Jenn’s Gym Story
On the 24th September 2013, 16 year old Jennifer Smyth was a competitive gymnast practicing her vault during a regular training session in the gym when tragedy struck. A freak accident caused her to break her neck, leading to immediate paralysis from the chest down. She became a full-time wheelchair user with a diagnosis of an incomplete C5/6 quadriplegic and was given the devastating news that she would never walk again. Having been a gymnast for 12 years Jennifer was no stranger to injuries and quoted her injury as “the same as any other injury and one that will just take a bit longer to recover from.”
Over the next 10 years Jennifer dedicated her life to her recovery and becoming as independent as possible. She learnt how to adapt to her new “sitting down life”, accepting that she would need a wheelchair for now but believes that one day she will be back on her feet and walking again.
She didn’t let her injury stop her from achieving her goals and continued her life as normal as possible, going to university, receiving a degree in product design, and travelling to America every year to attend intensive physiotherapy programs that weren’t available in Northern Ireland.
Jennifer realised that as there were no gyms in Northern Ireland equipped with specialised and adapted equipment, other people with neurological conditions would be missing out on the vital exercise and physiotherapy needed to recover as much function back as possible after an injury.
She decided then to open her own gym – Jenn’s Gym. A registered charity for people with neurological conditions who want to improve their health and well-being in an environment specifically designed with their individual needs at its core.
Exercise plays a crucial part in keeping fit and healthy for both able and less abled-bodied people. Few regular gym’s are truly accessible for all. Jenn’s Gym aims to adjust the balance with a wheelchair accessible gym for people of all abilities.
Jennifer shares all her own progress on her social media pages @Jennifer’sJourneytoWalkAgain
