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Active Summer Fun: 'I want to keep myself healthy and fit'

Active Summer Fun runs from July until the end of September 2015. The participation campaign created by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs) has encouraged more disabled people to find out and play out over summer. Active Summer Fun- #ActiveSummerFun on social media- aimed to support more disabled people to find ways to be active during the warmer months.

This summer we have heard from various disabled people, who lead active lifestyles in all sorts of ways. They're told their personal stories on how they found opportunities and continue having fun in an active way.

Today fitness enthusiast Stephen Wibberley talks to us in our final story of the series. He discusses keeping healthy by keeping fit, pushing himself to break new ground and a sense of achievement.

Active Summer Fun banner with two gymnasts practising

Stephen’s Active Summer Fun:

I live in Long Eaton in Derbyshire. I am 50 years old, and I have been doing things with Mencap for years – I now even live in a Mencap house.

I have mobility difficulties and have always had learning disabilities.

Recently I saw my GP and he had quite a bit to say. A few years ago I had a bad fall and I was in hospital for quite a while. Recently, I’ve been told that my mobility can now not get any better. I need support on transport and I can’t walk very far, though using my walker helps.

This news from the doctor spurred me on to do something about my general fitness. I want to be able to take part in activities with others, and to be able to exercise.

I want to keep myself healthy and fit as I tend to use the laptop quite a bit! So I took up swimming as well as following a fitness DVD on the laptop. That’s great – it exercises my whole body.

I swim once a week, on a Monday, at a local baths. I really enjoy the swimming because I can feel it keeping me healthy.

Just the other week I did six widths, non-stop. That was a record for me, and I hope to beat that in the future.

When we swim we have physios in the pool with us, helping and guiding us. I like to join in with other people, whether in the pool or while watching the fitness DVD. I like to show others what I am capable of doing.

Exercise makes me feel thrilled to bits. I love to participate in things and to have a go at activities that I’ve not done before.

This summer I want to keep my fitness levels and exercises up - I just really, really enjoy doing it. If I couldn’t do it anymore I’d be very upset, heartbroken.

If you don’t do exercises you’ll get stiff and you won’t be able to walk far. And it’s also about achieving something – I’m really proud of those widths I swam the other week. I had never done anything like that before. 

Find out more about Active Summer Fun. Find out and play out this summer. English Learning Disability Sport Alliance (ELDSA) is a partnership between two NDSOs, Mencap Sport and Special Olympics GB. Who work together to promote sport and physical activity opportunities for people with a learning disability.