Our team

Specialist Doctors

Dr Nat Anglem (Kāi Tahu/Kāti Māmoe/Waitaha)
Dr Nat Anglem (Kāi Tahu/Kāti Māmoe/Waitaha)

Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician, Director

MBChB, FACSP

Tū ake au i te maru o Motupōhue

Tirotiro atu ki te Te Ara a Kewa, Ki Rakiura

Ki te mauka o Hananui, ka huri ki te mauka o Tākitimu, Tae noa atu ki te mauka tapu ō Aoraki e tū mai rā....

Tihei Mauriora!

Nat is a Sports Physician from Invercargill, who has lived in Christchurch practicing sports medicine for 20 years. He is part of a multidisciplinary sport and exercise medicine practice as well as having been involved in the performance aspect of sport throughout his life. He has particular interest in providing health care that recognizes the many and varied contributors to wellbeing and performance.

He has particular interest in Wintersport and has been involved in the Winter Olympic programme in Aotearoa for about 15 years, with a short stint representing NZ as a cross country skier as well.

Over the last few years Nat has taken on teaching roles and has had a fortunate position of providing some cultural assistance to different groups whilst receiving guidance from his own teachers.

Dr Chris Pratt
Dr Chris Pratt

Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician, Director

BM, PGDipSEM, MHSc, FRNZCGP, FACSEP

Chris has worked with us since 2014 on and off, travelling and working in other parts of the country as part of his and his wife’s training. After moving from the UK in 2007, they are now finally settled back in Christchurch permanently with their 4 children and Springer Spaniel. He enjoys mountain biking (and completed his Masters in mountain biking injuries), bouldering, fishing and generally being active outdoors. He has also done several martial arts in the past.

As a specialist in Sport and Exercise Medicine, and as part of his previous work as a GP, he's worked with several elite teams, including within the Crusaders, Warriors and Breakers franchises, and traveled to India with the NZ Men’s Black Sticks. He’s had clinical and organisational roles at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup, the Rugby League World Cup and the Rugby World Cup, and has provided medical cover to events in remote wilderness environments.

Clinically he enjoys complex biomechanical or problems relating to physiology, and particularly helping to get less active people going again.

Sports Doctors

Dr Andrew Bell
Dr Andrew Bell

Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar, Director

MBChB, FRNZCGP

Andrew has had a keen interest in sport and exercise since secondary school here in Christchurch through swimming and Surf Lifesaving (TMSLSC).

Since graduating from Otago University in 1994 he has worked in New Zealand, Australia and England.

After moving away from General Practice and into Sports Medicine in 2008, he finally decided it was time to apply to the Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Physicians and he sat his primary examinations in 2016.

Andrew’s team affiliations include working with the successful Canterbury Rugby ITM Cup Team in 2010 and 2011. He was also the team Doctor for the Black Caps tours to Bangladesh, South Africa, Zimbabwe and India between 2013 and 2016.

He has worked with NZ Football, including the NZ Men’s U-20’s team where he was the team doctor at the 2019 FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup in Poland and also the NZ Men’s U-23 team who qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

2021 was his year for contact sport with rugby league and he provided care for the Papanui Tigers and the Canterbury Bulls.

Andrew’s special interests include paediatrics in sport, frozen shoulders and exercise as medicine

Dr Mary Holden
Dr Mary Holden

Sport and Exercise Medicine Practitioner

MBChB, B.LA, Dip Occ Med, PG Sports Med

Mary is a Sports Doctor with a background in Sports Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and general practice. She joined us in 2017 (previously SportsMed Medical), bringing over 25 years of experience at the highest level in Sports medicine. She completed her post-graduate certificate in sports medicine in 1992, and the Diploma in Occupational Medicine in 1997. Since 2014 she has held a contract with ACC as a GPSI provider (General Practitioner with special interest in Orthopaedics), enabling her to request MRI and CT scans where deemed appropriate. She is also interested in physician-performed ultrasound and performs ultrasound-guided injections. She is trained in the preparation and injection of Platelet-rich plasma, and Hyaluronic acid (Durolane). She is interested in the injectable treatment of osteoarthritis, particularly knees.

Outside of medicine Mary enjoys travelling to Italy annually, and speaks conversational Italian. She is a reformer Pilates “freak”, attending almost daily for her fix. In 2011 she was a Medical Advisor to Pink and Steel Pilates, and developed medical content for teaching Pink and Steel Pilates; a cancer survivorship program course, to Physiotherapists NZ & worldwide. In 2010 she completed Dance Medicine Australia Level 1 & 2, and enjoys using clinical Pilates for rehabilitation. She also holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, and has also been a contributor to the local Artist Doctors events held in Christchurch annually.

Dr Annabel Merrett
Dr Annabel Merrett

Sport and Exercise Medicine Practitioner

MbChB, BBiomedsci, Dip Child Health

Annabel is from Christchurch and completed her medical studies at Otago University. She returned to Christchurch to work at Christchurch Hospital and has joined the Sports Doctors team in 2023. She is currently the team doctor for the Canterbury Women’s Rugby Team.

She enjoys competing in running, triathlon and tennis and has many years of ballet and contemporary dance training. When she is not working you can find her at the pool, cycling in the Port Hills, or running around Hagley Park.

Dr Tayla Smit
Dr Tayla Smit

Sport and Exercise Medicine Practitioner

MBChB

Tayla was brought up in the Waikato and completed her medical degree through Auckland University. She has spent her initial years working at Tauranga Hospital and living in Mount Maunganui. Tayla has recently moved down to Christchurch to pursue her training in sports medicine, joining the Sports Doctors team in 2024.
She has worked with running, multi-sport and rugby events, including being the assistant team doctor for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in 2023.

Tayla enjoys running and competing in triathlon with a keen interest in endurance training and performance. She also spent 13 years as a dancer and played football.

Consultants

Dr Rafi Raja
Dr Rafi Raja

Rheumatologist

MBCHB (NZ), FRACP (NZ), CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (UK)


Dr Rafi Raja studied medicine at the University of Auckland and graduated in 2002. He trained as a rheumatologist in New Zealand, completing his training in Christchurch in 2011, before pursuing a Clinical Research Fellowship in the UK in the area of osteoarthritis. He worked as a rheumatology consultant at Christchurch Hospital between 2014 and 2021, and also held the position of Senior Clinical Lecturer with the University of Otago during that time.   With a busy household of five school aged children, Rafi and his wife, Belinda, are happily settled in North Canterbury.  

https://rheumatology.co.nz/

Dr Estella Yeo
Dr Estella Yeo

Rheumatologist

MBCHB (NZ), FRACP (NZ)


Dr Estella Yeo graduated with an MBChB from the University of Otago in 2011 and completed her training in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine at Christchurch Hospital in 2020. She is interested and consults in all areas of rheumatological practice. She strives to provide the best personalised care for each of her patients. Born in Singapore, Estella is now a proud Kiwi who calls Christchurch and New Zealand home - alongside her husband, Steve, and lovely daughter, Sophie.

https://rheumatology.co.nz/

Dr Jason Chin
Dr Jason Chin

Musculoskeletal Medicine Physician

MB ChB (Otago), PGDipMSM (dist), FRNZCGP, FNZCMM

Jase is a specialist Musculoskeletal Medicine Physician, currently working in private practice in Christchurch. Jase has also worked at the Te Whatu Ora – Waitaha Canterbury Musculoskeletal Service based at Burwood Hospital, and in private Musculoskeletal practice in Wānaka.

Jase is a consultant partly practicing at Sports Doctors, you can find out more and make an appointment using the link below:

www.mskmedspecialists.co.nz

Cushla Holdaway
Cushla Holdaway

Accredited Sports Dietitian

NZRD, BSc, MDiet

Based in the heart of Canterbury Cushla works with people all over New Zealand and beyond, both in-person and virtually.

Completing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) majoring in Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, Cushla took the next step and completed a Master of Dietetics (MDiet) as well. She then worked clinically for a number of years gaining fundamental experience in a range of specialities, in some of New Zealand’s largest hospitals, before spending nearly four years specialising in diabetes. More recently Cushla has completed her Accreditation with Sports Dietitians Australia, completed training as a FODMAP Dietitian through Monash University Melbourne, and has completed courses on eating disorders in sport.

When not working you will find Cushla out running trails, skiing up the mountain, walking her Bernese Mountain dogs, reading, studying, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Cushla is a consultant at Sports Doctors, you can find out more and make a booking using the link below. 

https://www.holdawaydietitian.com/

Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you with your injury management, improve your performance or get to the bottom of a health concern 

Contact Us