Meet Our Team
We are all proud members of the South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) and are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
Karen Engelbrecht
Karen (Managing Director) qualified as a physiotherapist in 1992 (University of Stellenbosch) and has gained valuable knowledge (courses/ discussions) and experience (treating patients and living life) since.
No matter where life has taken her, respect, passion, work ethic, and service delivery remain her drive and focus.
She strives to create a pleasant and efficient workplace environment for all physios and employees while ensuring clients receive the services they expect and need with the same passion, knowledge and care that has been part of this practice since its inception.
Karen has a keen eye for analyzing and interpreting dysfunction and loves rehabilitation. Her favourite part of being a physio is the relationships she builds, the support she can give and the sharing of the life lessons she has learnt.
She is the face, the eye, the ear, the voice, the advisor, and the glue of Engelbrecht & Viljoen Physiotherapists Inc.
Karen keeps fit by exercising in her practice, doing bodyweight training, and experimenting with new exercises as much as possible. She enjoys the Power Plate and its value to her exercise routine.
She has 2 Yorkies that need regular walks and are a massive part of the practice. You may be welcomed at the door by either Blixem or Baxteen – But rest assured, the full names are only used by their vet. Blikkies and Bakkies do their best as therapy dogs when they are not napping at Karen’s feet.
Elardi Viljoen
Elardi Viljoen (Director) qualified at Kovsies (UFS) in 2015.
She joined our practice in January 2017 after completing her community service in Rustenburg. We welcomed her with open arms as she fits superbly into our family-oriented business. She has proved her worth over and over in a very short time and became a director in 2020. Elardi plays an essential and successful role in taking on some responsibility for running the business.
She is very passionate about treating sports injuries and back and neck problems. She loves the challenge of rehabilitating patients post-surgery or post-traumatic injuries.
Elardi finds treating patients with any chest or sinus problem (in or out of the hospital) very rewarding, whether they are children or adults.
She is very driven, enjoys a challenge, and will go to great lengths to help a client with a problem. Being a bit of a chatterbox, everybody witnesses her enthusiasm and passion for her work and clients.
Although she is described as “the strong one” by patients and colleagues, she is a complete softy in real life who feels profoundly and cares deeply about her family, friends, and clients.
Elardi is a born physio, doing what she loves with passion and dedication!
She is also the proud mother of a beautiful and talented daughter interested in gymnastics, ballet, and all things Barbie. This little busy bee keeps Elardi on her toes!
When not living out her passion as a physio and a mother, Elardi enjoys sports and loves camping, cooking, fine dining, and getting lost in a good book. The most creative she gets is through sewing.
Judy Wustmann
Judy qualified in 1982 at Wits. She worked in many settings in different provinces as an employee and a practice owner. She joined the practice in 2002 and has been a consistent friend through tough times and an irreplaceable team member ever since.
Judy enjoys treating patients in the hospital environment, especially in paediatrics. She also has a soft spot for elderly patients or patients needing a kind word, a patient ear and soft advice.
She also does home visits in the Boksburg area if she can fit it into her schedule.
Judy qualified as a Pilates instructor and particularly enjoys the mat and the reformer. She offers Pilates classes (one-on-one), as she prides herself in giving her clients her undivided attention while building a relationship with them that helps her provide them with the advice and training they need. She has assisted many clients post-surgery and also those who want to improve fitness and health.
Judy enjoys keeping fit and strong and the benefits of following a strict exercise regime. She hopes to share this with her clients and encourage them to look after themselves proactively.
She is a grandmother to a precious grandson and a gorgeous granddaughter, which also helps to keep young at heart.
René Botha
René graduated from the University of the Free State in 1994.
After a few years of working as an employee in Carltonville and Westonaria, she and her husband moved to Boksburg, where she worked in various physiotherapy disciplines while starting a family.
She started her successful practice in Boksburg but decided to join TEAM 211 in 2016 when Karen reached out after her husband passed away.
René is known as "the lady" of the practice. Gentle but strict. She has a deep understanding and passion for patients with chronic conditions. The older patients also love her gentle but firm hand.
She enjoys the diversity of the practice, where she can live out her passion for making a difference in each and every patient's life.
René realised that patients with vertigo have few options and decided to do a course on BPPV so she would be able to help clients that have crystals in the ear channel leading to this very uncomfortable condition. Since doing the course, she has helped many desperate clients with tremendous success.
Also known as the "dog whisperer," she is the mother of very busy Stella( a whipped sausage) and foster mom to Blikkies and Bakkies( the Yorkies), who love to visit her whenever Karen is away.
But first and most importantly, she is a wife to her husband of 26 years, Louwrens, mother to a beautiful daughter starting her career as a Food Scientist, and driven son in his second year studying Mechatronics Engineering.
Marieta Smith
Marieta Smith graduated from the University of the Free State in 2020, followed by Community Service in Actonville, Benoni, where she came across a broad spectrum of people, conditions, and experiences.
She joined us in January 2022 and has proven herself hardworking, friendly, efficient, and capable of doing much more than expected.
She has attended various courses and is the freshest brain in the TEAM. Marieta enjoys research and will do her utmost to give her clients the best treatment. She asks questions, she engages, and she loves the interaction that comes with the territory. She is deeply passionate about treating all patients, especially those with back and neck pain, to the best of her ability. She cares about her patients and believes in empowering them through rehabilitation by teaching them how to help themselves effectively and efficiently.
“I am a driven and motivated individual who is always eager to learn from my excellent & well-experienced colleagues, and not just develop as a physio, but also as a person, to give back to my community.”
Marieta is always smiling – Which helps to make you feel at home immediately!
She is happily married to a very supportive and loving husband.
She enjoys the role of wife and being “mother” to her pit bull “King”, the baby in the household that helps keep her fit.