Our Founders Story

HOW IT ALL STARTED
It all started on the Footy field in the 90's. Looking back over 25 years ago, I was a footy player incumbant with niggles and soreness. Bad knees, a battered back, and hamstrings that screamed after every match. One fateful day late in the season, my knee buckled, A crippling knee injury that forced me into surgery. The injury cut deeper than just the physical nature of it - the endless road to rehab and days spent icing a knee, and the constant fight against pain laid ahead. Yet every time I turned to the old school ice packs I had available, I was met with frustration. They leaked. They slipped. They went warm, fast. They just didn’t work. I needed a solution that would not only treat the pain, but really help me along the tough journey ahead.

THE TURNING POINT
It was one of those low moments, sitting in the locker room, nursing my knee with a half-warm ice pack and a sad half-empty can of New, that I finally lost it. “Someone needs to make a decent bloody ice pack that doesn’t leak!” My mate, without missing a beat looked me dead in the eye and said, “Why don’t you make it yourself mate?” And there the Ice Doctor was born.

THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
This was years before the Internet age, which made it all the more complicated to begin with. I knew what I needed—a system that combined cold and heat therapy, but had to find a way to make it practical, robust, but at a price that everyone could afford. Not just a temporary bandaid, but something that would double as a long-term solution. It had to hold the cold, stay in place, and offer real compression. The kind of product you could throw in your bag, take anywhere, and trust to work every time. I went through countless prototypes, dead ends, through many designers, but eventually after several years of the journey - we made it. I had something that could change the game and really make an impact on peoples lives.

THE IMPACT
Since the first REAL prototype (in 1995!), the Ice Doctor has been more than just a product; it ended up being a lifeline for some. Whether it’s for athletes coming off the field or elderly recovering from surgery, it’s helped thousands of people get back on their feet. I’ve seen it in action - seen the difference it can make. Not just in pain relief, but in lives restored. The Ice Doctor isn’t just about icing an injury; it’s about giving people the chance to heal, to get back to their lives, to take control of their recovery.

PEOPLE FIRST, BUSINESS SECOND
Ice Doctor wasn’t born out of a desire to build a profitable business - it was born out of frustration, pain, and a genuine need to help everyday Aussies. I wasn’t out to make a quick buck; I wanted to create something that would truly help people, something that worked when nothing else did. And over the years, that’s exactly what it has achieved. Through slow growth; It has helped people push through their injuries and come back stronger. It’s built on the idea that healing doesn’t have to be complicated. If you just need something simple, reliable, effective, and Australian Made - you're at the right place.