When they graduated from UM’s physical therapy program, neither Melanie Sabourin [BA/13, MPT/19] nor her friend Mikaela Hoeppner [MPT/18] had any plans to own a business. But within a few years, the pair teamed up to open a unique Winnipeg clinic.
Kids Physio Group is the only private clinic specific to physiotherapy for children in Manitoba. The business was launched in Vancouver in 2006 and started franchising in 2019. There are currently 18 locations across Canada.
Sabourin met with founder Laura Patrick in 2021 about opening a franchise in Winnipeg. “I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do on my own, so I called Mikaela,” she says.
By September 2023, the business opened its doors in the south end of the city.
Hoeppner and Sabourin first met at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences when Hoeppner was in her second year of the master of physical therapy program, and Sabourin her first. Both had a longstanding passion for working with children: Hoeppner had been a camp counsellor and Sabourin a dance teacher.
They had a friend, Emily Campbell [B.Kin./14, MPT/18], who moved to Vancouver in 2020 to work at the original Kids Physio Group location.
“I saw her sharing things on social media about her job and thought, ‘If this ever opens in Winnipeg, I would love to work there,’” Sabourin says.
She and Hoeppner were drawn to the business because of its focus on making physiotherapy fun. Centred around an open gym with colourful equipment, the clinic is inviting and lets kids forget that they’re doing therapy.
“I’ll always remember this one boy around five years old who was nervous and thought he was going to the doctor. Then he walked into the gym and said, ‘This is everything I ever could have dreamed of!’” Sabourin says.
The business employs two other physiotherapists and offers a variety of services, including physical therapy for developmental delays and sports injuries. The therapists also offer services for infants, including management of head shape and neck tightness, motor milestones and feeding.
There are two smaller treatment rooms for kids who need a more private space.
The team tries to tailor exercises to each child’s interests, from sports to Taylor Swift. “With one client, I try to incorporate superheroes as much as possible,” Hoeppner says.
Reflecting on their UM education, both alumni recall “full-circle moments.”
“I was looking back on my notes from school and I had to write down where I saw myself in five years, and I said, ‘owning a physio clinic for kids.’ It’s funny, but I don’t remember writing that down,” Hoeppner says.
“I had a similar experience,” says Sabourin. “We had to write and put in an envelope what we thought we’d be doing at the end of the program. I wrote, ‘working with kids.’”
Both find special rewards in caring for young clients.
“They’re so honest, and they say the funniest things,” Hoeppner says. “There’s a joy in working with kids that you don’t get in other settings.”
BY ALAN MACKENZIE