Gyms aren't always accessible spaces, but these PTs are working to change that

Many people would see cerebral palsy as a barrier to a physically demanding career.

But Connor Johnstone has refused to allow his disability to hold him back.

He’s a fully qualified personal trainer with a degree in sports science and a masters in strength and conditioning.

Now he’s determined to help other people with a disability who struggle exercising in the gym.

But he hasn’t always been so self-confident.

“I may not have been able to perform the movements in the gym that everyone else could, so that used to always be at the back of my mind, or I felt like I wasn’t smart enough,” he said.

“I think that’s just, all those things you tend to label yourself [with], rather than what actually is reality.”

Encouragement from his parents and therapists helped.

“One of the biggest things for me is always trying to find a way to adapt,” he said.

It’s something he also teaches his clients.

“At one of my other practices, there were a lot of children with autism, and I was finding fun ways to do things because they don’t find generic exercises as stimulating or fun,” he said.

Challenging perceptions

Shaznaye Bin Kali, 15, also challenges perceptions of what a typical gym-goer looks like.

She lives with hemiplegia, a condition that has affected the left side of her body, impacting her arms, legs, and facial muscles.

But at her weekly sessions with her dedicated personal trainer, Grant Gillon, she’s found a space where she feels empowered and supported.

“Shaz started, and she hasn’t looked back. She looks forward to coming to see me every Friday,” Grant said.

Shaznaye said she enjoyed playful banter with Grant as she exercises.

“I like lap pull downs, bench press, jumping on the bike, tennis, footy, and frisbee,” she said.

Empathy helps

One of the things that bonded the two was Grant’s later-in-life ADHD diagnosis, which he believes has helped him positively connect with clients who have a disability.

“How I think is very similar to a lot of other people with disabilities, and I can be quite sporadic, and I often need to take a step back and try and settle myself,” he said.

“I know for myself there’s often things that I needed to be repeated quite a few times.”

Grant said he’s learned to be more accommodating.

“That’s probably the biggest one. And thinking on my feet,” he said.

Grant said if things don’t work out during his training sessions with clients, he tries to “keep the momentum going” by moving onto the next thing.

“You can’t dwell too much on it,” he said.

Grant said working with Shaznaye meant a longer set up time to make sure she could train safely.

“We make sure that she’s got a firm grip, or often, I’ll be holding my hand over the top first making sure her grip doesn’t fall off,” Grant said.

“And sometimes we’ll be changing different attachments and handles to see if we can actually get her a little bit of a better grip.”

Grant said he wanted to become a personal trainer because fitness had always been an important part of his life and he wanted to make sure others had the opportunity to participate.

“[The gym] is not always accessible to everyone,” he said.

“I guess that’s probably one of the main motivating factors [for me].”

Push for more PTs with a disability

Grant would like to see more disabled personal trainers in the industry.

“I think the one thing that hinders some people is that they feel inadequate, which can depend on the disability,” he said.

“People might think they won’t be respected due to their disability, or they don’t feel they’re up to par.”

Grant’s advice to any aspiring personal trainer who has a disability would be just getting out there and getting involved in learning through experience.

“I’m very passionate what I do, and I enjoy seeing results,” he said.

“I don’t see what I do is anything like amazing or special. I almost feel selfish because it’s something that I really enjoy.”

Connor feels the same way.

“If you’re passionate about something, you can always make it work.”

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