“Quality of service and products has always been a key part of any business I have been involved in. It allows me to have a sense of pride in what I do and to win the trust of my clients.”

Tenzing David Sherpa is the Founder and Senior Physiotherapist of Kinesiology Physiotherapy, Managing Director of PhysioFit by Astrek International and Executive Director of the Astrek Group. He graduated from Ghent University (Belgium) with a Masters Degree in Physiotherapy and is currently an Executive Board Member of the Nepal Physiotherapy Association (NEPTA). Tenzing also holds a minor in Neurological Rehabilitation with clinical placements in the Neurology and Pediatrics Department of de Trappenberg Rehabilitation Centre in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges (Belgium). He has vested interest in sports not only from a medical viewpoint but also as an athlete. He has played for the A-division Himalayan Sherpa Club. Having retired from football in 2015, he is now Executive Member of the Himalayan Sherpa Club. Here he shares with B360º, the five things that have impacted his work and life.

My Mother

My mother came to Nepal in 1978 to volunteer as a nurse. She left her 10-year job as a surgical nurse in Belgium and moved halfway across the world to a foreign country to help those that were less fortunate. This was at a time when traveling alone as a woman was not as easy as it is today. Though many tried to persuade her against moving away from the comforts of home, she followed her heart and it changed her life. She has taught me never to shy away from a challenge. Her courage to pursue what she felt was right for her has always served as an inspiration in the choices I have made in my life.

Sports

My passion for sports is unequivocally tied to many of my childhood memories from being part of the school basketball team to competing against my friends at sports days. Football, however, is my sport. I started off with kicking about with friends at home and by age 14, I was playing with the big boys at Brigade Boys Club in the Nepali A-division. It took me to playing semi-professionally in the regional leagues in Belgium and back to Nepal with Himalayan Sherpa Club. I was so fascinated by sports that not only did I want to be playing it but I wanted to be an academic in it. I moved to Belgium to study Sports Sciences from where it led me to completing my Masters in Physiotherapy. Today my answer for almost any issues in life is exercise. Weight? Stress? Health? Aging?Depression? Social Isolation? – Exercise!

Injuries

Injuries limit our activities significantly and make us dependent on other. As anyone who has been injured will tell you – injuries can make the strongest of us vulnerable. It forces us to suppress our pride and ask for help from others. On the upside, however, it is the perfect opportunity for us to appreciate the simple day-to-day things we do that we take for granted. A series of sports injuries in my younger years combined with an annoying curiosity aimed at my physiotherapist was the trigger for me to know what I wanted to do in my life. As a physiotherapist today, I see that my patients are hungry to learn about what is happening with them. Understanding how our body works helps us to take better care of ourselves. Ultimately the most important thing is our own wellbeing and of the people around us.

Apple

Apple Inc. revolutionised the way business was done. Their philosophy was not to give people what they wanted but to make something they would want. Quality and innovation was at the forefront and they were not satisfied with doing what everyone else was doing. Apple stuck to their principles throughout years of hardship and are now reaping the rewards. They are a prime example that customers are willing to pay for quality. Quality of service and products has always been a key part of any business I have been involved in. It allows me to have a sense of pride in what I do and to win the trust of my clients. Apple Inc.’s story has taught me to stay true to my philosophy, no matter how long it takes, and put quality first. Success and profits will follow in the long run.

 Earthquake

The 2015 Earthquake shook all our lives. For me, it was the realisation that everything that we thought important before was put into perspective when the safety and wellbeing of our loved ones were in question. Although momentary, all of our normal lives stood still for the weeks following the earthquake to help wherever and in whatever ways we knew how. I have since come to appreciate the role that each of us play in contributing to society with the work we do in our daily lives but also recognise that there is always a bigger picture. The success of our businesses may be measured in the value of our companies and the profits it make but our personal successes need to be much more than that.