Kathryn Deverson

As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we are putting the spotlight on Kathryn Deverson, owner of Proactive Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic and Head of Medical for the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team.

Kathryn is a Cardiff-based chiropractor with a particular focus on sports injury management and multidisciplinary care. Since graduating from the Welsh Institute in 2019, she has worked with medical teams in elite sport and has travelled with rugby and GB sports teams, supporting athletes at the highest level.

Alongside her clinical work, Kathryn serves on the CPD and Communications Committee for the British Chiropractic Association and is passionate about mentoring final-year students and newly qualified practitioners as they begin their careers.

We spoke with Kathryn to learn more about her professional journey, her experiences as a woman working in this field and how she embodies ‘Give to Gain’ – the theme of International Women’s Day 2026.

What does being a woman in the healthcare and sports sector mean to you?

Being a woman in healthcare and sport means bringing both clinical expertise and emotional intelligence into environments that haven’t always been designed with women in mind. Elite and physical sports can still feel male-dominated, but that is changing, and rightly so. I’ve found that many athletes genuinely value having a female practitioner. There’s often a different level of trust and openness. Players sometimes share things with us that they might not otherwise voice, whether that’s stress, sleep issues, hormonal factors or pressures outside of sport. Those conversations can be integral to understanding why someone isn’t recovering as quickly as expected. Performance and injury are rarely just physical, and that trust matters.

Have you faced any particular challenges working in elite sport or running your own clinic?

There have been moments where I’ve had to prove my clinical capability more quickly than male counterparts. As a chiropractor, the role is physically demanding, and I’ve often had people assume that I won’t be able to adjust a rugby or hockey player effectively because of my size, but that isn’t the case. Early on, I sometimes felt underestimated. I navigated that by being prepared and maintaining high standards. Credibility builds over time when your work speaks for itself. Running a clinic isn’t a walk in the park and leadership decisions aren’t always comfortable, but having clear values and standards makes those challenges manageable.

How have you embodied “Give to Gain” by supporting, advocating for, or creating opportunities for others or how has someone supported you in this way?

Through my work with the Cardiff Devils, we take students on for mentoring and internship roles, giving them hands-on experience in a professional sports environment. It’s a brilliant way for them to learn what real-world care looks like and to build confidence working within a high-performance setting. Within the clinic, I also mentor newly qualified chiropractors as they transition into practice. Those early post-graduate years can feel daunting, so having guidance and support can make a huge difference. We also welcome school students and graduates into the clinic for shadowing, giving them a genuine insight into what we do day to day.

For me, giving back is about creating opportunities, sharing knowledge, and helping others step forward with confidence.

If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as a student, what would it be?

Say yes to everything, even if it feels small or out of your comfort zone. Every experience helps, and you never know where it might lead. Someone you meet at a workshop or networking event now could open doors for you in three years’ time. The more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities will come your way. Looking back, the things I learned and the connections I made through saying “yes” have shaped my entire career.

Looking to the future, what hopes do you have for the next generation of women entering chiropractic or sports injury management?

I hope the next generation doesn't feel like they are entering a male space but simply entering their profession. I think the British Chiropractic Association has done brilliantly at championing women in Chiropractic, but women in sport definitely needs a little more work but I believe this is changing. If we actively support and open doors for each other, we all benefit. 

Did you know that as a USW graduate, you could benefit from 20% off tuition fees* with our Postgraduate Alumni Discount? Find out more - Graduate Discounts - University of South Wales