In January 2012 I walked out on my partner of 7 years and from me getting my life back I upped the amount of classes I attended. Then 6 months later I cracked a bone in my shoulder joint in my left arm. Which is my weaker arm. From this my friend Luke that worked in my gym got me back in the gym once I got the ok from the hospital & physio’s. 

I was struggling with it, I could not move it higher than chest height. I struggled at work as a receptionist as could not do phone calls & could only serve clients face to face. 

  

When I had been in the gym in the past no instructor had sat me on equipment to see what I could or could not do. When I came for my first session with Luke, I said I can only use the cross trainer & stepper! He looked at me and said you never been on any fixed resistance machines? I said no. Within the next hour he had me on virtually every machine in the gym! 

Within 2 weeks I could raise my arm above my head! The physio had not managed to achieve this in the 3 months she had been working with me. 

This is when I realised the power of what exercise can do and regular exercise too. I was having 3 sessions with Luke a week and went in on my own twice a week. 

One day we got talking & Luke said you should do this as a job, I told him I wanted to train a few year previously and why. He said I would be a very good role model for disabled people & I should look at what I need to train them.  I left that day on a mission and started to do some research. The first thing that came up on my google search was instructability. 

  

I had a look and the nearest one to me was in Guildford. I thought it was too good to be true and showed Luke in the gym. When I did he read it and said Sam apply – this is right up your street and rest assured it was not a con. I showed the gym manager too and she said apply and we support your application process and the placement. 

Instruct Ability is an award winning programme that is funded by Sport England to train up disabled adults to become qualified gym instructors. They get there level 2 gym instructor and level 3 Exercise & Disability qualifications and undertake a 3 month work placement in a gym to engage local disabled people to partake in local sport and fitness activity. 

I applied in April 2013. I forgot all about it to one day – my day off of all days. I got woken up at 7am to a text message to say check your emails. Which I did. I found out I was through to the selection day in July. 

I head down to Guildford, where my mum decided to drive me down. As soon as we got on the M4, we hit an accident at 7am and thought the whole day was going to be eventful.  I got there slightly late but they had waited for me. There was 5 of us there in all. We all got on and we had to do a short presentation and then had our interviews and we were back on the road again. The next day I found out I got on to the course and was starting it a week later. 

2nd August 2013 my life completely changed. Whilst driving down to Guildford I was nervous and was thinking what are you doing, your 33 and embarking on a complete career change. I got there and was fine, I got on with most people on the course. 9 of us in all, with different conditions. 

After 5 weeks I became a qualified level 2 gym instructor and in November 2013 I got my level 3 exercise and disability qualification. I then started my work placement at the Link Centre in Swindon which at the time was part of the local council. 

   

When I finished my placement I was taken on as a casual due to them being taken over. 

From one disability session I worked with on my placement, Matt the main instructor of the session at the time, told me about the Health Improvement team. He passed me there details and I volunteered for a month then I got offered paid work with them, as a instructor in the supervised gym sessions they run and to cover classes too. This is the area I wanted to work in- GP Referral / Rehabilitation as this is what got me to train in the first place. 

Straight after I did my work placement I did my Zumba B1 course. This was a dream come true for me and still in touch with some of the ladies on my course. 

Zumba has quite literally transformed my life and got me through a very low point. My very first gig as an instructor was at a Party in Pink zumbathon next to my friend Sarah who still is my instructor. This I loved! I love being on stage and getting lost in the music.

  

 I love teaching it and love going to Zumba events and meeting up with my ZIN friends. I have learnt a lot through them and continue to do so too. I am fortunate to be on stage at some events with my friend Zumba Jammer Hender and UK ZES Donna Griffin. I have learnt so much off both of them and continue to do so. Donna is such a amazing teacher and instructor and was a privilege to share the stage with her.  

  

I owe a lot to Instructability, my friends Luke and Matt for really helping me and believing in me too. I also want to thank Matt for his help in observing some of his classes when I did my ETM course. I also want to thank Sarah for all of her help and support right from the moment I put my application in to Instructability. We attend a lot of Zumba events together and looking forward to going to the IBelieve Zumba party with the creator of Zumba Beto in July, where I am hoping to meet Beto & get to dance with him on stage – which would be a dream come true. 

If you are disabled and would like to train as a gym instructor please go to the Instructability website for more information at: http://www.instructability.org.uk/