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Billy Martin has recently become the first ARTI member to take on the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association’s certification exams and is now recognised as a Certified Athletic Therapist (Canada). This success comes not long after passing the ARTI exams and gaining ARTC status in January 2015.

ARTI President, Paul Berry, congratulated Billy on his achievements

‘On behalf of ARTI I would like to congratulate Billy Martin on being the first ARTI member to successfully sit and pass the CATA exam. Billy’s success follows shortly after ARTI member Paddy McEvoy passed the BOC exam in the USA last December. We’re delighted to see ARTI members avail of the historic agreement between ARTI, CATA and BOC which came into effect on January 1st 2015. This trilateral agreement entitles members of each organisation to sit the certification exams of the other two countries. Well done Paddy and Billy – blazing a trail for ARTI!’

Speaking from Vancouver, Canada, where he is currently practicing as an CAT(C), Billy describes his journey to getting there

‘I certified with ARTI in January 2015. I emigrated to Vancouver in March of that year. I started out by contacting several registered CATA members; initially to seek advice about preparing for the national certification exams. Over time, this led me in the right direction, and I became acquainted with fellow Canadian colleagues that were also challenging the exams. 

The exams consisted of a three hour, 200 question multiple choice theory, and four 30 minute practicals between clinical and field. This required regular practice within groups, which was hard to come by, as the only athletic therapy school in British Columbia is located on Vancouver island. It’s fair to say that I only realised the size of the task at hand, once I was well into the process. For an international, the exams consist of nuances that one can only comprehend by attempting them.

As I was awaiting certification, I acquired my own insurance, and began picking up a lot of field work as a certification candidate; most of which was with two minor ice hockey academies. From September 2015 – March 2016, I covered a lot of hockey games, which included extensive travel throughout British Columbia and Alberta.  In between there have been opportunities in Canadian football, soccer, lacrosse and basketball. Since March, an opening became available for an athletic therapist at an interdisciplinary concussion clinic in Vancouver. I had been lucky to be able to work there as a certification candidate, and now that I have achieved certification, there is an opportunity for me to develop the role of the athletic therapist among an experienced and talented team of health professionals. I worked extremely hard to achieve certification, and at times it felt like a bridge too far. In the end, I’m satisfied, and it brought home to me what progess ARTI has made since it’s recent inception.

I’d like to extend my gratitude to all ARTI members who have worked diligently in helping it to become a reputable organisation, and the opportunities it has afforded to it’s members, home and abroad.

Life in Canada has been very good for me, so far. It seems like there many opportunities, and it is a beautiful country, with friendly people, much like our own. I’d be happy to offer advice to ARTI members considering coming to Canada in the future.’

Congratulations again to Billy and we all wish him the best of luck in his future career.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the CATA certification process or any other query arising from Billy’s story then please leave a comment or get in touch at artipublicrelationsofficer@gmail.com