Name: Giselle M. Antoine
Age:27
Occupation: Physiotherapist
Place of birth: Grenada, W.I
Current residence: Grenada,

At the age of four my mother took me to the UK so she could pursue her studies in fashion merchandising and retailing. When I started school I was exposed to children of different cultures and countries from a very early age. I would travel frequently with my aunt to Antigua and other parts of the Caribbean, but my fondest memories are of growing up in Grenada. When we settled back in Grenada, my mum started her business Nefetari Designs and I attended St. Joseph’s Convent in St. George’s and the T.A Marryshow Community College. These institutions played a pivotal role in shaping me into the person I am today.

I recently started my own business Island Physical Therapy, which is Grenada’s most modern Physiotherapy clinic. I have worked hard to ensure that we created the right atmosphere and environment for the full recovery of rehab patients and I achieved this by ensuring that we were equipped with cutting-edge technology, employed knowledgeable staff and always provided good customer service. I am proud to say that since its inception in September 2011 we are now Grenada’s most sought after rehab facility and will continue to set the bar in superior physiotherapy care to the people we serve.

After studying abroad, I made the decision to return home and open my business because I knew there was a need for this type of service and I felt obligated to return and furbish the demand. Setting up the clinic was a smooth and successful one because I received tremendous support from everyone. My family, friends and the public on a whole welcomed my business with open arms and this gave me the ammunition I needed to get the job done. I feel extremely honored by the confidence and trust everyone placed in my venture and it showed my investors it was a worthwhile investment. Through my business I am able to educate people about Physiotherapy and its benefits and encourage people in Grenada to make better decisions in regards to recovery and rehabilitation.

I have also been successful in creating a non-governmental and non-profit group geared towards promoting and creating awareness about the importance of a regular exercise regime. We call ourselves ‘The Grenada Physical Health Promoters’ and along with five members initiate monthly campaigns and activities to get our message across. Our first activity was a senior citizen’s fun day; which is in fact the very first senior citizens fun day held in Grenada. We brought seniors from elderly facilities island-wide to the National Youth Development centre where they were able to partake in traditional games and activities which they thoroughly enjoyed. Since then we have been involved in quite a number of community based activities and I frequently submit entries to our local newspapers informing the public about physiotherapy and therapeutic programs.

I love my Grenadian people and culture! Everyone radiates a brilliance and eagerness for life that is very infectious. I sometimes place myself as a non-national and admire the manner in which people greet each other regardless of whether they know each other or not. Courtesy and being courteous is a must in Grenada and having a solid family upheld by morals is commonplace. For me, there is nothing better than a Friday evening spent at fish Friday in our fishing capital of Gouyave where you can find shrimps, lobster, conch, crayfish and snapper. The wide variety of spices found on our island gives us food with rich flavours and the melodious tunes that emanate from our steel pans, the infectious rhythms of our drums and the harmonizing and invigorating voices of our people all play a pivotal role in producing a culture as rich and intriguing as ours, which is why I love it so much.

My enthusiasm and commitment to see the betterment of an individual gives me great satisfaction. I am a self-motivated individual that sees life as a canvas and if I use the right colorful pencils, unusual geometric shapes and varying brush strokes, I hope to eventually create a masterpiece. Amidst all of this, I accept I am human, I cry, I laugh, I scream, I shout, I eat frosted flakes in bed and don’t always feel like going to work, but I am forever grateful for everything because I am a strong, independent, determined Caribbean woman and I am Complexd!