We Are Randox | Rugby legends take Randox preventative health message on tour
We Are Randox | Rugby legends take Randox preventative health message on tour
`
This month global healthcare firm Randox Health brought together a wealth of Irish rugby stars, to play as part of a specially-formed squad who will be taking part in a match against the Barbados National Development Team, the Barbados Presidents XV.
The ‘Randox Raiders’ travelled to the Caribbean island ahead of their game on Friday 11th August, for intense training sessions led by Neill Alcorn, Ulster Rugby Development Officer, and to make a number of business visits to laboratories and hospitals across Barbados.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Health, commented on the company’s plans for the rugby tour;
“Barbados is globally recognised for providing pioneering and forward-thinking healthcare to its citizens, and Randox has had a long -serving relationship with the country. Our match against the Barbados Presidents XV provides us with the opportunity to network and make valuable new contacts across the island, to highlight our latest health technologies and innovations, and of course to showcase our Randox Health offering, of which our rugby players have each availed.”
Joining the Antrim-headquartered company’s rugby team were former Ulster rugby players Richard Andrew and Alastair Birch, amongst a host of other semi-professional players from around the country. The members of the Randox Rugby team have been following a bespoke health plan, following receipt of the results of their Randox Health Signature programmes.
Offering the most comprehensive and personalised health screening in the world, Randox Health programmes work by testing for hundreds of biomarkers in the blood. This not only reveals a client’s current health status, but is also accurate and sensitive enough to identify any potential health risks in your future – giving you the ability to make smart choices which will keep you healthier for longer.
Dr. FitzGerald continued;
“The way in which we take a whole-body approach to health, instead of looking at isolated sections of the body, is one of the reasons why so many people, even professional athletes, are recognising the benefits of our health screening. Our principal brand ambassador is Sir AP McCoy, the world’s most successful jockey, and there are Olympic athletes, boxers, and of course our Randox rugby players, all happy to share how their Randox Health programme gave them the knowledge they needed to make important changes to their lifestyles. Everyone, even elite athletes, can make improvements to their current and future health by taking a preventive approach and proactive measures. For each of us, through every walk of life, our health is our most important commodity and we must take care of it as best we can.”
On Friday 11th August the Randox Raiders took to the pitch to play their much anticipated match against the Barbados Presidents XV.
We’re delighted to announce that the final score of the game was Barbados Presidents XV 12 vs Randox Raiders 60!
The game showcased some scintillating rugby with a few sensational long range tries scored by both teams. A heavy downpour in 2nd half didn’t dampen the spirits and made for an excellent spectacle of rugby for the crowd that came to support the teams. Congratulations to the Randox Raiders and in particular to man of the match no. 6 Ali Birch!
For more information about the Randox Rugby Team please contact Randox PR on 028 9442 2413 or email randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Jonathan Acheson, Physiotherapist to the stars
It’s not every day you get to meet a celebrity. Whether it’s an actor, comedian, model or sporting legend, we all secretly hope that the time will come when we can get to meet our idols!
But what if you were able to work, travel and play alongside your role models every week?
That’s exactly what our Randox Health Corporate Relations Manager, Jonny Acheson does.
Jonny has worked with some of the biggest names in the Northern Irish sporting industry – providing physiotherapy and sports massages to rugby players including Stephen Ferris and Ruan Pienaar!
Read Jonny’s story below.
I went to school at Belfast Royal Academy and played rugby all through my teens. Then I went on to study Physiotherapy at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown, from which I graduated in 2012.
I had a part time job in B&Q during university and so worked my way up in there whilst studying for my degree, all the while playing rugby for my university of course!
It seemed like a natural progression to work my way through the B&Q ranks while I was there, and so when I qualified, I got promoted to Project Manager for B&Q Ireland, working from our Dublin office. It was a fantastic experience to be able to develop my people management skills, but working in the health industry was really where I wanted to be, because physiotherapy and rugby were my passion.
I was therefore delighted to have been offered the opportunity to meet the head of 352 Healthcare, to become the outpatient physiotherapist for the 352 Group. I was responsible for setting up and running the outpatient physio department – a job which I did for 2 years whilst also doing other part time physio work in sports.
For some time I worked with Ulster Rugby as a sports massage therapist, after having volunteered one afternoon a week for a couple of months. That summer I got to go away on their pre-season trip to Bayonne in south France for the week.
There’s one story from that trip that I will always remember. After the game against Bayonne, the players, coaches and I were all walking down from the changing rooms to the players’ lounge for a meal and a load of fans had waited behind to get autographs.
I was walking behind Stephen Ferris and Ruan Pienaar and they started signing autographs for their fans. All of a sudden one supporter was asking me to sign his flag, thinking that I was one of the Ulster rugby players.
I had a moment’s pause while I tried to pull together in my head an explanation in French that I didn’t actually play for the team!
After deciding that my French wasn’t good enough to explain this I thought that it might just be easier to sign… so there were about 20 french fans who thought they were getting all the Ulster rugby stars names, but actually ended up with the lesser-known Jonny Acheson scrawled across their Bayonne flags! I did however write my name in my best and neatest handwriting.
I was also the physio for the Irish Deaf Football Team in the Deaf European Championships in Hannover in Germany, and in the Deaf Olympics in Sofia in Bulgaria, and for the Ulster Deaf Football Team.
I learnt a lot from my dual role in 352 Healthcare and sports physiotherapy, but most importantly that I wanted to be able to bring my sports and health background to a sales and business development position. Therefore the position of Corporate Relations Manager at Randox Health seemed like the perfect fit.
Having an understating of anatomy and the physiology of the body is invaluable when explaining our health programmes to clients. My physio background has also opened several doors that have allowed me to continually grow my contact network.
I continue to do physiotherapy for Randalstown Rugby Club part time, in addition to my role here at Randox. I also play for the Randox Rugby team.
I’ve been asked by a few other local teams to come back and play for them again next season, but I’m still undecided. Unfortunately I had 5 fractures and a ruptured ligament from a rugby injury a few years back which restricted my playing. I had 2 plates and several screws inserted to try and fix the breaks and rupture, but when I had these taken out a year later, I was left with part of a screw that had broken off and was too difficult to remove!
So it might be quite some time before I’m back to playing full time. If only I knew a sports physiotherapist…
We are committed to improving healthcare worldwide and every member of our team plays an integral role in helping us to realise our vision. We are therefore very lucky that Jonny has brought his experience and anatomical expertise to his role in Randox Health.
If you’re interested in joining our growing team of talented and enthusiastic professionals, please contact recruitment@randox.com
For more information about the #WeAreRandox initiative please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
We Are Randox | Randox Rugby Team take to the pitch for inaugural match against Randalstown
Our Randox Rugby team have been hard at work in training in advance of their first ever competitive match against Randalstown!
On Wednesday the team comprised of Cathal Kelly, Robin Walsh, Charlie Spon-Smith, David Craig, Johnny Acheson, Christopher Stevenson, Peter FitzGerald, Jack Hanna and Jason Webster, played their inaugural match against a Randalstown select team under the floodlights of Randox’s rugby pitch in Crumlin.
Heavy rain in the days leading up to game-night threatened to postpone the match but the rain held off and in mild conditions with little wind, it provided the perfect night for running rugby, and the match didn’t disappoint!
Months of hard work had prepared the young Randox team for the match against the more experienced Randalstown team. With training and exercise drills weekly, the men from Randox had been put through their paces and were ready for some competitive rugby!
Jason Webster, Randox Health Sales Manager, who plays for our Randox Rugby Team, commented;
“The Randox men more than held their own in what was an open, end-to-end game. Right up until the last minute the win could have gone to either team – it was a nail-biting match!”
The Randalstown team showed their rugby skill and rugby know-how with excellent ball retention in the first half of the rugby mach. They earned hard yards with their big forwards punching holes around the tackle area, which resulted in an early lead, but the speed and individual ability of our Randox players produced some mouth-watering tries of their own!
The final score of the match was an unbelievably close 37-39 to Randalstown.
What an incredible score for our team’s first match against a rugby club team! Our Randox rugby players gave the Randalstown boys a good run for their money, and had great fun while doing so!
Jason continued;
“The camaraderie between all the men from both Randox and Randalstown was fantastic and it was great to see such great sportsmanship from both teams. We hope to have another game against Randalstown in the coming weeks – bring your A-game Randalstown!”
Spectators at the match included Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Nuailin FitzGerald, supporting members of staff from Randox and a contingent of staff and players from Randalstown RFC.
Thank you to everyone who turned out to support our Randox Rugby team and of course to the Randalstown players for a great game!
For more information about our Randox Rugby Team contact Jason Webster via email: Jason.webster@randoxhealth.com
Make sure to follow Randox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox for more stories about the amazing team we have here!
We Are Randox | Randox Rugby Team Promote Healthy Work-Life Balance at Randox
As a global healthcare diagnostics company, we know a thing or two about health. And we know that taking time out from our busy lives to relax and unwind is important to stay healthy. Whether that’s taking your dog for a walk, meeting up with friends, getting lost in a good book, or playing your favourite sport.
Playing a competitive sport brings a wealth of benefits – it’s the perfect way to socialise and look after your health at the same time! Not only is it good for your physical health, but can go a long way in maintaining your mental wellbeing too.
There is great value in exercise and fresh air. However, it’s an unfortunate fact of life that most 9-5ers just don’t have the opportunity to indulge in this pleasure very often.
Randox, being a company serious about health and wellbeing, like to know we’re giving our employees the best opportunities to be as healthy as they can, and live their lives as fulfilled as possible.
Amongst many sports in which Randox encourages employees to take part, we encourage our employees to regularly take the time to engage in some friendly competition of 5-a-side rugby against each other. The County Antrim countryside, in which our Randox headquarters are located, is the perfect setting for an informal game of rugby – our rugby players can let off some steam and take in the scenery at the same time!
The team was banded together by Randox Founder and Managing Director, Dr. Peter FitzGerald, who occasionally joins in on the games himself! Dr. FitzGerald is a strong advocate of teamwork and camaraderie in the workplace.
Jonathan Acheson, Randox Health Sales Executive, who plays for our Randox Rugby Team, commented;
“At Randox we work hard but we play hard too! Our work can often be very fast-paced and Randox is expanding phenomenally – for example we’re all working towards our 5 year sponsorship of the Randox Health Grand National, beginning in 2017, which is keeping us all very busy. So it’s important that we take time to unwind and recharge our batteries. We’re lucky that we’re able to take advantage of being in such a lovely area of Northern Ireland – right beside Lough Neagh – and so we can get outside after work and have a good run-about!”
Follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
