Kusal Goonewardena Explained

Kusal Goonewardena
Honorific Suffix:MA
Nationality:Sri Lankan born Australian
Education:
    Occupation:Physical therapist, lecturer, author
    Founder and Head of Sports Medicine at Elite Akademy, University of Melbourne
    Boards:Entrepreneurs' Organization (formerly)

    Kusal Goonewardena is an Australian physical therapist and health lecturer known for being founder and Head of Sports Medicine at Elite Akademy, University of Melbourne.[1] He has authored several books and is a fitness expert on ABC Radio National's Life Matters program.

    Early life and education

    Kusal Goonewardena was born in Sri Lanka. He had his primary education at Nalanda College, Colombo.[2] [3] His family travelled often during his childhood, as his father was an engineer who worked for the United Nations. They lived in Zambia, England, Oman and Bangladesh before settling down in Australia when Kusal was nine.[4]

    Kusal Goonewardena earned a bachelor's degree in physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne in 1999.[5] He earned his Master of Physiotherapy from La Trobe University in 2007.[6] He specializes in sports physiotherapy and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).[7] [8]

    Career

    Physical therapy

    In 1999, Goonewardena founded Vigor Sport Medicine, a chain of fitness clinics in Melbourne which double as teaching clinics for La Trobe University and Melbourne University.[9] He also runs clinics in Bacchus Marsh and Melton, Victoria.[10]

    He became a team physiotherapist for University of Melbourne in 2002, and has been Head of Sports Medicine for the UniSport Nationals' University of Melbourne team since 2008.[11] In an interview with The Age, Goonewardena stated that he wanted "to give something back to the University that gave me a great grounding in my career".

    He was the head of the medical team for University of Melbourne during the 2009 Australian University Games, and is the official provider for the university's Elite Athlete Program.[12] In this capacity he is known for working with Australian athletes such as Katya Crema, Lachlan Norris, Phoebe Stanley, Jeff Tho and Freddy Ovett.[13] He is also the physical therapist of German tennis player Laura Siegemund.

    Goonewardena is the head physiotherapist of Elite Akademy, a training clinic based at University of Melbourne, which he founded in May 2012.[14] The training clinic is part of the Nona Lee Sports Centre and works with Olympic, Winter Olympic and national athletes from Melbourne University Sport.[15] He led the medical team for German tennis player Laura Siegemund at the 2020 Australian Open. He then worked with Russian player Vera Zvonareva at the 2022 Australian Open. Svonareva had been Siegemund's tennis doubles partner at the 2020 Australian Open.[16]

    He has authored several books including 3 Minute Workouts (2015), Natural Healing: Quiet & Calm (2016) and Back Pain – 30 Days to Pain Free (2014). Goonewardena created the Kinrgize app with Elite Akademy in 2018, which allows users to track their fitness levels, workout regimens and sleeping habits.[17]

    Health expert and lecturer

    Kusal Goonewardena has been the fitness expert on ABC Radio National's Life Matters radio program since 2017.[18] He has been featured as a health expert on The Informer with George Donikian.[19] [20]

    Goonewardena has also been a guest expert in publications such as Body+Soul and The Sydney Morning Herald.[21] [22]

    Goonewardena was a board member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, an international nonprofit.[23] In 2014, Goonewardena became a mentor at The Founder Institute in Melbourne.[24] That same year he co-presented "The Three Entrepreneurs", part of Swinburne University of Technology's Learning from Entrepreneurs series.[25]

    In 2015, Goonewardena was a plenary speaker at the 8th International Research Conference at KDU College in Malaysia.[26]

    Publications

    Books

    Articles

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: White. Sue. 2015-01-16. The inside job ... in sport. 2020-06-30. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
    2. https://www.sundaytimes.lk/210214/sports/sri-lankan-born-physio-going-great-guns-down-under-432461.html Sri Lankan-born physio going great guns Down Under
    3. https://www.srilankafoundation.org/newsfeed-category/sports/ SL born physiotherapy expert to escort the medical team of the renowned tennis player to Aussieland…
    4. Web site: Sri Lankan-born physio going great guns Down Under. 2021-06-26. Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka.
    5. News: Scott. David. Soderlind. Laura. January 2012. Behind all great athletes.... The Age.
    6. Web site: 13 September 2019. IPC to Host Australian Sports Physiotherapy Programme in SL. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
    7. Web site: How three minutes of exercise, twice a week could make you fit WYZA Australia. 2020-07-29. WYZA. en.
    8. Web site: 2018-04-19. The three-minute workout that could be as good as going to the gym for half an hour. 2020-07-29. The Independent. en.
    9. News: van Alkemade. Anne. June 2011. A sporting chance. The Moorabool News.
    10. News: Cozza. Andria. June 2011. Test cricketers look to recruit physio's touch of magic. Melton Telegraph Express.
    11. December 2009. A week at the University Games. InMotion. Australian Physiotherapy Association. 32.
    12. Web site: Health & Wellness. 2020-07-28. Melbourne University Sport.
    13. Web site: Who's Kusal Goonewardena. 2020-07-29. Elite Akademy. en-US.
    14. News: January 2013. University's Elite Akademy wins excellence award. University of Melbourne.
    15. Web site: Sports Medicine & Massage. 2020-07-28. Melbourne University Sport. en-AU. Web site: Elite Athlete Program. 2020-07-28. Melbourne University Sport. en-AU.
    16. News: Amit. Naushad. December 26, 2021. Kusal Goonewardena Going Places Down Under. Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
    17. News: Thakar. Subrata. July 31, 2018. New app uses physiotherapy, accountability to encourage users in losing weight. AI In Healthcare.
    18. Web site: 2017-05-08. The Exercise Room: Fitness trends. ABC Radio National. en. Web site: 2020-03-24. How to exercise at home. ABC Radio National. en-AU.
    19. Web site: theinformer. 2021-04-08. Healthy Ageing Kusal Goonewardena TheInformer. 2021-06-26. TheInformer. en-US.
    20. Web site: TheInformer. 2020-11-11. Understand The Human Body Kusal Goonewardena. 2021-06-26. TheInformer. en-US.
    21. Web site: 2019-01-21. The 10 most common health and fitness questions – answered by experts. 2020-07-29. bodyandsoulau. en.
    22. Web site: Cain. Alexandra. 2018-05-29. Oh my aching feet! How to stop long-term damage from standing. 2020-07-29. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
    23. Web site: Long. Christine. 2015-03-05. How to make your first million. 2020-07-29. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
    24. Web site: Great Startup Mentors Confirmed for the Melbourne Founder Institute. 2020-07-28. The Founder Institute. en.
    25. Web site: The three entrepreneurs (AGSE Learning from Entrepreneurs). 2020-07-28. commons.swinburne.edu.au.
    26. Web site: November 2015. How 'Real' Professionalism can Change a Nation: transcribed plenary speech of K Goonewardena. 2022-02-06. Proceedings - KDU.

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