About ExMed
ExMed is a New Zealand Charity and not-for-profit commission registered organisation. We are focused on providing people with cancer access to best-practice exercise medicine at the lowest possible out-of-pocket cost. ExMed is incorporated as a trust under the Charitable Trust Act 1957. ExMed has five trustees including three executive positions: chair, treasurer and secretary. All decisions are made by the trustees/trust board.
Our Charitable Purpose
To provide cancer patients with funding for exercise support before, during and after medical treatment. Provide individualised and supervised exercise programs. Develop a patient’s basic exercise knowledge. Promote positive lifestyle changes including diet, weight loss, stress management and smoking cessation. Enhance recovery following medical treatment and reduce post-treatment complications.
Our Cause
To enhance the lives of people with cancer through effective and accessible exercise medicine.
Our Vision
Ongoing operation of ExMed throughout New Zealand allowing for best-practice exercise medicine to be embedded into routine cancer care.
Our Values
Excellence - It’s the essence of everything we do.
Personalised - We address each individual’s unique needs.
Innovative - We drive transformative change.
Inspiring - We create positive feelings and actions.
We believe every person with cancer should be prescribed exercise as part of their treatment plan.
Board Members
Dr. Lukas Dreyer
Ph.D. Clinical Exercise Physiology
Member: Clinical Exercise Physiology NZ (CEPNZ), Clinical Physiology Registration Board of New Zealand (CPRBNZ)
Lukas is a trained Clinical Exercise Physiologist and completed his training at Potchefstroom University in South Africa. He worked at the university for more than 17 years. Lukas has 30 years of industry experience in fitness testing, risk classification, exercise prescription, and developing and delivering corporate wellness programs. His industry experience was accumulated as part of teaching and supervision postgraduate students.
He has published 58 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings; delivered 45 presentations at national and international scientific conferences and frequently acts as external examiner for postgraduate (Masters and PH.D.) studies. In 2002 he immigrated to New Zealand working for the first two years as program leader of the UCOL Exercise & Sports Science course. From 2003-2010 Lukas was employed as a lecturer at Massey University. In 2011, Lukas returned to UCOL to help develop the U-Kinetics Clinic. During this time Lukas led the delivery of the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Exercise Physiology qualification at UCOL. In 2020, Lukas together with his wife established the ExMed for Cancer charity with the aim of creating an exercise rehabilitation funding stream for cancer patients in Manawatu.
Dr. Sonja Dreyer
Ph.D. in Clinical Exercise Physiology
Member: Clinical Exercise Physiology NZ (CEPNZ), Clinical Physiology Registration Board of New Zealand (CPRBNZ)
Sonja trained in South Africa as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. She gained her Ph.D. in exercise physiology in 1999. She came to New Zealand with more than ten years of experience working in South Africa in Clinical Exercise Physiology.
In South Africa, Sonja spent five years in a multi-disciplinary cardiac rehabilitation center doing exercise testing, prescribing exercise, and supervising cardiac patients performing their daily exercise sessions. She also managed her own private clinical exercise physiology clinic for five years before moving to New Zealand.
Sonja has extensive experience in the prescription of therapeutic exercises for athletic injuries and special populations (including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and weight management). She was the operational manager of the U-Kinetics Clinic from 2012 to 2017 while also teaching on the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Exercise Physiology qualification at UCOL.
Sonja has established the OraKinetics Clinic as part of the ongoing exercise rehabilitation service delivery for DHB referred clients in Palmerston North after the termination of the U-Kinetics Clinic at UCOL in 2017. Sonja is one of the founding members of the ExMed for Cancer Charity.
Prof. Dr. Ian Warrington
Emeritus Professor • CNZM
Ian has a background in biological research, especially relating to growing systems for fruit crops such as apples and kiwifruit. Now retired, he was previously CEO of HortResearch and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Massey University. He lives in Palmerston North and currently serves on a number of trusts and community boards.
Murray Edgecombe
As a resident of Palmerston North since 1987, Murray has been a self-employed businessman since 1995 prior to which he was a banker with over 20 years’ experience in retail, commercial and rural lending.
Murray is a life member of Old Boys Marist Rugby Club having coached, managed and administrated at Palmerston North High School Old Boys for over 20 years.
He is also the Local Community Advisor for the Mainland Foundation which distributes funding to Manawatu sport, cultural, and community organisations.