My passion for fitness started early on in my youth. As a child, my paternal grandfather was a circus performer, and he became a strong father figure in my life. My grandfather has always reinforced that fitness should be an important part of our lives. He would take me to gymnastic clubs and football clubs. Throughout my childhood, participation in sports has allowed me to mix with people who have taught me about the real world.

I am deaf, and I use British Sign Language as my first language. When I was in my early 20s, I remember reading an article about how deaf people’s health is generally below the national average due to accessibility issues. It can take a deaf person a lot longer to be diagnosed due to an inability to access services as readily. The article inspired me and gave me a strong motivation to break down barriers and to educate those who have no idea about the barriers deaf people face on a daily basis.

My parents are deaf and growing up I have seen the barriers they are faced and unfortunately, there have been few changes and continue to face the same barriers today. Finally, I want to help people out, less talking, more action, more sweating! I enjoy helping people of all abilities and show them that exercising can be fun and important. Physical health is just as important as mental health.