Meet the speaker: Michelle Beach

The SILMO Academy by IOA will be taking place 12 April - 14 April in Singapore. Michelle beach will be talking about sports vision – improving patient performance.

Michelle Graduated from Cardiff University in 1993 and completed her Pre-Reg at Queens Medical Centre Eye Department, Nottingham. She spent 4 years in clinical research at QMC with Professor Dua and won research prizes in UK and USA in refraction after corneal graft surgery.

Michelle opened her own practice, Park Vision in May 2008 in Nottingham. Michelle is sports mad and has played for England Basketball, swam for South East England, herded cattle through Texas, completed her Advanced Padi, fallen down many ski slopes and broken many bones!

With a passion for sports, Michelle completed her Sports Vision Diploma with distinction in 2008 and her School Vision Diploma with distinction in 2010. She was awarded Sports Vision practitioner of the year in 2018 at the Sport Vision UK annual conference. Park Vision has been through two expansions and the practice was awarded Fashion Practice of the Year 2020 and Independent Practice of the Year in 2021 at the UK Optician Awards. She continues to grow the clinic specializing in Sports Vision, School Vision, Dry Eye and contact lenses including Myopia Management and Scleral lenses.

As well as working day to day at Park Vision Michelle is on the Advisory board with Alcon and Bausch & Lomb and clinical advisor to AOS software solutions.

Michelle has worked with many athletes from elite to “practicing”, including GB Ladies cricket, Harlequins, GB Volleyball, England Lacrosse, GB Carriage Driving, GB Skeleton, GB speed skating, GB Eventing as well as many footballers, cyclists, golfers and gymnasts of all ages.

Sport and exercise should be a fundamental part of our everyday lives. Particularly today, following COVID-19 and with a huge increase in diabetes, vascular disease and myopia globally, Eye Care Professionals should be encouraging their patients to see sport as an essential part of our health and well-being. But, in reality, how many Optometrists are regularly factoring this into their patient examination and dispense? Arguably, not enough.

All sporting decisions are made from visual cues and could mean the difference between; a win or a lose, a precise tackle or a penalty, safety or injury. Sports Vision goes far beyond understanding what you can see on a letter chart. It takes an in-depth look into the aspects of your vision that matter most when playing sport, including the speed and accuracy of focus, eye dominance, the stability of your visual system, and peripheral awareness - offering a total view of the efficiency of your vision. The ‘Sports Vision Assessment’ involves a multi-faceted approach of binocular harmony, eye health, psychology and a great relationship between the Optometrist, Dispensing Optician and athlete.

This presentation will address the key elements of a Sports Vision Assessment, including the multiple steps involved when screening a team and translating this into a written team report. This presentation will draw on and discuss an array of case studies involving elite athletes as well as an understanding of how to help the “normal patient” - bringing Sports Vision to your practice.

Find out more about SILMO Academy my IOA here