Edinburgh athlete who underwent 11 surgeries opens up her own therapy clinic
A skier and footballer from Edinburgh has made an inspiring "journey of healing" after undergoing 11 surgeries for sports injuries.
Anna Vincenti represented Team GB on the world stage as a skier, making her global debut when she competed at the 2013 skiing World Cup in New Zealand at just 17 years-old.
Later in her career she played football at a top level, donning the jerseys of Hibernian, Scotland and Celtic FC.
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Anna showed promise as an athlete from a young age. When she was just 14, Anna had to choose what sport was going to be her main focus, skiing or football, according to Celtic FC .
She said: “I got invited to go over to Team GB camps and stuff and was also playing for Hibs at the time.
“There was one day where I had a Scottish Cup final and it was also the British Championships and I said to my Dad, ‘I want to go skiing'.”
While her ability soon placed her among some of the world’s most elite winter athletes, her ski career was marked by near constant injury.
Anna underwent 11 surgeries for her knees and shoulders throughout her career. The athlete said that she was on "so many medications for the pain."
In 2019, Anna made the heart-wrenching decision to retire from skiing.
The 29-year-old recalled the moment she realised her skiing days were behind her, saying: "I was on the top of the slope one day watching people do jumps, and not one part of me wanted to go off.
She returned briefly to football after retiring from skiing - and shortly took up boxing - but injury and recovery continued to follow her.
Anna said: "I knew that a up to 12 months of recovery would follow every surgery and it made me scared. I returned to football and my knee went out again."
She retired from athletics entirely in 2022.
However, Anna's journey with recovery was only just beginning. Her uncle - a naturopathic doctor in Canada - urged her to explore alternative medicine. Anna soon developed a deep interest in recovery and the human body. She began studying Chinese medicine and acupuncture, marking the beginning of an entirely new passion.
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Anna said: "I've been there. I've been in pain and through all the surgeries and I wanted to give back to people, but naturally.
"I’ve seen firsthand how acupuncture can benefit people - especially now, with the backlogs in the NHS due to COVID.
“Acupuncture has shown potential to help with conditions like anxiety, depression, physical pain, insomnia, and even boosting immunity ahead of the winter months.”
Anna embarked on a new path by enrolling at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading, where she undertook over three years of rigorous study.
She dedicated herself to mastering the ancient art of acupuncture, recognising its potential to help others in ways that conventional medicine sometimes cannot.
Now, as a licensed acupuncturist, Anna is dedicated to using her knowledge to improve the wellbeing of others, whether it is helping people manage physical pain, trauma, chronic conditions, migraines, anxiety, depression, insomnia, women’s and men’s health, stress, headaches, skin conditions, facial rejuvenation, or overall wellbeing.
Anna is now offering treatments at her own clinic on a Thursday evening and all day Saturday at The Galleon Sports Centre, c/o George Watsons College, 69 Colinton Road, EH10 5EG, Edinburgh.
For further information visit: www.advancedhealingarts.co.uk.
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