Rhianna’s high school peers had told her she’d never be smart enough to go to university and so she worked in hospitality. She was very good at her job, but very unhappy and, aged 22, she resigned. It was her mother who reminded Rhianna that she used to love massaging people’s hands and feet as a child. She suggested she try a remedial massage course.

“I fell in love,” Rhianna said. “I’d never imagined you could make ‘massage’ a career. Working as a massage therapist, I knew I wanted to do more, but enrolling in a degree was a big step. I was the first person in my family to go to university. I used the bullying I experienced in high school as my momentum to get through. I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I could do it.”

Rhianna chose to study a Myotherapy degree at the Endeavour College of Natural Health. “My first subject was Chemistry, and it was so challenging. I didn’t do any science at school, and I had no idea. Fortunately, I found a buddy to study with, and we are still friends to this day. My mother is also now a whizz at anatomy after helping me practice it!”

Rhianna studied full-time and worked three part-time jobs in hospitality and sport around her lectures. “The Endeavour lecturers were fantastic,” she said. “They gave me tips and tricks about how to study. They treated all of us as adults and respected our work experience. They spent extra time with me, helping me to get my levels up and I liked that they came from various professions and backgrounds. It gave me exposure to different ideas and thought processes.”

After graduating with flying colours and giving the valedictory speech, Rhianna has worked as a myotherapist, including eight years in elite sport. When Endeavour created its Honours program, she was one of the first to enrol and did exceptionally well.

While she was studying, Rhianna’s dream was to have a clinic that was a safe and supportive space for clients and upcoming myotherapists. Recently this has become a reality with the opening of The Wellness Nest.

Rhianna is also back at Endeavour again, lecturing this time and giving back to the industry she loves. “It’s not so long ago that I was studying, so I can still relate to what the students are doing. I understand the load and the juggle, and I can share with them the ways that I approached study,” she said.

Although Rhianna says Endeavour has helped her to become the best version of herself, she says there is more yet to come. She would like to build her clinic into multiple myotherapy clinics, raise awareness of the profession and create research that supports the industry.

Natural Health Heroes

Natural Health Heroes celebrates the wellness journeys of our alumni. From where they began to where they are today, we showcase our alumni’s unique stories, experiences and successes.

Interested in reading more Natural Health Heroes stories? Head here for more.

Disclaimer: We no longer offer the Bachelor of Health Science (Myotherapy) at Endeavour College. We encourage students to check out our Massage courses instead.