Meet our team
Catherine George
Co-Founder, Physiotherapist
Qualifications: Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Certificate of Proficiency: Breathing, Performance and Rehabilitation (AUT)
Bradcliff Method certified
Professional Memberships: Physiotherapy Board Registered Physiotherapist, Member of Physiotherapy New Zealand, member of Physiotherapy New Zealand cardiorespiratory and mental health special interest groups and a member of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Catherine hails from Waihōpai Invercargill and lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Catherine trained at the University of Otago Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo and as a cardio-respiratory physiotherapist has over 20 years of experience both in the public and private sector both here in Aotearoa New Zealand, Ahitereiria Australia and Ingarangi England .
Catherine is the director physiotherapist of The Lung Mechanic. She has a vast knowledge base and experience assessing and treating children, youth and adults and encouraging self-management of breathing (respiratory) conditions and for those living with post-viral conditions including Long COVID and is a sought after speaker for webinars and education sessions on the topic. She works closely with Canterbury Private Respiratory Specialists.
She has four delightful children and a Jack Russell named Frank. If Catherine is not at home with her children she can be found on the river paddling a dragon boat and supports her local community as a member of the Board of trustees at a local school. She also gained her ATCL in speech and drama (a long time ago…..).
Jen Mepham
Co-Founder, Physiotherapist
Qualifications: Bsc(hons)Physiotherapy, Post Graduate Certificate: Clinical exercise (Trinity College, Dublin).
Bradcliff Method certified.
Professional Memberships: Physiotherapy Board Registered Physiotherapist, Member of Physiotherapy New Zealand, member and committee member of Physiotherapy New Zealand cardiorespiratory special interest group and member of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Jen was born in raised in London, England Rānana Ingarangi and trained out in the West Country at Physiotherapy school at the University of the West of England. Over ten years ago Jen arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand to work at Dunedin Public Hospital and despite a brief but delightful relocation to Papakura for three years, ōtepoti Dunedin has been home for Jen and her family.
Jen is a cardio-respiratory physiotherapist with over 15 years experience. Jen is a member of Physiotherapy New Zealand Cardio-respiratory special interest group committee and during her time as Chairperson was privileged to be invited to be a member of the Expert Advisory Group for Long COVID and contributed to the development of the national guidelines. Jen has set up a private Long COVID clinic via telehealth to support those living with post viral conditions. Jen teaches cardio-respiratory and mental health labs and tutorials on the undergraduate physiotherapy programme at the University of Otago Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo.
Outside of physiotherapy Jen works for an NGO and is a member of the committee for a local gymnastics club and is slowly working her way through judging and coaching qualifications. Her passion is adapting systems and processes so no one is excluded. Jen is happiest on her bike or in the water and tries not to turn down a feisty game of social netball.
Catherine and Jen
Colleagues and Friends
Both Catherine and Jen have worked across the spectrum as Intensive care and cardiac care physiotherapists, working on the wards and working in the community providing exercise and management classes. Jen and Catherine have also worked the same role but about 4 years apart. We feel we are destined to work together.
Catherine and Jen have been friends for almost ten years. With a shared physiotherapists appreciation for all things heart and lungs we have shared many dinners, trips and holidays together. We recognized the need for accessible information to support people on their journey to wellness or recovery. From a shared passion for supporting people in the long COVID experience, Breathability was born with a goal to reach those who need the information but may not be living in our home cities.
Our goal is to share with you research based information to help you manage post-COVID and Long COVID symptoms. There is no cure for long COVID. There are tried and tested management strategies and approaches that can support symptom management, and for some, they will see vast improvements, others will see some improvements and others will learn to live with new symptoms. There is no way to predict who respond in what way, but we know this information is safe for everyone to implement and has peer reviewed research to support its use.
We wont make promises we cannot keep, we tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.