SASMA

In this special collaboration between the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) and the Enhanced Pod, Nick Pereira sits down with Professor Habib Noorbhai to explore the rapidly evolving intersection of sport science, medicine, technology and artificial intelligence.

From athletic intelligence, data-driven decision-making and cricket batting biomechanics to markerless motion capture, precision-based sports science and spatial computing, the conversation explores how emerging technologies could shape the future of performance and rehabilitation. Habib also shares his perspective on democratizing access to technology in South Africa, the importance of interdisciplinary practice, and how clinicians can prepare themselves for a rapidly changing landscape.

A forward-looking conversation for anyone working in sports medicine, performance, rehabilitation, research or athlete development.

What does it really take to perform at the highest level — and what happens beyond the medals, records and podiums?

In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, Dr Kyle Winik sits down with Olympic champion Chad le Clos for an open and personal conversation about the journey behind elite performance. They explore the pressures of high-performance sport, identity beyond competition, mental health, setbacks and resilience, the importance of the people and medical teams surrounding an athlete, and the lessons Chad has learned through an extraordinary career.

A conversation about swimming, certainly — but even more importantly, about the person behind the performance.

What does it take to go from South African medical training to working inside elite UK sport?

In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, Dr Kyle Winik sits down with Dr Daniel Tadmor to explore his journey from South Africa into professional sport in the UK and ultimately the Premier League environment.

They discuss the strengths of South African medical training, adapting to a different sporting culture, clinical decision-making in elite football, multidisciplinary teamwork, return-to-play pressures, building trust with athletes, and what the role of a team doctor really looks like behind the scenes.

The conversation also offers practical insight for South African doctors hoping to build their own careers in elite and professional sport.

In this exciting SASMA podcast, Dr Kerry-Ann Walton interviews her colleague, Dr David Ogg, after his recent success as one of team UAE’s team doctors at the Tour de France.

David is a highly experienced medical doctor with a distinguished career in both emergency and sports medicine. In 2023, he joined the medical team for the UAE Team Emirates cycling team, and has just finished working his first Tour De France. In this podcast, David gives first-hand advice on many cycling-associated pathologies one can come across when working on a Grand Tour.

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Join sports psychiatrist Dr James Burger as he interviews Team SA sports psychologist Dr Koketjo Tsebe from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Together, they discuss mental preparation, athlete wellbeing, supporting performance under pressure, navigating post-Games challenges, and the practical realities of providing psychological care in elite sport. An insightful conversation for athletes, coaches, clinicians, and anyone passionate about helping athletes thrive both in sport and beyond.

Welcome to the Research Masterclass series, a collaboration between the SASMA Podcast and the Research Masterminds Success Academy. This series was created for clinicians, academics, and professionals who are curious about research but often find the academic world opaque, intimidating, or complicated.

The aim of this series is to slow that conversation down. We want to unpack research in a way that is honest, grounded, and practical.

In this 6th and final episode, host Janesh Ganda sits down with Prof. Benita Olivier — Professor of Rehabilitation at Oxford Brookes University and Director of the Wits Cricket Research Hub for Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, and founder of the Research Masterminds Success Academy focused on postgraduate productivity and work-life balance — alongside Ellen Dobson, Postdoctoral and Graduate Program Manager at the Morgridge Institute for Research, whose work centers on career development and networking for researchers transitioning beyond academia.

Together they unpack what happens after the thesis is submitted: navigating identity shifts, career pivots, and sustaining wellbeing during and after doctoral study. The conversation draws on Benita’s own journey — completing her PhD in 2013 on cricket fast bowling biomechanics before building a career spanning clinical academia, sports science, and postgraduate mentorship — and Ellen’s experience guiding postdocs and graduate students through career exploration and networking strategies that go beyond the traditional academic track.

Listeners will come away with practical insight into balancing research demands with personal life, redefining success after the PhD, and building a sustainable career path in academia, clinical practice, or industry.

Welcome to the Research Masterclass series, a collaboration between the SASMA Podcast and the Research Masterminds Success Academy. This series was created for clinicians, academics, and professionals who are curious about research but often find the academic world opaque, intimidating, or complicated.

The aim of this series is to slow that conversation down. We want to unpack research in a way that is honest, grounded, and practical.

In this fifth episode, we look at what really happens behind the scenes of a Masters or PhD journey.

Beyond the proposals, deadlines, and late-night edits lies one of the most influential relationships in academia — the one between a researcher and their supervisor.

In this insightful episode, Dr Aasha Parshotam sits down with world-renowned researcher Professor Benita Olivier and Sports and Exercise Medicine specialist and PhD candidate, Dr Dhavina Naidoo to unpack the realities of postgraduate research.

From setting expectations and navigating difficult feedback to building resilience, confidence, and academic independence — this conversation explores the challenges, growth, and mentorship that shape not just your thesis, but your identity as a researcher.

Whether you’re considering a Masters, deep in your PhD journey, or supervising the next generation of researchers, this episode is packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and lessons you’ll wish you heard sooner.

Welcome to the Research Masterclass series, a collaboration between the SASMA Podcast and the Research Masterminds Success Academy. This series was created for clinicians, academics, and professionals who are curious about research but often find the academic world opaque, intimidating, or complicated.

The aim of this series is to slow that conversation down. We want to unpack research in a way that is honest, grounded, and practical.

In this fourth episode of the series, we are joined by Professor Benita Olivier, to take us through the use of artificial intelligence in research. Can we use it? How do we use it safely, and is it cheating? Together, we unpack this topic and delve into the complexities that research may bring.

In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, cricket clinician Nick Pereira sits down with John W. Orchard and Benita Olivier — editors and co-authors of Cricket Sports Medicine — to unpack the making of cricket’s first dedicated sports medicine textbook and what it means for the future of the game.

Bringing together contributors from across the global cricket landscape, the textbook represents a landmark step in bridging the gap between research, rehabilitation, performance, and real-world clinical practice. Across 39 chapters, it explores the unique medical and performance demands of cricket, from injury epidemiology and rehabilitation to youth athlete development and return-to-play decision making.

Drawing on his experience as former Chief Medical Officer of Cricket Australia, Dr Orchard shares insights from decades working at the highest level of the game, including the persistent challenge of lumbar stress injuries in fast bowlers, the realities of load management, and how clinicians can better use injury surveillance and classification systems in practice. Prof Olivier provides the academic lens, discussing the collaborative process behind the textbook, the importance of standardising knowledge in cricket medicine, and the ongoing challenge of translating evidence into meaningful clinical outcomes.

The link to purchase the textbook is available below: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-96-6321-7

In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, host Dr Kerry Walton is joined by Dr Sean Gottschalk to explore the extremes of emergency and sport and exercise medicine: Exercising at altitude. Inspired by insights from their own experiences, Sean and Kerry share some top tips on expeditions to altitude and what to expect and be ready for in terms of medical challenges.

10 top tips for aspiring expedition medics on how to summit Mount Kilimanjaro:

1) Get yourself a mentor

2) Befriend the stair master at the gym

3) Do not compromise on gear (especially your sleeping bag)

4) Wear in your hiking boots

5) Double glove

6) Protect your eyes

7) Create a ‘buddy system’ amongst the hikers

8) ‘Pole Pole’ (Ascend slowly)

9) ‘Sippy Sippy’ (Stay hydrated)

10) Success is getting everyone down safely, not to the summit.