Dr Eloise Matthews is the founding director of Pinnacle Sports Physicians and a specialist Sport and Exercise Physician. She has a job share medical officer position for HPSNZ with Dr Lesley Nicol to support pathway and high performance athletes residing in the South Island of New Zealand. Dr Matthews has a passion for keeping the community active and healthy, firmly believing in exercise as medicine. She specializes in the care of young athletes and has a special interest in swimmers, endurance athletes, and snow sport athletes. Outside of her clinical work she enjoys getting active with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys trail running, mountain biking, adventure racing, skiing, and snowboarding.
Why you joined the Women in SEM Advisory Group:
Dr Matthews is a member of the ACSEP Women in SEM Committee. She is passionate about ensuring equity for female doctors and more specifically female SEM physicians. Having experienced the challenges of parenting and motherhood during training, she is dedicated to ensuring opportunities are equally available regardless of gender. She had 3 children during her registrar training and once fellowed has opened her own practice to allow flexible work opportunities for SEM physicians that value flexibility in their workplace. She recognized that SEM offers many career opportunities for women, yet the low percentage of women applying for training was a key motivator for her involvement in seeking to understand and improve these opportunities. She is now the chair of the Selection Committee for ACSEP.
What you advocate for, and how women can reach out to you:
Eloise advocates for the growth and support of women in SEM and for girls and women in sport and exercise in general. Women can potentially reach out to her via the email address listed in her CV: eloise@pinnaclesp.co.nz.
A proud moment in your SEM journey:
A significant and proud moment in Dr Matthews' SEM journey was leading the 2024 NZ youth olympic games medical team, which she describes as the "most successful youth winter games NZ has ever had". She found it a pleasure to be a small part of the team, allowing the athletes to grow and showcase their talents. Opening her own practice, Pinnacle Sports Physicians, and successfully navigating the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic in its early stages could also be considered a proud achievement.
Your areas of interest or practice:
Dr Matthews' areas of interest and practice include:
• Care of the youth athlete
• Female athlete health
• Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
• Snowsports and endurance sports
• Keeping the community active - exercise as medicine
• Governance and leadership to optimise medical team wellbeing, safety, productivity, and ultimately patient care