MELISSA McConaghy, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist and CEO of PD Warrior, has placed as a finalist in the 2022 HESTA Impact Awards’ Individual Distinction category. 

The national HESTA Impact Awards recognises the positive contributions of health and community services professionals across three categories: Team Innovation, Outstanding Organisation and Individual Distinction. 

“Health and community services professionals are having an extraordinary impact every day on the lives of Australians and the world in which we live,” says HESTA CEO Debby Blakey. “They deserve to be recognised nationally...It’s incredibly humbling for the HESTA team to be able to help share their incredible stories.”

Melissa McConaghy is being recognised for creating and developing PD Warrior, an exercise rehabilitation program for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
 “Not only do patients get fitter and stronger, but they also begin to move a lot better,” says McConaghy. “A lot of people with Parkinson’s tend to have difficulties with larger movements. It can be very difficult to walk without shuffling or get dressed independently, particularly as they progress in their condition.” 

Exercise has been shown to slow symptom progression through neuroplastic training.

“What PD Warrior does is help them to move better, think better, and feel better,” McConaghy says. “It helps them to re-focus the priorities in their life, which tends to increase their social participation and their support networks. As long as exercise and activity remain constant, they continue to do incredibly amazing things.”

McConaghy has witnessed her clients returning to activities which they had given up doing. Patients who once couldn’t throw a ball now tell her about playing basketball with their grandchildren.

“As a physio, that is what you get out of bed for,” she says. “It’s incredibly rewarding.”

Since founding the program in 2011, McConaghy has expanded the PD Warrior platform both online and overseas. She has developed a five-level course to educate and upskill other health professionals, which has been licensed in ten countries and translated into four languages. 

She is currently developing an app, which will become a knowledge base for people with Parkinson’s, providing exercise resources, educational materials, and a support network. 

McConaghy holds a Master of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) and became the youngest fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2010. She is the author of the book The New Parkinson’s Treatment: Exercise is Medicine and the host of podcast PD Podcast. 

The three winners of the 2022 HESTA Impact Awards will be announced Wednesday 23 February at a live event, which will be broadcast at https://www.hesta.com.au/awards.html