It is possible you may never meet someone more enthusiastic about the outdoors, sports and exercise, healing and treatment, and the power of laughter than Candice. Everything Candice does is at 200% - with her skill equal to her passion.
Candice graduated with honours from UCT in 2002. After completing a year of community service in Namaqualand, she moved across the border to Namibia to work in private practice treating amateur and professional sports people. Here, she completed her postgraduate qualification in sports physiotherapy.
After Namibia, Candice travelled even further afield and gained valuable practical experience in London (UK) working in professional football, as well as at various private practices. Her main focus was sports physiotherapy and rehabilitation, as well as pilates. During this time, Candice gained invaluable experience working with and attending courses by leading international physiotherapists and sports medicine practitioners. This was a great opportunity for increased knowledge, acquiring new skills and making key connections that equipped Candice for her next move back to her beloved Mother City, Cape Town in 2011, where she started Candice Sumner Physiotherapy in March 2012.
Candice is driven by a passion for seeing people living an abundant life, one free from injury and pain. She enjoys helping people achieve their sporting goals and working with them to improve their performance. As a sufferer from chronic pain herself, following a spinal fracture, Candice knows how debilitating such pain and injuries can be; but she also believes that through the right treatment and exercise we should all be able to enjoy a high quality of life - 100% pain-free - where possible.
When not working, Candice will most likely be found climbing, hiking, jogging or attempting to surf. She also enjoys camping, travelling and being involved in community outreaches through her church.
Tertia Hattingh is the friendly face greeting you and the voice you will hear from when contacting Candice Sumner Physiotherapy. As our ‘admin guru,’ Tertia joined us in 2022 and brought with her a ton of expertise, with 14 years of experience as a Medical Administrator/Receptionist, preceded by 10 years in HR and Shipping (Imports).
Tertia lives in Pinelands, Cape Town, and is a proud mom to a grown son and daughter. In her spare time, Tertia particularly enjoys walking in nature along the seaside and in beautiful forests. She also loves taking road trips to L’Agulhas, her self-professed “happy place”. Tertia is not only a great administrator but a creative too! She is a keen nature photographer and has experience in wedding photography. When time allows, she enjoys painting and has recently taken on the challenge of watercolour painting.
Tertia looks forward to welcoming you to the practice and assisting you towards health and living life to the full.
Jackie is a multi-faceted physio with a great love for people and her patients. She enjoys foot/ankle physio and is interested in TMJ (jaw) pain and dysfunction. Her passion lies not only in problem-solving and helping her patients manage their pain or conditions better but also in empowering them to lead a fuller life.
Jackie graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 2007 with a BSc in Physiotherapy. She then completed her community service at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where she worked in both medical and surgical wards and Intensive Care Units (ICU) and burns units. Her time there was followed by two years in private practice as a post-op in-patient physiotherapist. In 2011, she moved to Cape Town, South Africa, where she gained further experience working in some outpatient, Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMS) and sport-based practices.
In 2017, Jackie was offered the position of SPT Course Convenor (post-graduate sports physiotherapy course). She thoroughly enjoyed organising the course and appreciated the opportunity to continue learning even more. Jackie is now chair of the Western Cape Sports Special Interest Group that organises courses, talks and events relating to the various sports events in Cape Town and surrounding areas.
Jackie is happily married and the proud mom of three beautiful children. This means she spends a lot of time on weekends at the aquarium and with her family. And when she’s not cooking and baking, Jackie enjoys running and keeping fit.
Brandon Serrao graduated from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2021, after which he completed his community service year with the South African Navy. He is currently completing his Master’s degree at UWC and is working with Hamilton Rugby Club. Brandon has a diverse background, including personal training and engineering. During his community service year, Brandon worked with athletes from various military sports teams, including the English National Over 50s hockey team.
Brandon’s interest in physiotherapy grew from his fascination with the human body and how it moves. He loves dealing with anything from sports-related injuries to injuries caused by our daily activity and working environments. He enjoys the process involved in working closely with his patients during their rehabilitation, taking great satisfaction in seeing them reach their goals.\
In his downtime, Brandon enjoys rock climbing, going to the gym, hiking, airsoft and almost any other fun activity. He believes better movement is the key to a healthier, stronger, and more pain-free lifestyle.
Melissa van der Merwe is an attentive, compassionate and caring physiotherapist, passionate about helping her patients achieve their goals. When not at work, you can find Melissa alongside the rugby field, taking her dog on walks, reading good books and enjoying good company. She also enjoys CrossFit and staying active.
After graduating from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2018 with her BSc Physiotherapy Honours degree, Melissa completed her Community Service at Postmasburg Hospital in the Northern Cape, South Africa. During this time, she took every opportunity to grow, exploring creative ways of treating patients in the hospital and nearby clinics. Her journey continued in Knysna, in private practice, where she gained experience within hospital and outpatient settings and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy. Following this, Melissa was able to pursue her keen interest in Sports Physiotherapy at a private practice in Durbanville.
Along the way, Melissa has discovered her passion for being close to the action and became a rugby field-side physiotherapist. She has experience at school and club levels and assisted at the Western Province U18 Craven and Academy Week in 2022. Melissa has also taken care of international teams at Rugby Sevens and is the first team physio for Villager Football Club.
At the end of 2022, Melissa started her journey at Candice Sumner Physiotherapy. Here, she continues to grow her knowledge and learn new skills within the Sports and Orthopaedic environment.
In case you do not notice the resemblance on entering the practice, Linda is none other than Candice's mother! Equally as passionate about what she does and always giving her best, Linda is the friendly face you may see assisting in the office from time to time. She is on stand-by to help you with any information you need.
Linda joined the team in December 2017 and has many years of admin experience from a 16-year career at Pinelands North Primary school, where she got to know most of the families living in the area. Upon leaving the school in 2008, Linda started her own audio-visual company and manages the finances and administration. She is a keen cyclist and has completed 24 Argus Cycle Tours – starting back when less than 5000 cyclists entered. To top it all off, Linda is a member of the esteemed 21 Club - with the blue jersey to prove it!
In her spare time, you are most likely to find Linda pacing the canal in Pinelands or patrolling with the neighbourhood watch. Having lived in Pinelands for almost 40 years, she is a well-known member of the community and is always eager to have a chat with you while you wait for your appointment.
