Testimonials
Santi Sanzs
Miguel (Michael) was always a great physiotherapist and better mentor, each time I was taking part at the London Marathon. He knew how to get my body ready for the race as also he was an excellent motivator and knew how recover my body after the marathon. He is also an enthusiast and I think this is key to deal with athletes.
Santi Sanzs wheelchair elite athlete and PHD coach.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Hi, my name is Ronnie O’Sullivan and I’m a keen runner and fitness enthusiast, and snooker player, along the way I’ve had to deal with injuries and niggles but since working with Michael I’ve been able to stay on top of them and recover and get better, Michael has a great knowledge of the body, and has helped me stay on track and injury free. Regards Ronnie
Carlos Acosta
Para Miguel "El Mago" con toda mi carino y gratitud!
Translation: To Michael "The Magican" my love and gratitude!
Dariak Limentova
Thank you for your help I would not make it with out you.
I first went to see Michael in 2018 after struggling with an injury in my Achilles’ tendon during my training for my first marathon. I was gutted as I thought I was not going to be able to run it and I had been seeing other people with no improvements.
After the first treatment with Michael I had recovered enough to start running again and I managed to finish my marathon with no problems.
Since then I have seen Michael regularly and I wouldn’t go with anyone else since he has kept me injury free. He treated me during my pregnancy. I managed to run until 36 weeks pregnant and came back to running very quickly after giving birth. I ran the London Marathon 9 months post partum and then ran the Boston Marathon the following year. I have therefore managed to run lots of miles without getting injured.
Michael is friendly and likes to have a laugh. He gives tips about training plans and he also speaks Spanish which makes him really versatile. Most importantly he knows what he is doing.
John Featherman
There is only one Magic Mike
When Michael first laid eyes on me I could see the “omg what have I taken” in his eyes….
I was just recovering from a life changing operation
From the first session he instilled hope into me again
Yes there was pain but he worked his magic and within 3 sessions I could walk unaided even if it was a short distance
His knowledge and expertise is second to none
I am not out of the woods yet as my operation as I said was life changing
Because of Mike I haven’t given up hope
I cannot recommend him enough he has given me the strength to carry on
Pas Blackwell. European AG Duathlon Champion
Working with Michael has allowed me to take on challenges which I didn’t think I would have been able to accomplish due to the impact on my body. I have trained for a number of years and always had ITB and knee issues which have limited my potential. Working with Michael has allowed me to manage and remove these issue and I have loved the results it has help me achieve. #magichands
Fiona Ford
Mike 'Magic hands' was so named after his efforts to monitor and treat a range of overuse related injuries and keep me racing in great form last year to achieve wins in the early National ranking series races for Duathlon.... Regular weekly massage really helps me recover from cycling and running sessions and train on throughout the season, maintaining top age-group results. Thanks a million!
- 220Triathlon Age-group Athlete of the Year
- Dual European gold medallist (2004, 2005)
- Top ten finisher at World Championships (2003-2005)
Sara Ford
In Winter 2005, an MRI scan revealed I had a severe hamstring tear and over the next year I set about consulting various top sports specialists. It soon became clear that with comments like “I’ve never seen an injury as bad as this” and “this injury is so old it’s irreparable”, I was at my wits end as to whether I might ever be able to walk/sit/run without any pain, as no-one seemed to be able to cure me.
A friend suggested that I go and see Mike Collins who was literally my last chance of ever running again, pain free. After two sessions with Mike I could immediately feel a difference, with less pain and more mobility. I seriously couldn’t believe that I felt so much better. After a couple more sessions, I had improved so much that I managed a short run without any pain – I hadn’t been able to do this for 12 months. I increased my run by 5 minutes every week until I was back up and running completely pain free.
All I can say is that anyone who knew me during this time was aware of the agony and frustration I had experienced in not being able to find anyone to cure me. It’s no exaggeration to say that Mike truly has “Magic Hands” and being treated by him was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Rose Levien
Throughout my training for the English Channel swim crossing I was covering up to 30 miles swimming a week. I relied on Mike to ensure my body remained in peak condition.
I was constantly amazed at how Mike knew where the bad bits were - I didn't even know myself sometimes! He is a great healer and with his help I managed to complete the Channel Crossing in August 2007 in 13 hours 22 minutes.
Thanks Mike - you really do have Magic Hands!
Dean Moy
Mike, Many thanks for your help last season in maintaining my body to enable me to have the best race season to date. My win in the sub 2.30 race at London and 5th in my age group in the Europeans at Lausanne were the high lights of my season. Massage sessions meant I always reached the race line in the best shape possible, and any niggles were prevented from becoming injuries. Thanks again and hope you will be able to help me in the coming season.
Vanessa Hogg
"Mike is a star!! From the moment I had my first treatment, I knew that I had met someone who understands sports injuries and understands the pressure the sports person is under to be fighting fit ready for the next event. He helped me come back from a potentially fairly serious ITB injury to take a top 10 place at the Triathlon World Age Group Championships in Hawaii and again this year, fighting a calf injury, Mike's 'Magic Hands' helped get me to the European Age Group Championships where I won a Bronze Medal! On top of his professional skills, Mike is always very cheery and chatty and makes an otherwise fairly painful session (no pain no gain!!), an enjoyable experience!! I would highly recommend him to anyone wanting to participate in sport, injury free. Remember that you don't have to wait until you are injured - preventative treatment is far better and easier that waiting untll you have picked up a niggle or worse, an injury that stops you training."
Chris Ball
Mike has been keeping me functioning for well over 15 years and I can honesty say he never fails to find the ‘spot’. As a keen Cyclocross and Xterra athlete in the not so young but still daft enough to do it age category (Vets to most people) I’m still pushing myself hard and consequently needing some fine tuning. Mike has helped with general massage therapy to get me through tougher training blocks / pre-hab and has on many occasions helped fix me when I’ve unintentionally over done it (e.g. rotor cuff injury, soleus strain, patellar tracking, hamstring release to name a few).
His knowledge of how the body functions and advice on how to improve and prevent re-occurences is excellent. He’s also a genuinely nice chap which makes the experience of deep tissue massage a lot less unpleasant!
Lauren Shelley
After a less than ideal marathon preparation marred by illness, I lined up for the London Marathon in 2005 race a little apprehensive. But having stumbled upon Michael leading up to the race, at least I knew my legs were in perfect condition. The result - a 16min PB! Being a runner and triathlete himself, Michael knows exactly where you're sore and where needs to be worked on. You never walk out thinking he's missed a bit!
- 21st London Marathon 2005 & 7th Commonwealth Games 2006
Daniel Bullock
Like many athletes I moved into coaching as the number of injuries started to mount up and the desire to race lessened. I suppose after 15 years of competitive swimming then 7 years racing Triathlon very seriously including Ironman and two World AG Champs it had been a good innings.
After a particularly bad year Mike has been very successful at getting me back up and running including a successful return to competition in the Caymans International Tri 2006 (first triathlete out of the water) Mike is now rebuilding me for another attempt at IM in 2007. Mike's ability to find and heal the bad bits you knew about and those that you did not know were bad and holding you back is uncanny.....
Thanks Mike.
Daniel Bullock,
- M.I.O.S.
- Swim For Tri - the swim improvement specialists
- London Region Coach of the Year 2005/6
- 220 Coach of the Year 2005/6
Lionel Vassell
They say that the body is a work of art, and therefore only artists should involve themselves in trying to understand it, well welcome to the 'Michael' Angelo of sports massage.
Having suffered for many years with a chronic back/neck problem, I have tried many avenues and have had all too many diagnosis - all to no avail.
By chance I contacted Michael, and within minutes a correct diagnosis was arrived at, and his comprehensive knowledge and experience in this field of work was clear to see and feel!
I would have no hesitation in recommending Michael to any sports professional, or indeed for that matter anyone with any form of muscle ailment, who has never witnessed an artist at work!
This guy is the stuff with what legends are made of.
Lionel.Vassell - Woodford Green, Essex.
Ralph Robinson
I have been taking part in Triathlon on and off for over 15years. Throughout that time I have kept active jogging, swimming and my first love circuit training and weights. I have always struggled with my weight, even though I regularly train 3-4 times a week, my vice truth be told is I really love my food.
Just over three years ago I made a dramatic change to my regular training routine, I only did cardiovascular exercise, swimming, biking and jogging. The results were amazing I slowly started losing weight even though I ate the same.
I fact I really enjoyed jogging and it’s benefits, I increased my jogging times to ‘Fat Burn’ sometime jogging between 45-120mins 2-3 times a week. After awhile my legs were getting tighter and stretching alone was not adding my recovery, I was advised to see Mike Collins (Big Mike).
I still remember my first massage, Mike only did my legs everywhere hurt, and I tried to climb of the massage table/bed/couch on more than one occasion. I even tried to hold Big Mike’s hands so that he couldn’t inflict any more pain on me.
By the time Big Mike had finished wrestling with me (I mean giving me a massage) I was sweating and physically exhausted. Then next day I felt as though I had been hit by a 40foot container lorry, and the headache which Big Mike warned may come about did, I felt wretched and decided the pain during and after plus the headaches were just not worth it.
However 2-3 days after I felt great, my jogging recovery was better and I was stretching well again. Thankfully I continued seeing Big Mike we still had our wrestling bouts, I would swear he was carrying a sharp pointy thing to gouge me, or that he was in league with my wife to share the insurance money when my heart finally gave in.
After a while I realised we were wrestling less if at all, Big Mike always asked how my training was going, what I was doing. At one particular massage session Big Mike explained to me in details how the body gets rid of Lactic Acid, and the process that one should go through to cool down effectively.
I put Big Mike’s advise into practice after a particularly long morning jog. Normally after a morning jog even after having a good stretch my legs would tighten up in the afternoon. This time I had no after affects from the run at all, it was like a miracle, I now use Big Mike’s cool down method after all jogging sessions and those taxing biking sessions.
With Big Mike’s motivation and encouragement I went on and completed my first Half Iron Triathlon in a time of 7hours 30mins, the following year I finished in 6hours 30mins a massive 60mins improvement.
Over the years Big Mike has been a listening ear, giving pearls of wisdom that have helped keep me going on the numerous times when my morale was low. My massage sessions are as much counseling, as repairing the damage I have done to myself through training.
More than most I am so grateful that I was introduced to the ‘Magic Hands’ of Big Mike Collins.
Ralph Robinson
Sports Development Officer (Novice Triathlete)
Rafa Botello
Hello! I am Rafa Botello, a Spanish Paralympic athlete who had the honor of being treated by my friend Miguel in the London marathon when he was in charge of the elite, and I can only say that apart from being a good friend, he is a true professional.
Perhaps one of the best hands that have relieved my muscles in my long sports career.
And that I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world and be treated by great professionals.
Rafa
Adam Baker
I have had the privilege of Michael treating me for 7 years or so. As a keen runner I needed someone who understands the needs of a runner and how to maintain one's body regularly. Michael certainly knows what he is doing and what he is talking about. His knowledge is exceptional and I will always call him first if I need treatment, be it just a sports massage to supplement my fitness and/or solve niggles and injuries. As a distance runner it's so important to prevent potential injuries by regular massage and I believe Michael is the best at it.
