Monthly blog round-up: September
Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday – sharing the experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels, and those who support disabled people, on their journey to being more active. Today, we take a look back at our blogs throughout September and look forward to October's stories.
Our first blog of the month came from Emily Banks, who cycles, swims, attends spinning classes and goes climbing and caving. She told us how and why her active journey began five years ago.
"My being active journey started five years ago when I was introduced to these types of activities through the Bendrigg Trust. Through the trust I attended a multi-activity weekend for people with sight loss. I was intrigued and liked the idea of the challenge and I can honestly say this weekend changed my life. I made life-long friends and achieved more than I ever thought possible."
Sami - gym goer
Our next blog saw us hear from 17 year-old Sami on how attending the gym regularly, with the help of the project Empower You, has improved his strength.
"My journey in this started last year when I met Ben Andrews from Empower You which supports disabled people to lead more active lifestyles. Ben showed me how to use equipment and helped me feel more comfortable in the gym. 12-weeks after working with Ben I was confident enough to go to the gym on my own and one-year on I am still going to the gym independently or sometimes train with my mum."
Mark Esho - tennis player
We also heard from Mark on how getting into wheelchair tennis has kept him fit and mobile.
"Wheelchair tennis has many benefits but the most important ones for me are that it keeps me fit, mobile and it’s a great stress reliever too, so it really helps me have a positive mental state."
Shona - becoming more active
Towards the end of September we heard from Shona in her eighth blog post sharing her journey on becoming more active. She told us about competing in her first triathlon, the Superhero Tri Series and her plans of competing in the 100m swimming section next year.
"If you told me last year that I’d be doing a triathlon this year then I probably would have laughed back, it would have seemed like a pretty impossible task. But, with the help of my teammates and family I made it over that finish line with a huge smile on my face."
Ben Andrews - gym goer. health coach and founder of Empower You
Our last blog in September came from Ben Andrews. He spoke about tackling the barriers of inactivity and the positive energy exercising gives him.
"I really enjoy being active as it’s something positive to do and I enjoy pushing myself. Being active also helps me feel more confident in myself and healthier. This positive energy is essential as it allows me to deliver the best sessions I can for my clients."
That's all for our September round-up. October will see us continue to hear from plenty more active disabled.
If you're interested in writing a blog about your experiences of sport and exercise, please email news@activityalliance.org.uk or call 0161 228 2868.
