Javeno McLean: Meet The Trainer Changing Lives — One Free Session at a Time

Personal trainer transforms the lives of disabled, ill and elderly people with free sessions at his specially-equipped gym

For more than two decades, Javeno McLean has used his skills as an exercise and health specialist to improve the lives of the elderly and people with disabilities.

His mission began when he was 16, after two emotional encounters. In one, he noticed a boy in a wheelchair struggling in the gym, before offering to train him. “His dad was a big man – he came over and he gave me a hug,” said Javeno.

On a separate occasion, he was playing cricket in the park when he noticed a man in a wheelchair on the sidelines. He invited the man to join him and his friends, and at the end of the session, the man told him: “This is the first time I’ve felt alive in years.”

Since then, Javeno, now 40, has worked to create a friendly environment for everyone to work on their physical and mental health. In 2016, he set up the J7 Gym in Manchester, an inclusive space with a dedicated section for elderly clients and those with a range of abilities.
Javeno said: “Inclusivity is so important, when you include people you empower them. We live in a society where people can feel dehumanised, unseen. I don’t see their wheelchair, the medication, the barriers.”

The gym welcomes hundreds of people each year with a range of disabilities, free of charge, including cancer patients and survivors, stroke victims and people with dementia. Javeno, who emphasises the importance of "celebrating the small wins”, continues to spread his positive message to his almost two million followers across Instagram and TikTok.

“I can’t explain what it means to me, it’s the most powerful thing,” he said. “It’s 100% life changing and so much more than exercise, so much more powerful. For my guys it’s not about aesthetic change, it’s life or death.

“I’ve had cancer patients with three months to live, disabled people who feel the door has closed on them. It’s my job to remind them that they are built strong.”

What the Judges said: “Javeno’s positivity and power to motivate just shine through in everything he does. He is genuinely changing lives, and inspiring millions.”

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