Dr Kimberley Wells
Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician · MBBS, FACSEP. Founding physician at Specialist Sports Medicine. Former ACT Brumbies Super Rugby team doctor, Australian Institute of Sport consultant, and dual Australian National Champion cyclist.
Dr Kimberley Wells is a FACSEP-qualified Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician and the founding physician of Specialist Sports Medicine. Her career has bridged elite sport and clinical medicine: from the receiving end of a return-to-sport programme as a professional cyclist, to the sideline as a Super Rugby team doctor, to the consulting room caring for patients of all ages and abilities.
A former professional cyclist and dual Australian National Champion, Dr Wells brings first-hand experience of elite sport, injury, and rehabilitation to her patient care. Her career includes serving as Team Doctor for the ACT Brumbies Super Rugby team, consulting at the Australian Institute of Sport, and providing medical care for Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games athletes across a wide range of sports, at both elite and community levels.
She cares for the full musculoskeletal spectrum: from children with growth plate injuries to active older adults managing osteoarthritis.
The path to specialist practice
Dr Wells trained in medicine at James Cook University and went on to complete fellowship of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (FACSEP), the specialist medical college that accredits Sport and Exercise Medicine Physicians in Australia and New Zealand.
The letters FACSEP after a doctor's name mean they have completed specialist training and passed national fellowship examinations with the College. From starting medical school to receiving FACSEP takes a minimum of thirteen years:
- Six years of medical school
- Three years as a junior doctor in hospital training
- A minimum of four years of dedicated specialist training in Sport and Exercise Medicine
- Fellowship examinations and ongoing peer-reviewed continuing professional development
The specialist training programme covers the full range of musculoskeletal medicine, exercise prescription for chronic disease, sports medicine for athletes at all levels, and the medical conditions that affect active people. For a wider explanation, see the FAQ on Sport and Exercise Medicine.
Experience across elite sport and medicine
From professional athlete to specialist doctor.
Medical training
Completed her medical degree (MBBS) at James Cook University.
Professional cycling
Dual Australian National Champion and multiple UCI international race winner, competing on the international stage at the elite level.
Specialist training
ACSEP registrar program: four years of advanced Sport and Exercise Medicine training, working with elite, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the Australian Institute of Sport, state academies, and private practice across Australia and New Zealand, including Axis Sports Medicine in New Zealand.
Fellowship (FACSEP)
Awarded Fellowship of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, the specialist fellowship in Sport and Exercise Medicine.
Team Doctor, Super Rugby
ACT Brumbies Super Rugby, providing medical care for Brumbies and Wallabies players through the season and on tour.
Specialist Sports Medicine
Brought specialist Sport and Exercise Medicine care to the Sunshine Coast: now open in Noosa at Noosa Civic MediHub, and taking bookings in Maroochydore at the Maroochy Private Hospital site.
Elite sport experience
Dr Wells has spent a decade working at the intersection of elite sport and medicine, across a wide range of sports.
Team and program roles
- ACT Brumbies Super Rugby, Team Doctor
- Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), consulting roles across multiple programmes
- Olympic and Paralympic athlete support, including pathway-program work
- ACT Academy of Sport and Queensland Academy of Sport
Involvement in team and individual athlete care
- Rowing Australia
- Tennis Australia
- Volleyball Australia
- Cycling Australia
Match day and team support
- A-League Women
- Rugby Australia
- Hockey Australia
As an athlete
The lived experience of training at a national level, of being injured, and of going through extended rehabilitation shapes how Dr Wells works with athletes and active patients today. Many patients value a clinician who has personally been on the receiving end of a return-to-sport programme.
Areas of clinical focus
Specialist Sport and Exercise Medicine is a broad specialty. Within it, our particular clinical interests include:
- Acute musculoskeletal injuries and the early management of new injury
- Knee injuries, including ACL, meniscus, and patellofemoral conditions
- Tendon injuries and structured loading programmes
- Concussion assessment and graduated return to sport, work, and learning
- Osteoarthritis and non-surgical joint care
- Bone stress injuries and the underlying drivers (training load, energy availability, hormonal health)
- Female athlete health, including the menstrual cycle and performance, RED-S, and pelvic and pregnancy-related considerations
- Adolescent and youth athlete medicine, including apophysitis and growth plate injuries
- Exercise prescription for chronic disease, healthy ageing, and rehabilitation
- Image-guided and landmark-based injection therapies where indicated
For a fuller view of services and conditions seen, see the services overview and injuries overview.
Life on the Sunshine Coast
After years working in Canberra with elite sporting programs, Dr Wells and her family made the move to the Sunshine Coast to be closer to family and to embrace the outdoor lifestyle the region is known for.
The Sunshine Coast is not new to her. She has raced here many times over the years, including wins at the Noosa Festival of Cycling, and is proud to now call Noosa home.
Outside the clinic, she is usually on her bike exploring the hinterland roads, in the ocean, or making the most of everything the Noosa region offers. The active, outdoor life many of her patients are trying to protect is the same one she lives.
How we work with patients
Our clinical approach is direct and evidence-informed. New patient appointments run 30 to 45 minutes for a reason: a careful history and examination remain the most powerful diagnostic tools in musculoskeletal medicine, and most plans are only as good as the diagnosis underneath them.
Where the evidence is clear, the plan reflects that. Outcomes are set out with realistic timeframes and the steps that change them.
We work closely with physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, dietitians, podiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons, and rheumatologists across the Sunshine Coast. A specialist letter is sent to your referring GP and treating team after each consultation, with your consent. For a step-by-step view of the appointment, see What to Expect.
Evidence-informed
Recommendations are grounded in current research and clinical evidence, with the level of certainty made clear.
Collaborative
She works alongside your GP, physiotherapist, and treating team so your care is coordinated, not fragmented.
Active recovery
Movement and exercise are central to recovery. The focus is on getting you back to activity safely.
For everyone
All ages and all abilities, from children to older adults, para-athletes to weekend warriors.
Patient-centred
Your goals drive the plan, whether that is a return to sport or simply keeping up with your kids.
Unhurried
Longer appointments allow the careful history and examination that good musculoskeletal diagnosis depends on.
Beyond the clinic
Outside the clinic, Dr Wells contributes to teaching, mentoring, and education in Sport and Exercise Medicine. She is involved in registrar training pathways and supports junior doctors entering the specialty. She is also active in collegiate and professional networks across Australian sports medicine, including the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians.
On the Sunshine Coast, she lives an active outdoor life that informs the way she practises: cycling, time in the ocean and at the beach, and the outdoors are the same things many of her patients are trying to keep doing well into the years ahead.
