Hillary Rempel, MPT — Physiotherapist in Winnipeg | Elite Sports Injury Clinics
Hillary Rempel is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg, with 4 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) and a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Applied Health (B.Kin) from the University of Manitoba, is a Certified Running Clinician with The Running Clinic, and is certified in Acupuncture. Hillary specializes in running-related injuries — from knee pain and IT band syndrome through to Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints, and bone stress injuries — criteria-based ACL and traumatic knee rehabilitation, and performance-based physiotherapy that bridges the gap between standard rehabilitation and return to sport. She is the lead physiotherapist for the Strong Strides running and return-to-sport program at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James.
Credentials & Education
Hillary completed her Master of Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Kinesiology and Applied Health at the University of Manitoba. Her advanced certifications include Certified Running Clinician with The Running Clinic — specialist evidence-based training in running injury prevention and treatment — Acupuncture certification, and Orthopaedic Level 2 from the CPA Orthopaedic Division. She integrates VALD ForceDecks force plate technology for objective strength and symmetry testing, enabling measurable, data-driven progression in ACL rehabilitation, return-to-sport readiness, and running rehabilitation. As a lifelong runner with experience from 5K through marathon and now triathlon, Hillary brings direct personal experience in training load, injury prevention, and the mental demands of endurance sport.
How Hillary Treats
Hillary’s running rehabilitation practice uses a load capacity model — ensuring that the tissues are progressively challenged to build resilience, rather than either overloaded into injury or underloaded into deconditioning. Using The Running Clinic’s evidence-based framework, she evaluates training load, recovery patterns, lifestyle demands, nutrition, and sleep as factors that influence running injury risk — going beyond the biomechanical assessment that most physiotherapy running assessments are limited to. For patellofemoral pain and IT band syndrome, this means identifying whether training load, hip strength, footwear, or movement mechanics are the primary contributors — then building an individualized progressive program that allows runners to continue running (modified where necessary) rather than stopping entirely.
For ACL and traumatic knee rehabilitation, Hillary uses VALD ForceDecks for objective strength and power symmetry testing — measuring asymmetries and loading patterns that are invisible to standard clinical assessment. Criteria-based progression means patients advance through rehabilitation stages based on measured objective milestones, not time alone: early phases restore range of motion and foundational strength; mid-phases target quadriceps and gluteal symmetry through single-leg loading; late phases use plyometric and sport-specific movements tested against force plate criteria before clearance. Acupuncture is integrated for pain management, reducing the muscular hypertonicity that limits early-stage exercise participation. Hillary is also the lead physiotherapist for the Strong Strides program — a structured 6-week progressive program for runners and return-to-sport patients available on the Elite Sports Injury Clinics website.
Conditions & Injuries Treated
Hillary treats a focused range of conditions with specialist depth at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg. Her most common presentations include:
- Running injuries (specialist focus) — patellofemoral pain, IT band syndrome, shin splints, medial tibial stress syndrome, bone stress injuries, and overuse injuries; The Running Clinic framework assessing training load, recovery, lifestyle, footwear, and movement mechanics; progressive individualized exercise program allowing continued running where possible
- ACL rehabilitation and return to sport — criteria-based program using VALD ForceDecks for objective symmetry testing; early range of motion and foundational strength; progressive single-leg loading; plyometric and sport-specific phases with objective clearance criteria; eligible patients transition to the Strong Strides program
- Achilles tendinopathy — stiffness and pain with running, jumping, or after rest; progressive loading program from isometric through slow-resistance to dynamic and plyometric loading; running modifications, footwear, and load management education
- Meniscal injuries — operative and non-operative; structured rehabilitation respecting healing timelines; progressive strength and return to function with VALD force plate testing
- Traumatic knee rehabilitation — ligament injuries, post-surgical cases, and knee osteoarthritis; active, progressive, and measurable programs
- Chronic low back pain, neck pain, and shoulder conditions — general musculoskeletal presentations alongside running specialty
- WCB workplace injuries and MPI motor vehicle accident rehabilitation in Winnipeg
Hillary does not currently treat TMJ dysfunction or prenatal/postnatal patients.
Clinical Approach & Philosophy
Hillary’s treatment philosophy is rooted in active, goal-driven rehabilitation that addresses the underlying cause of injury rather than just the site of symptoms. Effective physiotherapy goes beyond pain relief — it considers training loads, recovery patterns, stress, and lifestyle factors that influence both performance and injury risk. By combining objective testing with individualized exercise programming and manual therapy, she helps patients move better, get stronger, and return to the activities they care about with confidence.
A first appointment begins with a detailed conversation — not just about the injury, but about the person: their goals, their schedule, their training history, and their daily life. Assessment covers range of motion, strength, and functional tests to identify where deficits lie. A significant portion of the appointment is spent discussing assessment findings and modifications that can be implemented immediately. The appointment closes in the gym, working through the patient’s personalized home exercise program to kickstart recovery from day one.
Hillary’s approach extends beyond the tissues — recognizing that psychology, training environment, and lifestyle are as important to lasting recovery as the physical rehabilitation program itself. Patients return not just feeling better, but stronger mentally and physically, and with a clear understanding of how to manage their own injury long-term.
Patient Outcomes
Hillary has worked with many runners who arrived believing they had to stop running because of bad knees or flat feet — convinced by previous providers or well-meaning advice that running was the cause of their problem and rest was the solution. Through careful conversation, Hillary unpacks common running myths and explores the broader factors driving symptoms: training load, recovery habits, and lifestyle demands. Individualized progressive exercise programs meet patients where they are — and the result is that runners return to or continue their running journeys with less pain, more confidence, and a deep understanding of how to manage their own training sustainably. The message she returns to with every runner is that anyone who runs is a runner — regardless of pace, experience, or equipment.
Personal & Community
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Hillary is a lifelong runner with experience spanning 5K through the full marathon. This past year she took up triathlon after retiring from competitive ultimate frisbee. Outside the clinic, she runs, cycles, and lifts — and brings the same commitment to staying active that she asks of her patients. She leads the Strong Strides program at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James — a 6-week structured progressive program for runners and return-to-sport patients that she designed and delivers at the clinic.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hillary Rempel, treatment approach, and booking.
Hillary Rempel, MPT, is a registered physiotherapist and Certified Running Clinician at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg, with 4 years of experience. She specializes in running-related injuries using The Running Clinic's evidence-based framework, criteria-based ACL and traumatic knee rehabilitation with VALD ForceDecks force plate testing, Achilles tendinopathy, and performance-based physiotherapy. She is the lead physiotherapist for the Strong Strides program at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James.
Yes. Hillary Rempel at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James is a Certified Running Clinician with The Running Clinic, specializing in running injury rehabilitation and prevention. She assesses training load, recovery, footwear, lifestyle, and movement mechanics — not just the painful area — using an individualized progressive exercise program that allows most runners to continue running modified throughout rehabilitation. She regularly helps runners who were told to stop running return to pain-free performance. Book at physiowinnipeg.com.
Yes. Hillary Rempel at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James integrates VALD ForceDecks for objective strength and symmetry testing in ACL rehabilitation and return-to-sport assessment. Force plate testing measures limb symmetry and power output that standard clinical assessment cannot quantify — ensuring patients meet objective criteria at each stage before advancing. This criteria-based approach produces safer, more confident return to sport compared to time-based programs.
Hillary Rempel at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James treats Achilles tendinopathy using a progressive loading model — starting with isometric and controlled strengthening exercises and gradually progressing to dynamic and plyometric loading as symptoms allow. Running modifications, footwear discussions, and load management education address the training factors that precipitated the tendinopathy. Most patients with Achilles tendinopathy can maintain or return to running with appropriate load management during rehabilitation.
Hillary Rempel is accepting new patients at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg. No referral required. Book at physiowinnipeg.com or call the St. James clinic. Hillary treats running injuries, ACL rehabilitation, meniscal injuries, Achilles tendinopathy, general musculoskeletal conditions, WCB workplace injuries, and MPI motor vehicle accident cases. She does not currently treat TMJ or prenatal/postnatal patients.