Who is Junaid in a nutshell and why did Physiotherapy chose you ?

I am an introverted extrovert, I love being in the company of like-minded people but I also crave solitude. I am an observer, but I truly come alive when I speak about something I am passionate about.

I am a son, a brother and a husband, I love  being outdoors and one with nature, sometimes by myself, and sometimes in a group. 

I have been involved in sport for as long as I can remember, as a player, coach and in recent years as a physiotherapist. 

I decided to study physiotherapy in order to chase my passion of being involved with sport and in order to help the downtrodden. 

When I was 14 years old my father was diagnosed with brain cancer, he later under went 6 brain operations in order to remove the tumor as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, due to all the operations he became an epileptic. 

Through my high school years I have seen my father go through everything possible in order to recover and I felt helpless at the time, I really wanted to help him but I did not have the knowledge or resources to do so. 

I saw the multidisciplinary team work with my dad and I saw how much the physiotherapist has helped him, and that made me decide to study physiotherapy and in turn I could help my father and every other person who has been in his situation before and also follow my passion of being involved with sport. 

You seem to have a great interest in Touch Rugby. How did that come about and what are your achievements in the sport ?

I first got interested in touch rugby at the age of 11, when I watched my sister play, ironically. At the time there were no boys touch rugby teams that I could join, so I eventually ended up playing in the girl’s team. After a year or two a men's team were created and I started playing in that team. 

At the age of 14 I represented the Western Province Men's open B side at the senior interprovincial touch rugby tournament (SIPT 2006) held in Cape Town 

From there on in 2007 I represented Trafalgar High School at the Schools World Cup held in Malaysia where we went on to win gold. 

In the years that followed I have represented Western Province on a junior and senior level as a coach and a player, winning multiple silver medals on a junior level to eventually winning the tournament undefeated. 

On a senior level I have won the Men's open division and silver in the mixed division. 

I have won multiple MVPs and highest try scorer awards on a club and provincial level, unfortunately I haven't had the chance to play in a Touch Rugby World Cup due to financial reasons and injury set backs, but I have had the privilege of being at the Touch Rugby World Cup as a physiotherapist. 

In 2012 I have co-founded an NPO with my sister, called 'For Health and Sports Academy' (FHS Academy) where we used the sport of touch rugby as a vehicle to doing skills transfer and creating an environment that felt like a home away from home, a safe haven for those who did not have one. The sport is very dynamic and technical and a good way to help people learn the traits of discipline and hard work. 

A writer and poet…. Does that mean you are a Romantic at heart or are we assuming? 

There is no need to assume, I am proudly a romantic at heart, I have always felt as if I was perhaps born in the wrong generation. 

Which reminds me of a short piece I wrote a while back. 

"If there was anything I would wish to have in common with someone, it would be that our souls can understand each other. 

That way we can connect and communicate on a different level, that our souls fall under the same category. Both old and wise, searching for connections and understanding of things past the physical realm and the society barrier.'

You have become WSMC’s 4th International Practitioner.  How does that make you feel? 

I am happy and proud to be able to call myself the 4th International Practitioner for WSMC, it is truly an unbelievable moment for me, and it humbles me to know that WSMC has entrusted me with their brand and visions as they have with those who have paved the way before me. 

It is an honour to represent a brand that has all the same values and ethos as myself, it is a stepping stone in the right direction to building a career I can be proud of. 

What are you future Goals?

When people think of future goals they like to categories it by short term and long term goals and link that with success 

I like to split my future goals into different categories 

Spiritual goals, family goals, Career goals and Financial goals and health&wellness goals. 

For me it's important to first define what it means to be successful. If you believe your greatest achievement would be for you 

to be successful in your career then work hard towards that. But for the next person success could mean bettering your understanding of your religion and finding spiritual balance for example. 

Success is only what YOU believe it is! 

So if I think about future goals and I break it down in a nutshell, 

In the next 5 years I would love to be Spiritually sound, start a family, have a career I can be proud of and be financially stable all together.