From Broken to Built: A Physiotherapy Recovery Journey

ASPIRE CAPSTONE PRESENTATION 2026

FROM BROKEN TO BUILT

A Physiotherapy Recovery Journey

Turning a Collarbone Fracture into a Full-Body Performance Program

Jordan Carter

Grade 11

Lake Country, BC

01

WHO AM I?

Meet Jordan Carter

Born: July 15, 2008 | Lake Country, BC

Sports

Soccer (men's league), Basketball, Rugby, Football, Snowboarding at Big White

Creative

Sketching & colouring, listening to all genres of music, video games with friends

Cooking & Baking

Steaks, potatoes, asparagus, complex sandwiches, cookies

Health & Fitness

Weightlifting, morning/late-night jogs, healthy eating

Born on a cherry orchard in Lake Country — shaped by sport, creativity, and community.

02 | CORE COMPETENCY LEARNING MAP

CRITICAL THINKING

Researching physiotherapy techniques across Google, books, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to build a custom recovery program

PERSONAL AWARENESS & RESPONSIBILITY

Adapting my capstone topic after breaking my collarbone — turning adversity into opportunity

COMMUNICATION

Documenting weekly progress — mental, physical and health data — and presenting findings clearly

Social Responsibility

working with others, asking for help earlier

<li style='display: flex; align-items: center; margin-bottom: 10px;'><span style='color:#4dd0e1; margin-right:15px;'>•</span> Resilience</li><li style='display: flex; align-items: center; margin-bottom: 10px;'><span style='color:#4dd0e1; margin-right:15px;'>•</span> Self-Directed Learning</li><li style='display: flex; align-items: center;'><span style='color:#4dd0e1; margin-right:15px;'>•</span> Adaptability</li>

These themes led me to choose a physiotherapy recovery project

MY LEARNING STORY

What is my project?

Physiotherapy: From Injury to Performance

After breaking my collarbone snowboarding on December 22nd, I used Google, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, books and websites to design my own physiotherapy recovery program. I didn't stop at my collarbone — I expanded the program to my whole body to improve how I physically perform in sport and daily life.

Passion for sports, fitness, and healthy living

Drive to turn a setback into a learning opportunity

Curiosity about how the body heals and performs

Weekly documented journal entries — tracking mental health, physical progress, and measurable health impacts

03 | LEARNING STORY — THE PROCESS

The Injury

Dec 22: Broke collarbone snowboarding at Big White

The Research

Used Google, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, books & websites to learn about physiotherapy and collarbone recovery

The Program

Built a personal recovery plan: exercises, stretches, timelines, rest protocols

The Expansion

Extended learning to full-body physiotherapy to improve athletic performance

The Documentation

Weekly journal entries tracking mental wellbeing, physical progress, and measurable health impacts

Challenges:

Managing pain while staying motivated

Finding reliable sources

Adapting exercises as I healed

Missing sports (soccer, rugby, basketball)

Successes:

Full collarbone recovery

Improved flexibility and movement

Stronger understanding of body mechanics

Returned to men's league soccer

WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION

Every week I checked in with myself — mentally, physically, and scientifically.

15+ weeks of documented progress

Week 1–2: Post-Injury

Frustrated and worried about missing sports

Arm in sling, significant pain and limited mobility

Started anti-inflammatory diet, began breathing exercises

Week 5–6: Building Momentum

Growing more confident, researching felt empowering

Began gentle range-of-motion exercises

Noticeable reduction in pain, improved sleep

Week 10+: Full Body Focus

Motivated and excited — expanded to whole body

Full recovery nearing, training upper/lower body mobility

Better athletic performance, improved posture

LOTS OF VISUALS — Photos, screenshots, journal notes presented in final project

03 | LEARNING STORY — KEY TAKEAWAYS

💡

The Body is Incredible

Learning how the body heals itself, with the right guidance, changed how I view fitness and health entirely.

🔄

Setbacks = Opportunities

Breaking my collarbone pushed me into a field of knowledge I never would have explored otherwise.

📚

Self-Directed Learning Works

Using YouTube, TikTok, books, and websites — I built a real, effective recovery program with no formal training.

What I Would Change:

Start documenting from Day 1 (not Day 3)

Consult a real physiotherapist earlier for validation

Set up a more structured weekly template from the start

What's Next:

Continue the full-body physiotherapy program

Apply this knowledge to training for men's league soccer

Explore sports medicine / physiotherapy as a future career path

CORE COMPETENCIES

Skills demonstrated and strengthened through this project.

CRITICAL THINKING

Evaluating sources, designing a program, adapting it as I healed

PERSONAL AWARENESS

Listening to my body, tracking progress honestly, pushing through setbacks

CREATIVE THINKING

Finding innovative ways to rehab without gym equipment; expanding to full-body

COMMUNICATION

Weekly journal documentation; presenting complex health info clearly

Personal Awareness grew significantly

I became much more in tune with how my body and mind interact during physical recovery.

Career

Essential for sports medicine, physiotherapy, coaching, kinesiology.

Post-Secondary

Research skills, self-direction and communication are university-ready skills.

Daily Life

Better decision-making, self-regulation, and adaptability in any challenge.

Mrs. Ramsey

School Mentor / Teacher

Already knew her, trusted her guidance, and she had experience supporting student learning projects.

Regular check-ins throughout the project

Kept me on track, reviewed my documentation, gave feedback on structure and content

Encouraged me to document consistently and connect my learning to personal growth

My Dad

Personal Mentor / Family

Supportive, knowledgeable about fitness and life experience, always available

Ongoing — at home conversations and check-ins

Encouraged me through the hard days, helped validate my recovery approach, kept me accountable

Reminded me that healing takes time and consistency

Provides guidance when you're stuck or unsure

Keeps you accountable and on schedule

Offers real-world perspective beyond what you can find online

06 | CAREER & EDUCATION PATHWAY

Does my project connect to a career?

PHYSIOTHERAPIST / SPORTS THERAPIST

Working with athletes to recover from injury and optimize performance — exactly what I did myself

KINESIOLOGIST / STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH

Using science of human movement to improve athletic performance

Educational Pathway

<strong style='color:#ffffff'>Year 1:</strong> Complete Grade 11 at GES (2026)

<strong style='color:#ffffff'>Year 2:</strong> Complete Grade 12, focus on Biology, Physical Education, Health Sciences

<strong style='color:#ffffff'>Post-Secondary:</strong> Apply to Kinesiology or Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy<br><span style='font-size:0.9em; opacity:0.8; display:block; margin-top:4px;'>Options: UBC Okanagan (Kelowna), Thompson Rivers University, UVic</span>

<strong style='color:#ffffff'>Further:</strong> Masters in Physiotherapy (entry-level professional program)

<strong style='color:#ffffff'>Estimated tuition:</strong> ~$6,000–$9,000/year undergrad; $15,000+ for grad program

Backup Plan

Personal Trainer / Fitness Coach certification (can complete in 6–12 months)

Coach youth soccer or community sports programs

Explore Nursing or Health Sciences as alternate post-secondary route

My Plans for Next Year

Complete Grade 12 at GES

Continue playing men's league soccer

Maintain physiotherapy program and document continued progress

Begin researching post-secondary programs and scholarships

"It's a winding road — but I'm heading toward health and sport"

THANK YOU

for your time and attention

Jordan Carter

ASPIRE Capstone 2026

Lake Country, BC

Physiotherapy Recovery Program — Collarbone to Full-Body Performance

Special thanks to Mrs. Ramsey and my Dad for their mentorship and support throughout this journey.

From Broken to Built — and still going.