Andrew Cameron MACP has always been driven by two instincts—to help others and to stay connected to sport. 

Those impulses first came together when Andrew dislocated his shoulder while playing AFL as a 13-year-old and was introduced to physiotherapy for the first time.

Growing up in regional Australia, he had little exposure to the profession but quickly recognised that it brought together all the things he loved—hands-on work, problem-solving and supporting people to return to the sports that shaped their lives. 

That moment set him on the path to the career he has today, working in high-performance swimming, diving and the Para Sport Unit at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

Andrew, an APA Titled Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist, completed his Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne in 2011 but his first role after graduation looked very different from the high-performance environment he works in now. 

At the time, Andrew was still competing as an elite swimmer and attempting qualification for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Because he needed flexible work hours to continue his training schedule, his first physiotherapy role was part-time in aged care.

After retiring from swimming in 2013, Andrew maintained his commitment to aged care—an area he believes is underserviced—while simultaneously taking on private practice work in a sports clinic. 

This dual experience gave him a broad skill base before he entered full-time, high-performance sport. 

It also ensured that empathy and communication were central to his practice long before he recognised how essential those skills would be in navigating his professional identity as an openly gay man in sport.

Although Andrew never sought to hide his identity, the culture of sport made openness hard in his early career. 

‘Sport can be quite a difficult space to work in, particularly as an openly gay man,’ he says. 

For many years Andrew kept his personal and professional lives completely separate, thinking this boundary setting would make his work life easier. The opposite occurred. 

The silence drew more attention, enquiries and speculation. The turning point came in 2019 after what Andrew describes as a ‘less than enjoyable experience’ with a staff member whose personal values clashed with his own. 

Andrew Cameron.

The environment and lack of open conversation pushed him into a period of depression.

Through conversations with trusted friends, Andrew began to understand that his identity was not a liability but something that strengthened his capacity for empathy, vulnerability and connection. 

‘Once I got to fully understand that this could potentially be more of my superpower, I was much more comfortable with being known as the true me.’

This shift profoundly impacted his practice. By removing emotional barriers and allowing his authentic self to be seen, Andrew worked with the Australian Swimming Team at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Andrew found he could build rapport more effectively with athletes, communicate with greater clarity and compassion and create a clinical presence grounded in genuine trust. 

These interpersonal qualities—emotional intelligence, openness and sensitivity to language and non-verbal cues—are not only strengths within the LGBTQIA+ community but essential tools for working in high-performance sport.

Andrew’s lived experiences give him a nuanced understanding of what LGBTQIA+ clients bring into the treatment room. 

Many arrive with previous experiences of discrimination or exclusion. Some are wary of being themselves in a clinical setting, unsure how safe it is. Others carry fears about how practitioners might respond to their identity or personal history. 

Andrew sees these factors immediately in body language, tone and demeanour.

‘Being from the community helps my emotional quotient. 

'If the patient’s feeling really anxious or uptight, there are ways that I can lean into it to make them feel more comfortable because I know what they’re going through.’

Inclusive language is at the centre of his approach. He emphasises simple but powerful shifts such as using the word ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend’. 

He also asks about pronouns before making assumptions.

These strategies, he says, show respect and create an environment where clients can share information that is essential for effective care. 

For many LGBTQIA+ people, trust is not automatic, Andrew says. It is earned through clarity, safety and the practitioner’s willingness to meet them without bias.

The complexity of gender and sexuality in high-performance sport requires physiotherapists to balance empathy with performance demands. 

Andrew emphasises that athletes should feel valued, heard and safe above all else. 

‘At the end of the day, they’re a person first.’ 

However, this does not mean shifting the focus away from performance goals. Instead, it requires integrating both pillars: honouring identity and supporting the athlete’s aspirations for excellence.

Fairness and equity are core values for Andrew. 

He maintains that physiotherapists must help athletes navigate personal identity journeys while also upholding the high-performance objectives central to their careers. 

This balanced approach ensures that athletes are not defined solely by their LGBTQIA+ status but are understood holistically—physically, emotionally and socially.

At the Victorian Institute of Sport, Andrew plays an active role in promoting education and awareness among staff. 

He serves on the institute’s diversity and inclusion committee, which oversees initiatives such as ‘lunch and learn’ sessions covering topics relevant to the diverse athlete population. 

In 2024 he delivered a 45-minute presentation for the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia, discussing participation rates within the LGBTQIA+ community and the impact of discrimination in sport.

Andrew has also facilitated a panel featuring staff and the public sharing their lived experiences. 

These conversations, he said, were eye-opening for many colleagues who, while supportive, had never directly encountered the kinds of discrimination that LGBTQIA+ people often face. 

‘People generally want to help but often don’t know what they don’t know.’

Andrew has been a member of the APA since 2008 and credits the organisation with supporting his development at every career stage. 

When he was a student, the APA provided workshops and early networking opportunities. 

As a young practitioner, he found that professional development courses enabled him to practise real-world skills in a safe environment before applying them with clients.

Today, what Andrew values most is the APA’s advocacy—particularly its response to the NRWL Cronulla Sharks’ advertisement of a voluntary physiotherapy role. 

The APA’s public stance, he says, reinforced professional standards across sport and Andrew saw firsthand how important collective advocacy is for protecting the profession.

Andrew now contributes to the profession through his involvement with the APA’s LGBTQIA+ advisory committee, a panel that helps to shape more inclusive practice across Australia. 

‘It allows me to potentially have some leadership and guide the future of physiotherapy.’

Andrew is candid about the uncertainty he felt early in his career as to how open he should be. His advice to young queer physiotherapists is clear: be authentic. 

Authenticity strengthens rather than weakens clinical practice. Athletes can sense when a practitioner is holding something back, he says. Sincerity improves rapport, trust and clinical outcomes.

‘There are a lot of people out there who will support you if you are willing to let them.’ 

Mentors and colleagues—regardless of whether they are LGBTQIA+—have been his strongest allies.

Andrew hopes to see stronger education within physiotherapy programs and clinical settings on LGBTQIA+ health needs, particularly in high-performance environments. 

Topics such as chest binding and its implications for respiratory function, gender affirming practices and the impact of language on client safety should all receive greater attention. 

Education, he stresses, is the foundation for inclusion.

More broadly, Andrew wants to see physiotherapy continue to evolve into a profession where diversity is visible and valued, not only for ethical reasons but because it directly enhances the quality of care. 

High-performance sport is demanding, emotional and deeply human. When physiotherapists bring their whole selves to work, he says, they create space for athletes to do the same.