Posted by Cardiff Blues flanker Ellis Jenkins has spent time with world renowned specialist Bill Knowles in Philadelphia as he continues his comeback from the knee injury suffered in November 2018.
The 26-year-old has not played in the 15 months since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the final seconds of Wales’ win over South Africa, with timelines for his return coming and going as Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Rugby Union ensure he is fully fit before setting back on to the pitch.
He has now spent a week across at the Atlantic, at a reported cost of $5,000 for just a week of treatment, with Dr Knowles who has treated the likes of Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning and Jonny Wilkinson among a host of other world class athletes.
Knowles refers to himself as a ‘reconditioning specialist’ and employs some unusual techniques such as bounding off trampolines and performing cartwheels in a bid to set physical puzzles for the body, in the same way a crossword keeps the brain in shape.
He insists on working with physiotherapists from the athlete’s team or club, so Cardiff Blues senior physiotherapist Gruff Parsons accompanied Jenkins to Philadelphia, while former Major League Soccer physio Matt Siniscalchi was also involved as a colleague of Knowles.
Speaking to the Cardiff Blues official website upon his return, Jenkins said “It was a really good experience, with some unorthodox training sessions, but I very much enjoyed working with Bill. It’s also good to have a little bit of a change of scene sometimes and I’d like to thank Bill and his team for their time and effort with me.”
Cardiff Rugby Life 