Despite being a previously healthy young guy, I was taken extremely ill out of the blue and diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The pain was indescribable, and the effects on my body were significant and long term: I had to take 18 medications a day; I was constantly exhausted and struggled to do anything because I constantly had to go to the toilet; and, as if that wasn’t enough, every time I went to the bathroom I passed terrifying amounts of blood.
I was placed on a waitlist to have a total colectomy, but even so I lived this way for two years. It took everything from me: my freedom, my happiness, my health and my marriage. After two years, my condition suddenly deteriorated and I had to have the total colectomy as an emergency procedure. Because it was performed as a medical emergency, it had to be done in three stages: the first stage being the removal of my colon and the introduction of a colostomy bag. It was the darkest time I have ever experienced: being a young guy with a colostomy bag was incredibly difficult, it leaked at first and it was so hard to adapt to such a radically different way of living. I didn’t know how to cope and spent the first month wallowing in self-pity and pain.
Then, one morning, I woke up and knew that something had to change. I had to get myself together in order to be the best dad I could be to my beautiful seven month old son; I had to show him that I could not only live with this condition, but thrive and be a role model for him. I started to go for long walks to try to build my strength and clear my mind. This terrified my Macmillan stoma nurse because she believed that such activity would prolong my recovery which was already expected to be substantial at fourteen months. But I knew, with every step I took, that it was the right thing to do for my body and mind. I progressed from walking to running and boxing, and then to martial arts and Brazilian jiujitsu and with every new sport I found another piece of myself and improved my health. I felt stronger, I was stronger, and I felt more driven and in control than I had felt in a long time. I recovered from my first operation six months earlier than expected to everyone’s amazement; my stoma nurse said that she had never witnessed a faster recovery. Although I didn’t sail through my next procedures, I kept my mental strength and approached each recovery in the same way: using exercise to put myself back together.
When I came out the other side, I realised that exercise and fitness had given me so much and I had found such salvation in it that I wanted to help other people to discover fitness and use it to build themselves back up too. I studied hard and achieved my level 2 gym instructor diploma, then my level 3 personal training diploma and finally my nutritional diploma, and I started training people with M.S., downs syndrome, dysplasia and other conditions in order to help them find their strength too. I helped these people to change their lives and grow in ways they never thought they could.
My business continued to grow and today I train a wide spectrum of clients: with or without underlying conditions. I have a small gym in St. Boswells and I run group bootcamps at the local rugby club. My clients come from all walks of life, and all have different goals and needs when it comes to fitness. I work closely with them to help set targets and then meet these goals; whether it’s losing weight, developing strength in particular areas to combat medical conditions, or just simply wanting to be fitter, I tailor each session to their individual needs and guide them through each workout so that they feel supported and confident. My approach is not to embarrass anyone or make anyone feel silly or inferior. I am here to help you be the best you that you can be. I make sure that my gym is a private and safe space where you can really reach your potential without feeling self-conscious or overwhelmed. We’ll move at a pace that is appropriate to your fitness level when you start and build from there. Just like my own experience, it’s about making a start: from there, the sky is the limit.
