We caught up with Urban pro Tamer to discuss his route to becoming a massage therapist and his recent win at the National Massage Championships…
Hey Tamer! Mind telling us what treatments you offer on Urban?
I offer relaxing massage, deep tissue massage, chair massage and lymphatic drainage treatments.
How long have you been practicing?
I was always passionate about massage as a way to improve my family and friends’ well-being. I’ve been practicing professionally since 2018.
What made you want to become a massage therapist?
I was working in the business transformation and process excellence field for 12 years. My job was great, but it wasn’t challenging enough and there was no sense of fulfilment. As a massage therapist, I face a challenge with every client as everybody responds to treatments in different ways. I really enjoy figuring out how to relax the body and muscles. Seeing how I can help clients improve their physical health is extremely fulfilling.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy contributing to the improvement of people’s lives, whether as a teacher at my school “International Massage Education” or as a therapist with my clients.
What’s been your standout moment of your career to date?
I participated in the UK National Massage Championship in 2018, just a month after becoming a qualified therapist. My goal of being there was only to meet other massage therapists and understand more about the industry. I received 2 awards at this event, which I wasn’t expecting at all. The amount of opportunities that I had there was great so I decided to go to similar events internationally.
Wow that’s so cool! Please tell us more about winning the National Massage Championship and how you started competing?
I have participated at different international championships and received a total of seven awards (three gold, two silver and two bronze). In 2018, I competed at the UK National Massage Championship for the first time. The experience was incredible and required a lot of hard work and dedication, but I enjoyed the process and meeting other amazing therapists. This is when I decided to compete at the European Massage Championship in 2019, the World Championship in Massage in 2019 and the UK National Massage Championship in 2019 and 2022. Watching other people working using different methods helped to widen my knowledge about bodywork.
I’ve also trained seven therapists to compete at the UK national, and three of them received awards!
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Definitely go for it, it’s not an easy journey and it’s full of challenges, but the success criteria is very simple: practice and self development. Never compare yourself to anyone else as every massage therapist’s work is unique.
If you didn’t become a massage therapist what would you have wanted to do instead?
Probably would’ve become a Physiotherapist or an Osteopath.
Describe a typical working day for you? (From waking up to going to bed)
I have a good breakfast and a lot of water in the morning (we need to maintain a good level of energy and hydration). I also workout at the gym four days a week. Once I’ve worked out I start working with my clients. When I don’t have bookings, I work on my admin to keep it up to date.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Spending time with my family and friends, walking, training, swimming, grounding and connecting with the now.
What does self-care mean to you?
Eating well and regularly, drinking enough water, training and sleeping well. Also connecting and being aware of my posture at all times.
Finally, do you ever book treatments for yourself?
I book treatments once a week to relax my body. I also see a Chiropractor once a month for adjustments to prevent injuries and to maintain the body.
To book Tamer for your next treatment head to our website.