When Winter tells us that his favourite book growing up was the first aid manual and that he read it everywhere he went, we couldn’t help but laugh. The director and principal physiotherapist of a clinic here in Singapore shared that since young, he’s always wanted to help and play “hero” as it were, eventually taking up healthcare as a profession to fulfil that dream.
Your work deals with fieldside trauma and sports injuries for rugby. Is there something about the emergency factor that appeals to you?
Yeah, since young I’ve realised that I could always maintain calm under pressure. It’s especially in the situations where someone gets something serious, that I get into the zone. I know exactly what to do. I can’t quite describe it.
It’s a skill, a gift of course.
It developed while I was growing up. I learnt how to be objective while attending to someone and I think it’s very similar to just listening to someone. It’s what I do for all my patients – listen carefully to their story and get the best chance at an accurate diagnosis.
What’s your idea of living life to the fullest?
I think it means stepping out your front door and doing everything that you want. Personally, I’ve tried to do that all my life. I wanted to do music so I learnt it and released an album (Winter swears it can’t be found). I wanted to do healthcare and here I am. My next step is to learn medicine so that’s the aim.
What scientific breakthrough has had the biggest impact on humanity?
The immediacy of communication because of technology has impacted us the most. We are never switched off anymore because people expect replies. We don't have communities anymore. You don't talk to your neighbor and you don't talk to someone on the bus next to you. I take the same bus with the same people every day but I don't know anyone because they are all busy playing candy crush on their phone. No one looks out the window or just watches their environment. Even at cafes, I see groups of friends sitting together but everyone is on their phone.