June 2015 under the directorship of Prof Martin Schwellnus, Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine and specialist sport and exercise medicine physician.

SEMLI is a Research Institute which therefore prioritises research, education and training. What makes SEMLI a unique research institute, is that it also provides scientific and clinical consultancy services to the public, national and international athletes, UP staff and student athletes, and students at the TuksSport high school.

semli personal trainer

Reducing risks
Supporting success

SEMLI’s work contributes to reducing the burden of chronic diseases and health care costs, reducing the risk of illness, injury and medical complications during physical activity, improving regional, national and international sporting success, and improving the quantity and quality of life of individuals.

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meet the semli team

the SEMLI executive team

Martin Schwellnus Semli

Prof. Martin Schwellnus

Director of SEMLI

Director of IOC Research Centre for South Africa

Jill Borresen

Dr Jill Borresen

Chief Operations Officer

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Ms Hermien Maree

Acting General Manager

SEMLI CLINICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SERVICE SPECIALISTS

Martin Schwellnus Semli

Prof. Martin Schwellnus

Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine

MBBCh, MSc (Med), MD, FACSM, FFIMS

Christa Janse van Rensburg

Prof Christa Janse van Rensburg

Head of Section Sports Medicine, UP

MD, MMed(PhysMed), MSc(Sports Med), MBChB, FACSM, FFIMS

Areas of speciality

Musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, Illness in athletes, travel issues.
Maki Ramagole

Dr Dimakatso Ramagole

MBChB, MSc Sports Med

Areas of speciality

The female athlete. Children.
Carolette Cloete

Dr Carolette Cloete

MBChB, MPhil Sport and Exercise Medicine

special interests

Injuries and illness in active individuals. Athletes with disabilities.
Marcel Jooste

Dr Marcel Jooste

MBChB, MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine

Areas of interest

Sports-related injuries. Endurance athletes. High performance sports medicine.

What to expect from an appointment with a sport and exercise medicine physician

If you are injured in a sport-related activity, or if you do not feel well and you think that either your exercise/sports performance may be negatively affected, or you are worried that exercising may cause harm, then you should consult a sports medicine physician. At your appointment, the doctor will discuss with you your medical and exercise history, and your symptoms. Thereafter they will examine you before making a diagnosis or referring you to another specialist for further tests (e.g. X-rays, MRI’s, bone scans, ECG’s etc), if they feel this is required. These test results are usually sent back to your Sports Physician so that he/she can discuss the results with you and create a treatment plan for you. Depending on what the diagnosis is and the severity of the illness/injury, your doctor may treat you immediately, and/or prescribe medication and/or design a treatment strategy for you that may or may not involve referral to another specialist such as a Biokineticist or Physiotherapist. For ease of assessment and for your own comfort, remember to bring a pair of shorts to change into, if your injury is below the waist; and if your injury is above the waist, bring a T-shirt or tank-top to wear during the appointment.
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SEMLI biokinetics team

Danielle Steenkamp

Ms Danielle Steenkamp

MA (HMS) Biokinetics

Senior Biokineticist

Areas of speciality

Senior Biokineticist who specialises in conducting evaluations and prescribing exercise programs for those who have cardiac & cardiac risk factors, chronic diseases and orthopaedic injuries. Other duties include presenting pilates, water aerobics and hydrotherapy, and conducting medical aid fitness testing
Tracy Steenkamp

Ms Tracy Steenkamp

MA (HMS) Biokinetics

Senior Biokineticist

Areas of speciality

Senior Biokineticist who specialises in conducting evaluations and prescribing exercise programs for those who have cardiac & cardiac risk factors, chronic diseases and orthopaedic injuries. Other duties include presenting pilates, water aerobics and hydrotherapy, and conducting medical aid fitness testing
FC du Toit

Mr FC du Toit

MSc Sport Science (Biokinetics)

Senior Biokineticists, Practice manager, PhD Fellow

Areas of speciality

Orthopaedics, Special Populations, High Performance.
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Micaela Groenewald

BSc Sports Science, BSc Hons Sport Sci, BSc Hons Biokinetics

Junior Biokineticist and Msc Fellow

Areas of speciality

Return to play protocols with orthopedic injuries in athletes orthopedic rehabilitation Stroke patient rehabilitation Gait rehabilitation c Chronic illness exercise program designAmputee athletes (Dealt with Para-olympians)

What to expect from an appointment with a biokineticist

The first appointment consists of an evaluation (personal to each individual’s needs), which may involve one or more of the following: Recording a person’s general, medical or condition-specific history to determine any risks of exercise, a physical work capacity test, specific musculoskeletal tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, range of motion and muscle strength tests, and the evaluation of body posture and body composition. Thereafter, individualized exercise program prescription and guidance is provided, along with one-on-one sessions and follow-up assessments. Due to the nature of the physical assessments, it is advisable to wear shorts and t-shirt or exercise gear.
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SEMLI sport science team

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Ms Kirsty Elliott

M(Human Movement Science) with specialization in Sport Science

Head of Sports Science

Areas of speciality

Education and TrainingPerformance enhancement in athletesc Movement and agility development Performance enhancement in athletes Movement and agility development Advancing the Sport Science profession in South Africa Youth Athletic Development Tennis
Charne Britz

Ms Charne Britz

BA(HMS)SPORT SCIENCE, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIS

Sport Scientist

Areas of speciality

Athletics, netball, youth athletic development
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Bryant de Coter

BSc Hons Sport Science

Jnr Sport Scientist

Areas of speciality

Youth Football Development
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Susanna Ama

Bsc (Hons) Sport Science

Senior Sport Scientist

Areas of speciality

Youth Athletic Development & the Female Athlete Basketball
- Football

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Hannah Dwyer

BSc Honours Sports Science

Junior Sports Scientist & Intern Manager

Areas of speciality

Performance enhancement in athletes Programme & System Design & Implementation Biomechanics & Cycling Analysis Performance Diagnostics & Data Analysis Youth & Female Athletic Development High Performance Para - Sport Netball, Football & Endurance Sport
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Christo van Zyl

MSc Sport Science

Senior Sport Scientist

Areas of speciality

Hockey, Cricket and Exercise Physiology

What to expect from an appointment with a sport scientist

Services available at SEMLI Sport Science include Strength & Conditioning, Sport Science Testing, Biomechanical Testing, Age & Maturation Testing, Gait Analysis, Movement Analysis, Technique / Race analysis, Endurance sport assessment & training, Bike setup, Wattbike classes, Education seminars.
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SEMLI Sports Physiotherapy Team

Sanet van Zyl

Ms Sanet van Zyl

BPhysT (UP), MPhysT (UP), SPT1

Physiotherapist

Areas of speciality

Team sports - Rugby, Netball, Cricket, Hockey
Carel Viljoen

Mr Carel Viljoen

PhD (UP & VU Amsterdam), MSc. Clinical Sport Physiotherapy (UFS), B.PhysT (UP)

Physiotherapist

Areas of speciality

Running-related injuries
Anri Coetzee

Anri Coetzee

B.PhysT (UP)

Physiotherapist

Areas of speciality

Rehabilitation and exercise therapy; netball, athletics, tennis.
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Ms Natasha Schmidt

Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Basi Mat Pilates Instructor

Physiotherapist

Areas of speciality

Sports Physiotherapy
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Lenel Allison

B.PhysT (UP)

Physiotherapist

Areas of speciality

Sports injury management and rehabilitation. With a special interest in rugby and gymnastics.

What to expect from an appointment with a sports physiotherapist

A Sports Physiotherapist will do a comprehensive evaluation to identify to underlying causes of the presenting symptoms. Treatment and rehabilitation will be done to address the pathology and promote healing. The patient’s sport will have specific physical requirements and therefore rehabilitation will be designed to meet these requirement upon return to full sports participation. Injury prevention strategies are also implemented to avoid future recurrence of injury.
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SEMLI Sports Nutrition

Melissa Nel

Melissa Nel

B.Dietetics, IOC Postgraduate diploma Sports Nutrition

Dietician

Areas of speciality

Special Interest in:
Sports nutrition
Irritable bowel syndrome
Weight loss
General wellness

What to expect from an appointment with a sports dietician:

InBody Scale is being used at every consultation.

    Initial assessment:
    (60-75 minutes):

    • Detailed examination of lifestyle, eating habits, and medical history
    • Body composition analysis with the Inbody 770 scale
    • Goal setting and coaching
    • Individualized nutrition education

    Meal plan discussion (if necessary):
    (30-40 minutes, takes place after the initial consultation)

    • Discussion of meal plan, recipes and shopping list
    • Food diary discussion

    Follow up consultations:
    (20-30 minutes)

    • Discussion of any challenges or feelings experienced
    • Full body composition analysis every time
    • Diet plan amendments if needed
    • New goal setting
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    SEMLI Sports Psychology

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    Shaun Landsberg

    (MA) Counselling Psychology; (BA Hons) Psychology; (BA) Human Movement Science

    Psychologist

    Areas of speciality

    Group dynamics and performance, mental processes to enhance the performance. Shaun works with individuals and teams aiming to learn and empower themselves to perform to their potential mentally.

    What to expect from an appointment with a sports psychologist

    When consulting with a sport psychologist you can expect to feel heard and understood within a non-judgmental environment. The sport psychologist will meet you where you are and on your level and formulate a therapeutic intervention to suit your needs. The majority of athletes express feeling relieved and hopeful after consulting with a sport psychologist.
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    What to expect from an appointment with a sports psychologist

    When consulting with a sport psychologist you can expect to feel heard and understood within a non-judgmental environment. The sport psychologist will meet you where you are and on your level and formulate a therapeutic intervention to suit your needs. The majority of athletes express feeling relieved and hopeful after consulting with a sport psychologist.
    Book an Appointment

    SEMLI Research

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    Dr Nicola Sewry

    PhD in Exercise Science (Vrije University Amsterdam, University of Cape Town)

    Lecturer, SEMLI

    Areas of speciality

    Researcher in injury prevention, and athlete health (endurance sports, rugby, chronic illness)
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    Candice MacMillan

    PhD, MSc (Physiotherapy), BSc (Physiotherapy), B.Comm (Accounting)

    Post-Doctoral Fellow

    Areas of speciality

    Biomechanics, Female athlete injury prevention, and performance

    SEMLI Administration

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    Sindiswa Swana

    Receptionist

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    Kerri Fouracres

    Receptionist

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    Lauzanne Booysen

    Receptionist

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    Rosa De Sousa

    Financial Assistant