Since beginning her role as Chief of Physiotherapy (PT) Practice in the summer of 2010, Elaine Principi has been responsible for the clinical practice of approximately 105 physiotherapists and 40 occupational therapist assistants/ physiotherapist assistants (OTA/PTAs) across six sites at Hamilton Health Sciences. As a sign of her dedication to the field of Physiotherapy, Elaine has taught in the McMaster School of Physiotherapy for many years, being awarded for Outstanding Contribution in Education in 2002 and appointed as an Assistant Clinical Professor in 2009. In her spare time, Elaine has been a selection committee member for the Mohawk College Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame and has been a volunteer judge for the Hamilton Trillium Garden Award among many other volunteer commitments.

What was the #1 reason you chose to attend Mohawk?

The answer to this question is simple. They accepted me! I tried at least 3 times to get into a physiotherapy program and on my second application to Mohawk College, I was accepted. So I suppose you could say that Mohawk chose me and for that I am thankful. It was a decision by Mohawk that changed my life. So although Mohawk wasn’t my only choice for physiotherapy school it has been my choice to remain connected as an alumni and support the school that took a chance on me.

What 1 piece of advice you’ve received in the past has stuck with you to this day?

“Don’t spend your time waiting for things to get back to normal – constant change and some amount of chaos is normal.” This was a reply to my naïve comment that we could tackle this new project once things got back to normal. And things have not yet returned to “normal” in my 30 plus years in health care.

If you could go back in time, what 1 piece of advice would you give to yourself on the first day of College?

Don’t be afraid that you don’t know everything, this process is designed to help you figure out what you don’t know and find ways to learn it. The time to be afraid is when you think you do know everything. So join forces with those students/colleagues who will also admit that they don’t know and see what happens when you mix open thinking, creativity, and hard work – magic.

What fictional character/characters do you most personally identify with or admire? Why?

I struggle to name a single character that I identify with but I know that I always admire those characters who take a chance in life. Taking a big leap of faith to make a change that releases their creativity, passion or life’s work. I admire that ability to take a risk and see where life takes you.

What 3 songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?

Any Christmas Carol – Christmas was always an important time in my family life growing up and continues to be a time for old traditions mixed with welcoming new friends to our life.

Stompa by Serena Ryder. Although this is a new song it has come to define a major transition in my life. It has also proven to be a very powerful reminder of our ability to look inside ourselves for what we need and take the time to slow down and see the world around us.

Any disco song from the 1970’s – We are Family etc. They make me want to dance and that is one of the things I love to do.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

In the summer, I spend time in our garden. I like to putter around and see what has changed, what needs trimming or cleaning up or what needs a little extra attention. It is calming to spend time in the green space even if it is just weeding or observing.

In the winter, I like to read or cook. And sometimes I combine the two and read about cooking and enjoy planning the next great meal.

If you could invite any 5 people to a dinner party who would they be?

Although I understand that this question might be intended to elicit the names of those people we admire and may not get a chance to ever meet I would have to say that I would invite my 5 siblings. Of course with them come their partners and my husband. To me, they are the people I admire the most. We can count on each other without question. Most importantly, I laugh the hardest when I am with them.

Talk about a time that you took a risk and failed, and one where you took a risk and succeeded. What was the difference?

Taking a risk is itself sometimes difficult. Even to take that step has required some reflection and courage. At work, I have taken risks and failed and succeeded to varying degrees. One of the common elements to those failures or success is the amount that I seek out support and utilize people to the best of their ability. So for me the success of a project, life decision, or new activity is related to my willingness to be open to help. I work to understand who might be able to support me and allow them to do that. So I also try to keep that in mind when I look at my colleagues, family and friends. What can I do to make their project a success and be open to an invitation to help.

If you could give advice to a new student thinking of entering your program what would it be?

Be open to all the possibilities that the school and your new profession have to offer. You may have a career path in mind that might be exactly right for you. Just be open to the possibility that you don’t know all that is out there.

And enjoy your time, find some balance between school and life. This is one of the best lessons that you can learn to help you when you graduate. When you are working – work hard. And when you are not working – fully enjoy your other activities.

How has your education at Mohawk prepared and supported you throughout your career?

Mohawk gave me the solid foundation to really believe that I could do anything with my career. They prepared me to be a physiotherapy clinician and also to consider other opportunities in education, research, management – really anything. When I look at my classmate now – and we get together regularly- I see such a wide variety of successful Mohawk graduates. It is a true testament to one of the most valuable lessons we learned. You can do anything.