For the second year in a row, the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta’s Peter Martin Award has been given to an MH Vicars School of Massage Therapy graduate!
Please join us in congratulating massage therapist Lee Brill, who graduated from Vicars in 2021.
“We’re incredibly proud of Lee for winning this year’s award,” said Robin Collum, the school’s communications director. “She represents the compassion, ambition, and dedication to comprehensive client care that Vicars therapists are so well-known for, and we’re thrilled that she’s been honoured in this way by the MTAA.”
The Peter Martin Award recognizes a newly qualified massage therapist for their accomplishments in their first year as a practicing RMT, and their dedication to advancing the profession in Alberta. It is given out annually by the MTAA, one of Alberta’s leading massage therapy professional associations.
Last year’s winner, Sheena Taggart, was also a Vicars graduate. Read Sheena’s story here.
“The MTAA is committed to supporting new massage therapists that have completed their education and are ready to embark on their new career,” said Kaitlyn Crawford, MTAA Marketing & Member Services Coordinator. “One of the ways we do this is by offering the Peter Martin Award. It provides new graduates with the opportunity to receive a $750 cash award that can go towards their student loans, purchase of supplies to get their practice started, or for their MTAA Active Membership.”
Lee chose to become a massage therapist in part because of her interest in women’s health, particularly around pre- and post-natal care. Lee’s previous career experience includes acting as a doula and a nanny, which opened her eyes to new ways she could provide care and support to her clients during pregnancy and beyond.
“While working as a birth doula I started to realize how many things were missing from prenatal care in Alberta and specifically what I was unable to provide for my clients,” Lee explained in her application essay for the award. “I have a strong sporting background as well and have always had an
interest in the human body and all that comes with that. I felt that massage therapy was the
most natural next step for me to satisfy my interests and my clients’ needs.”
Lee has turned her dream into a reality since graduating in June. She currently practices out of the Holistic Institute of Health & Fertility in Calgary, a multidisciplinary clinic that specializes in fertility, prenatal, postnatal, pediatric, and menopausal care.
“I was introduced to the world of fertility and infertility through working at HIHF, and have learnt so much more about what massage can do to help individuals and families through their fertility journeys,” Lee said. “I’m so excited to keep learning and growing in this profession.”
Lee’s plans for the future include taking continuing education courses in prenatal and postnatal massage as well as complementary modalities such as cupping and neurofascial reset therapy.
