Background
Sophie was born with neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer which resulted in the nerves in her spine being crushed. She was left with spastic paraplegia causing a weakness and stiffness in her leg muscles so she is primarily a wheelchair user.
Sophie is also a mum and carer. She has two daughters, 14 year-old Alexi who has a hearing impairment, Autism and ADHD and nine year-old Leila, who is on the pathway for Autism.
Treatment
Sophie was introduced to The Rehab Physio two years ago by The Rooprai Spinal Trust (RST), a UK charity that helps individuals in the UK who have been paralysed by spinal cord injury to access life-changing physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Founder of The Rehab Physio, Chris Wynne comments: “When Sophie first came to us, it was clear that she was a driven, outgoing, happy person, who was just desperate for an opportunity to explore her own potential. Having long-since transitioned into adult services, she was not able to access meaningful rehabilitation, targeted at her own goals and aspirations.
The first thing that we did was listen to Sophie. Listen to her story, what she likes, what she doesn’t, what she has struggled with and what she aspires to do. We made a plan with her and always made her the centre of it. We gave her the opportunity to explore walking, which was huge for her. She was (and is now, more than ever) a keen gym-goer. We tailored our sessions to help her modify and adapt her gym routine so that she could maximise her potential and minimise injury from poor training technique.
Sophie remains a fantastic addition to The Rehab Physio family, thanks to the support from The RST. Her enthusiasm and sociable nature help inspire others in our gym and physio programs. Integration and peer support are huge parts of our open-plan facility. It’s vital that nobody feels on their own whilst embarking on their own rehab journey. Sophie is a big part of that.”
Sophie comments: “Two years later and the team can still find new ways to challenge me! Walking on the Lexo whilst weight training delivers a total body workout (pic). During my sessions at The Rehab Physio I also work on my core and hip flexors, moving from a seated to standing position. I can really see an improvement and the band that we used behind my glutes to stop me falling is no longer needed. It’s only when you watch videos of where you were when you started that you’re able to see how much you’ve progressed!”
I love how much the team at The Rehab Physio push me and never let me give up. We always manage to push through, helped on by lots of laughter!”
Where is she now?
Sophie is now on a mission to make sure that children with additional needs are not excluded. Last year she approached IQ Fitness, the gym where she is a member (and has just qualified as a Personal Trainer) to suggest accessible classes for children with additional needs. IQ Warriors, a gym-based activity programme, is the result, giving all youngers the chance to engage in physical exercise.
Sophie comments: “Being a parent of two children with complex needs is hard work but training helps me to cope. I felt that I was forever being judged for my disability, despite my passion for fitness but the ability to train five to seven times a week is not only great for both my mental and physical health but also forms a huge part of my social life.”
Sophie’s aims for the future include growing her PT business and focusing on getting more disabled people into fitness, whilst continuing to work on her mobility and leg strength. With her attitude and determination, we know she’ll go from strength to strength!
