Flex Health Practice Manager, Mike Webb opens the doors to the incredible work that they are doing for people all over East Yorkshire and beyond.
One physiotherapy clinic in Yorkshire is soon to be going national. Flex Health, based in Hull, specialises in neurophysio and has developed an app to support its patients from home.
They have different types of patients, including those with MS, injuries relating to sports or vehicle accidents that have left them unable to walk.
Some people believe that Flex Health is better than a gym, mostly because of the specialist equipment that is available to the patients in clinic, including hoists and weighted machines. They say this is a big reason why so many patients use the clinic from outside Hull.
Built from the ground up by founders and directors Alex [Chester] and Matt [Booth], the team now consists of 13 staff, with all kinds of different physio and sport therapy qualifications, with a clinic of around 350 patients.
Physiotherapy is seen as an ever-developing exercise for nutrition and physical excellence, with staff that has a young mindset and is always keen to move on and try out the next best thing for the clients and for the company. The training and support available to the staff, some of whom continue to train while working, is a key part of the growth.
One of the main benefits of Flex Health is the emotional connection built between clinicians and patients, and the difference that makes to their overall progress. Mike Webb, Practice Manager and Head of Operations and Development, says that seeing the progression of patients, particularly children, is a major benefit. “Having that extra support, that accountability is a massive help. The staff…these guys they make a massive difference to the younger patients and to those patients who were told they would never walk again, to see videos of them walking or doing their sport after we helped them. The staff really give that time and support to each individual.”
The app has been developed over the last few years, firstly in the wake of lockdown, to allow patients who couldn’t get to the clinic to continue with their development. “We wanted to find a way to expand the brand,” Mike said. “When people think physio, we want them to think Flex…it’s as close as you can get to getting an individual session in the clinic, without having the face-to-face element.” It allows patients to continue with their progress and have weekly check-ins with their physio, view their notes, and ensure they are committed to their mental and physical progress. This also means the physios are able to provide clear goals and checkpoints for each patient.
It has been described as ‘a constant back and forth of communication’ with a high level of professionalism that has gone into its development. “The app is incredible and will go live really soon. We already have a lot of large businesses wanting to get the app in their companies,” said Mike. It seems the biggest selling point of the app is the hybrid format, as you still have that connection with the physios that some automated apps lose. “We’re hoping to go live on our socials with it soon, so keep an eye out. We’ve already had lots of messages from people in other countries wanting to work with us after seeing our social media posts.”
The biggest benefit Flex Health provides is the physical and mental progress from being that specific and committed to your goals. They have a strong sense of community and an ethos that has been born from that.
Flex Health’s ongoing growth and development will only get better with more people getting involved from across the world.
Interview: Dom Smith | Words: Sallie Phillips
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Flex is the leading provider of adult and pediatric Musculoskeletal (MSK), Neurological, and Paediatric Physiotherapy in Hull and East Yorkshire where they boast a state-of-the-art clinic and a team with over 80 years of combined treatment experience.
Flex treats a range of conditions and injuries to help get you back on your feet, and has dedicated teams assigned to treat your problem.
iMUSE is designed as a multimedia approach to music and relaxation for learning-disabled adults and young people, older people, and people with mental and physical ill health.
Dom using the hugger
One of the projects run by Accessible Arts and Media (AAM) in York, stems from developing Vibroacoustic Therapy into a more interactive experience that can be used by everybody. The therapy was designed by a researcher at Sunderland University, Phil Ellis who created both the sessions AAM first started delivering 25 years ago, and the iMUSE sessions they started running about eight years ago.
The work brings together music, vibrations, visuals, and sounds to create something that participants and staff alike have termed ‘magical’.
iMUSE’s main focus is to help people relax and reduce stress and anxiety while helping those who may find it difficult to communicate verbally find a creative outlet that suits them.
Using different formats, iMUSE allows people to engage with music however they see fit. The adaptability of the sessions means participants can range in age and abilities, from young people with learning disabilities to older people with dementia.
The sessions are designed to be 1-on-1 30-minute sessions with a dedicated, fully-trained facilitator on hand.
Rose believes that partnering with other organisations is what has made the iMUSE for Wellbeing programme so strong: “All organisations are only here because they’ve learned how to collaborate, and we are a good example of that. Without our partners, we wouldn’t be where we are now.
We work with Ways to Wellbeing and their ever-growing team of Social Prescribers and Primary Care Link Workers, as well as a range of health professionals to develop referral routes. People can also self-refer or refer a family member or someone they care for as well. The project is open to anyone, and payment is only requested on an ‘if you can’ basis.”
Facilitator Thomas Andrews, who is directly involved in delivering the sessions, highlighted the continuing diversity of people they see coming to use IMUSE: “This person came in and had beautiful synth sounds and was doing tai-chi movements. Then we had another person come in all full of beans, sit on the floor, and just said ‘Tom Jones karaoke, go’. This all happened in the space of an hour.”
What is important for the staff at AAM is seeing how they make a difference in the lives of the participants. By helping people relax, forget the outside world and for their stress and anxiety to reduce, they’re helping people take control of their own well-being. “Being able to do something that really works, that we can see on a weekly basis, is so amazing, so empowering,” said Thomas. “The progress and benefits people get from it are just immense.”
Thomas at the controls
During the pandemic, iMUSE was forced to move its sessions online, to a remote version. Thanks to the genius and creative flair of one participant who became obsessed with the impact vibrations and music had on him, the ‘Hugger’ was born.
This was a small huggable object that can be worn, held by participants, or put on certain parts of the body and it just vibrates helping them to relax. It became apparent quickly that this was particularly useful for those who use iMUSE to help with anxiety, chronic pain, or who find human contact difficult. “We’ve found it to be profoundly beneficial from what people have told us,” said Thomas.
As a result of the success of remote sessions and devices like the ‘Hugger’ during the pandemic, a lot of participants now use smaller items of the iMUSE kit at home. This allows them to incorporate the benefits of iMUSE into their daily lives and self-care. “We’re looking at key ways to continually develop, and remote sessions appear to be something people really want,” said Rose. “The experience of iMUSE is always changing, that’s the beauty of it, and it works best when we can find what best suits our participants.”
“We’re able to respond to their needs,” said Thomas. “I can use these remote sessions to help them manage them in their own homes and change visuals or music as and when they need. I really love watching people’s different arcs and seeing them take control of their own iMUSE journey.”
It’s all about the people at AAM, whether that be the participants or the staff. People skills are the most valuable thing to the team at AAM, with being a musician a great added bonus, according to Rose.
Thomas regards the project as a very personal experience for anyone who uses iMUSE. “We show them how the sessions work and then most people find their own niche. That kind of autonomy really pays off.”
The team all encourage people to try it out and come to one of their many taster events. Thomas joked that there isn’t really a worst-case scenario at iMUSE. “The worst thing that can happen is you get to chill out and listen to your favourite music for half an hour.”
It is very clear that the people who work for iMUSE love what they do and the transformations they help to create in people.
“It’s the magic of what we do, it never bores me,” Rose enthused. “While we’re making the difference we are, that’s what makes me get out of bed in the morning. I still love what we do even after having done it for over 30 years.”
For Thomas, it’s all about the joy of working to help and benefit other people. “With iMUSE, the transformations in people that I see throughout a year in this project, and the progress and benefit they get, it’s immense. I’ve been lucky to work with iMUSE to really benefit people. I love doing it.”
Interview: Dom Smith | Words: Sallie Phillips
If you want to get in touch to find out more or get involved, you can visit the iMUSE website here, call 01904 626965 or e-mail them at [email protected].
Below you can see a video of Dom’s partner, Emma using the iMUSE…
Interview: Dom Smith | Words: Sallie Phillips
Doing something for the first time can be really scary, sometimes downright terrifying. Especially if it is something that you have been putting off doing for years because you are worried about it. Add to that having a little physical disability which makes doing that thing that much more difficult, and you’ve got my situation – going on a train alone for the first time.
Having mild cerebral palsy makes using public transport a tricky problem. Due to my balance issues, I’m always terrified of standing up on moving things because I think I’m going to fall, and not only get hurt, but also get embarrassed, or the way that I can do these things can sometimes be considered embarrassing, for me on a personal level.
The simplest things about going on a train alone can be difficult for me, particularly getting on and off. Most people wouldn’t think twice about the gap between the train and the platform, however, that is the one thing I have to consider most when going on the train.
Although I prefer to use the car for these very reasons, in this scenario, I was travelling to the centre of Manchester for a university placement, so you can imagine why I was forced to use the train for this particular trip.
My biggest concern was ensuring I would be able to use the passenger assistance to get me on and off the train safely, and although I booked it, there were numerous times throughout my week doing this journey that it didn’t work out. I was able to get on the train safely but all too often, there was nobody at the other end of my trip to help me off, and frankly, that was my bigger concern, falling down rather than falling on!
In order to feel that I was confident enough to do the train ride, I had to plan my journey carefully and even do a few recces in the weeks leading up to my placement so I would know exactly how the passenger assistance element of the train station worked and how long each element would take.
On top of all of that, my train trips for the second week of placement were cancelled due to train strikes, almost laughing in my face about the practice I put into feeling secure and safe when riding a train without the reliable support of a friend or family member with me. I ended up having to drive into Manchester and it seemed like all my hard work went to waste.
Despite the pressure of train travelling alone for the first time that made me have to rely on the passenger assistance that didn’t always work, either because they hadn’t kept my booking, someone forgot, or my favourite: I missed my booked train and had to try and get a later one, only to be told there were no assistants available to help me onto this train, I am still really glad I was forced to face my fear and do this.
It has opened up a whole new world for me, also looking at being able to use buses for the first time in years, which, as a disabled young woman, makes my life so much easier. Even though my disability has made my life difficult, it has given me opportunities to try new things that I just never thought possible. That is something that I am incredibly proud of, that I have taught myself I can do things if I am in a position where it is my only choice.
This has proven to me that having a disability doesn’t mean you can’t do things, they just have to be done a little differently to others, and that makes us special, not different.
Words: Sallie Phillips
Racing legend Guy Smith retired as a factory driver in 2017, after a stellar career spanning 3 decades, including winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 and the American Le Mans Series in 2011.
Even though he might no longer be out on the track permanently among the action, that doesn’t mean Guy, brother of Wobblin’ About and Rockin’ Out founder Dom, has left the sport behind completely.
“As I’ve got older I’ve learnt more about the business side – when I started out go karting, it was just about going as fast as possible, but now, the further you get into the sport, you realise you’re actually a business and the driving is a small part,” says Guy of how interlinked the worlds of business and motorsport actually are, with so many skills transferable due to the commercial nature of motorsport in today’s world.
“It’s about understanding your craft,” he explains, and knowing what you need to do to be successful. Motorsport is an incredibly expensive passion, and in order to climb up the rankings, you must have some sponsorship or be a brand ambassador, like Guy. “As a driver, social media is so important, they look at my social media to find my reach, and you’re an extension of that brand, something I didn’t think I’d be talking about as a racing driver, but it’s part of the job now.”
He knew he wanted to go into the business branch of the sport and set up his company Greenlight Sports Management in 2020 where he now mentors and supports new young drivers working their way up the ranks, hoping to have the kind of career he had. Guy says there are two key traits when aiming for success as a racing driver: hard work and being humble. “It’s about hard work like anything. Whatever you choose to do, you get out what you put in. I’ve seen so many good drivers with no work ethic. They’ve been amazing but expected it to fall their way, and not pursued it, not worked hard and not achieved a successful career. But there are others who are not the best but have worked hard and have had a career in motorsport. You can apply it to anything, musicians, or football. Some go off the rails or fall by the wayside. A great work ethic is so important, you’ve got to have that dedication and love what you do. At the end of the day, if you don’t love what you do, you’re not gonna be successful. It’s important to be humble and have an appreciation for what you do.”
Having taken up karting in 1986, it wasn’t an easy ride for Guy to the top, with his first senior win not coming until 1995 as British Formula Renault Champion. That same year, he tested with the Williams Formula One team at Silverstone for the first time. From then on, his career went from strength to strength, winning PPG Rookie of the Year in 1999, with his 24 hours Le Mans victory following just four years later in 2003 for Bentley with co-drivers Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello. Teamwork is something that Guy values very highly both in his professional and personal lives. “Within your team you have mechanics and engineers, working together to get a goal. It’s important finding what your skillset is, what you’re good at and not good at and trying to get the people in to fill those gaps.” He finds that teamwork is one of the many skills he was able to transfer from the world of motorsport to the world of business, particularly as he was a business in himself with all of the sponsorship, social media and brand engagement that is now expected of racing drivers if they want to reach the summit.
Although he would not win Le Mans again, he finished in second place the following year before transferring to the American Le Mans series and Dyson Racing in 2005, where he would race for seven years before winning in 2011 with Dyson Racing alongside co-driver Chris Dyson. He won Road America in 2012, recording the closest ever ALMS race finish, with this seemingly being a very successful racetrack for Guy, after he had recorded the two fastest laps there in 2006.
When asked what success means to him, from both a career and personal point of view, Guy sees it as two very different kettles of fish. “It’s really important to differentiate the two,” he says. As an athlete, he saw success in very much a solid form, as it was measured by ways of wins, statistics, performances, and trophies. Despite this, he is quick to point out during our chat that some of his best performances did not always show as his best results. In his personal life, Guy is very open with his meaning of success. “We all want to be happy and content. I know a lot of drivers who are successful in sport but unhappy in life. I listen to a lot of podcasts – they say people are searching for fulfilment through sports and adulation for what they do. As I get older, it’s not about the short-lived wins, being content and happier in yourself, and living more in the moment. That’s what I would class as success.”
For someone that has had such a glittering career, there must be some great motivations, such as watching his father who was a successful businessman while he was growing up. “I take a lot of inspiration from music – you get that buzz of endorphins which make you think I want to do this and that. I think having external influences are really important. Music is a big motivator for me.” Guy’s favourite music genre is rap, but he does admit that whatever his mood is often dictates what he wants to listen to.
Something that has perhaps been in the background of motorsport for many years is mental health awareness. With society now becoming more and more open about talking about people’s mental health, Guy says that everyone has their bad days, even himself, and that the level of awareness in motorsport has really improved over the last few years. “Some days it’s a great day, other days it’s raining outside, you don’t want to do anything. I think what’s important is knowing you are not alone, everyone has days like that, it’s not unusual, it just gets hidden better by others. It’s important to have good friends around, people you can talk to. I’m lucky, I’ve got my wife, we’ll talk about stuff if I’m having a bad day. It’s so important talking about stuff.”
He feels that motorsport can be quite lonely, given that you are always out for yourself. “There are usually two cars per team and it’s you against your teammate, you want to beat them so there’s that rivalry. It’s quite a lonely road, we’re left to our own devices.”
He admits that the sport has improved its mental health awareness in recent years. “When I first started it was never discussed or even mentioned – but in the last 5/6 years it’s become more accepted to talk about it, with more people to talk to. People are a lot more open and more prepared to sharing their feelings and it’s not a taboo subject, it’s a real-life situation.”
There is a danger to motorsport but having a team of qualified mechanics and engineers that you trust is vital, particularly in big races such as Le Mans or Oval. “We’re not thinking what’s gonna happen if I die? You can’t think like that, or you’d never do it. It’s about having respect, I think the mechanics put the cars together, they are well put together and safe but freak things do happen. I think you are aware [of the risk] but aren’t focused on it too much. Once the helmet is on in the car, that’s a great trigger for forgetting everything.” Guy has seen some tragedy over the years, losing friends to accidents on the track. He’s quick to be clear that racing is not as glamorous as it seems, and that it’s all about the work behind the scenes, which makes any victory sweeter.
Now with his company Green Light, Guy mentors up and coming young drivers such as Jess Edgar. Although they don’t have an F1 driver on their books just yet, Guy has spotlighted Jess as “a star of the future” and hopes that it could happen in the next few years.
When asked for his top tips for young drivers, Guy has just three: “Don’t be cocky…work hard and be humble.” Racing can be a tough reality for those that don’t make it to the top, but Guy is clear: “If they don’t make it but they’ve given it everything that’s all I expect from them.”
Words: Sallie Phillips | Interview: Dom Smith
Listen and watch below:
The topic of mental health is becoming more and more relevant in today’s society. Lots of us look for answers about how we can improve our mental state, particularly with conditions such as anxiety and depression becoming frequent parts of our lives. Music has long been considered as a way to help keep those demons in our consciousness away, and there are many different ways in which it can be used to great positive effect.
A 2011 study found that music releases dopamine, the chemical that makes you feel good, when we listen to it, or play it ourselves. It has been discovered that the release of dopamine is increased by 9% when people are listening to music that they love.
Typically, music has been used as a way of dealing with conditions such as depression, addiction, trauma, and grief. Most people who have these pent up, heavy emotions find solace in music as it provides us with an anchor to link our emotions to, and a way to let out all these emotions that might be too difficult to otherwise comprehend or deal with.
People who suffer with anxiety have also been known to use music as a calming agent, with classical or easy listening described as the most popular genres in these situations. Although this might be expected, most people with anxiety are advised to stay away from heavy rock or any genre that might cause a rise in heart rate or stress. This can sometimes not be the case, as some tend to find comfort in a song’s lyrical content rather than the music, as they can relate to the song writing, so the type of music becomes irrelevant in this case.
Notably, there are five ways that music can help with any mental health issues that we may be facing, according to experts in the field. These are: elevates mood and motivation, reduces stress, improves focus, helps relaxation, reduces anxiety and depression. Most of these are common and well-known positives for using music to support mental health but it is useful to know exactly why music is so key for our mental states to remain healthy.
Using music as a way to channel emotions and thoughts can also clear our mental slate and make something beautiful out of something that we can only see as negative. Meanings can be said without words through music, by letting the emotive nature of sound and melody say what we can’t. Music and grief are a combination that come together quite naturally as a way to deal with overriding feelings that cannot be articulated purely through speech or action, allowing us to grow and discover our hidden strength as human beings and as people with real, valid feelings.
Music has become therapeutic for many who use it to support their mental health. As such, music therapy is now a distinctive branch of therapy in itself. The British Association of Music Therapy, or BAMT for short, is the body for music therapy in the UK, and provides both professionals and individuals with information, support, training and access to therapists who can provide treatment for mental health through music. They are fully trained professionals, who must be registered and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council, with a masters degree in music therapy.
This training allows them to tailor their sessions to the individuals, and work in a specific way that suits people with certain conditions.
We spoke to some music therapists from the North West about why music therapy is so important to supporting the mental health crisis we are facing in society right now.
Sarah Morgan is a music therapist based near Preston who specialises in dementia and brain injury therapy. She says that people are starting to recognise mental illness as something that everyone experiences at one time or another in their life, and that it therefore shouldn’t have the stigma that it does. She also talks about how therapeutic we all find music, whether it be in an actual therapy session, or just by listening to our favourite songs when we aren’t feeling quite ourselves. You can see my chat with Sarah and hear more of her comments in the clip below.
Mary Clayton, a music therapist from Music Place North-West, in Liverpool, says that that it is key for people to have the access to music therapy but it can be difficult, whether due to money, or accessing the right support at the right time. She also highlighted that music is a much easier way for people to articulate their emotions when they are too strong or tough to verbally express. “We’ve all been through a collective trauma, and music can help us with dealing with it,” she says, concerning the coronavirus pandemic. “Music therapy provides a unique format for people to have unspoken connections with others and find a way to get across that communication barrier.”
Both therapists made clear that there has been so much research done on the subject, so now there is scientific proof that music does have a significant and positive impact on the mind. “According to neuroscience, music has been shown to light up certain areas of the brain and stimulate it in a different way to other art forms, which shows it can act as a tool in treating some neurological conditions,” Mary says.
It is clear that music is a crucial device that can be used to help people with their mental health and that access to it and therapy which uses it is vital. However, the funding of specialist service such as these are under a lot of strain, as both Mary and Sarah highlighted during our conversations. “Music therapy needs more funding,” Mary tells me, “And at the moment it can’t always be accessed by those who need it, especially given the impact of the last two years.”
One of the things that Mary finds so special about music therapy is the way it focuses on a person’s well-being, and she knows how important it is that that is considered when treating someone with a mental health condition. Mary summed up the usefulness of music therapy in this comment: “Music is so comprehensive, it has many styles, genres, moods, harmonies. It has so many different applications that you can draw from it. There is a lot of flexibility, and less limits than with words.”
Music is always going to be crucial to mental health, and it seems like music therapy is becoming an increasingly popular way of getting treatment, or just using music to help calm yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed with life.
Do you use music to help with your mental health, or with stress and anxiety? Let us know. You can visit www.bamt.org to find a music therapist near you.
As a young woman with cerebral palsy (CP), I have always found social situations challenging, mostly when it comes to building friendships and participating in social events or going places. Although my condition is mild, and for the most part only affects my lower limbs, it causes balance issues and limits my running and walking speed in comparison with my peers.
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition, meaning that although the impact is physical, there is a part of my brain that doesn’t work properly. My friends have found this confusing to say the least, with comments such as “You’re not stupid” made when I try to explain the condition to them!
Growing up, at school I had only one or two close friends who I sadly have drifted apart from over time. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy, so I was interested in playing football or some other sporting activity, but my restricted mobility meant that I was often left out or forgotten as I couldn’t keep up or play the game in quite the same way as everyone else.
Socially, I was quite isolated and very quiet, and this unintentional problem at school never did anything to help with that. This may have something to do with being an only child, I’ll never know, but even as a child I was content with my own company and still am, to an extent, as I’ve got used to it.
I was the victim of some mild bullying at school, with comments and impressions made about my walking style and the difficulties I faced in PE, when academia has always been my strength. It was always patronizing in PE, as due to my disability, I was in the bottom set and not a lot was expected of me, so people didn’t always give me the chance to try something or show what I could do, even if it wasn’t what everyone else was aiming for.
I had hoped this would change when I was 10. I had an operation to help improve my walking, leaving me in a wheelchair for a couple of months, and having to learn to walk again using the same kind of frame as when I first learned to walk, at the late age of two years old. My condition meant that I was always going to be slow at learning to walk, but the sheer determination of my physiotherapists, something which I have had all my life, meant that I was able to walk on the whole of my foot, rather than on my tiptoes, like some people with cerebral palsy.
My social circle appeared to improve during my time in a wheelchair, with people taking turns to push me around the school, however this didn’t last, and I was returned to my isolated self, with the bullying becoming more prevalent in my final years at school. My social life was always difficult as I moved through my teens, with my disability meaning that using public transport such as buses and trains were a big no-no, given the balance issues I faced using them. This meant that I was reliant on family or friends to get me around, which made my teen years difficult, but passing my driving test in 2017 gave me some much-needed independence.
One sport I have always loved is swimming. Following my operation, I found a local swim team in Gloucester who had recently created a disability squad. As one of their first members, I swam with them for a decade, alongside numerous other disabled children, competing in local, national and international events over my time as a para-swimmer. I joined a charity called CP Sport, which encourages children and young people with cerebral palsy to take part in sport. They gave me the highlight of my swimming career, the CP World Games in Barcelona in 2018, where I won a bronze medal in my favoured distance event, the 400m freestyle, and helped the England squad finish top of the medal table. This was particularly special to me, as I had just missed out on a place in the squad 4 years previously.
The support of my parents has been crucial to my success in the pool, whether that be my parents acting as a taxi to get me to training and competitions, and spending their weekends and holidays sat by a pool cheering me on, or financing my kit, competititions or anything else that allowed me to reach the height that I did. They have always been there and I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support, both in and out of the pool.
Shortly after Barcelona, I turned 18 and was due to go to university in September, and so I knew this was likely the pinnacle of my swimming days and would not be able to be the all-consuming part of my life it had been for many years. Due to my success in the pool outside of school, I found school swimming embarrassing as just because I couldn’t swim like everyone else, I was disregarded as being good at it, when in fact, I had achieved a lot more in the pool than my classmates. This wouldn’t be the first time that I was underestimated either, as numerous times throughout school, I was dismissed as being part of a social event with ‘friends’ as they thought I wouldn’t be able to participate, without asking me.
At college, I found a much more supportive group of friends, a few of whom I am still in touch with today, despite being at universities at opposite ends of the country. With this new-found support, I was able to do more things that typical teenagers do, including getting blind drunk with my friends one night while celebrating our A-Level results, and going to a club for the first time. To this day, I have very little recollection of what happened that night, which does give me delight that I was able to have that experience, without being judged for my physical concerns. These were never things that I had considered doing, because the idea of losing more control of my balance and mobility than usual was frightening, but knowing I had that extra support of a friend who understood my limitations and reluctance helped blossom my confidence in a way that meant I could finally have some of the social experiences that I felt had been denied to me by my disability for so many years.
Achievement: Celebrating the bronze medal I won at my final BUCS competition for Cardiff University in 2019 [Credit: Hazel Phillips]
Having my car, which is specially adapted with hand controls, was a massive help as getting to Cardiff any other way was not possible but being able to do that gave me a whole new understanding of the word independence. Living independently is tricky when you have a mobility issue, and it meant that I had certain requirements for both my first-year halls, and private accommodation for years two and three, making my choices limited. I needed a low step shower, parking space and a ground floor flat. It doesn’t seem like much but having those made a massive difference to me while away from home.
During my time in Cardiff, I also had a personal trainer and joined the swim team, both of whom were very positive about making any adaptations that would work for me. Although my swimming level dropped considerably from the heights of 2018, it felt good that I was still able to be included within the university sport world, despite my CP, including winning the only Cardiff medal of my final BUCS competition in 2019. Not only that, but I met one of my best friends here, who I later moved in with in second year.
I made a lot of friends during my time as an undergraduate, and it was refreshing and comforting to know that, unlike at school, I was never treated any differently, I was just Sallie, not Sallie with CP, and was able to ask for help when necessary. It became an inside joke that as I was disabled, I was the driver, but one I was part of, rather than the butt of. I have remained in contact with most of these friends since I left Cardiff in the summer, despite Covid having ruined our final year, meaning we haven’t reunited for graduation yet!
Now, I’m coming to the end of my master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism at UCLan, and I am achieving things I would never have thought possible with my disability. Much of my concerns were similar when moving here, but everyone has been overwhelmingly supportive, adapting things so that I can do them, rather than stopping me if I can’t do something like everyone else, including working with cameras and in the TV and radio studios.
I feel that I have really developed as a person over the years, and my cerebral palsy is a big part of who I am. I hope that my journey is a prime example of what can be done with a disability. I am very proud to be a member of the CP community!
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