Derry man Eoin Kenny puts Foyle Arena gym through its paces

A young Derry man with a learning disability is using his experience preparing for a marathon relay to help his local gym be more inclusive.

Eoin Kenny (34), who had trained for the Belfast marathon with Mencap last year enjoyed it so much, that he decided to do the Waterside Marathon this September.

Eoin, a campaign’s assistant for Mencap, began training at his local gym, Foyle Arena in Derry. He noticed things in the gym that could be done to improve accessibility for people with learning disabilities.

He offered to share his life experiences with Derry City and Strabane District Council to help them improve facilities for people with learning disabilities.

“Accessibility is a huge issue for people with learning disabilities and I wanted to share my experience with the team at my local gym. I wasn’t into fitness when I was a teenager. I preferred video games. But a few years ago, I started walking and felt the positive impact from that. Then when I got the chance to train for the relay in the Belfast Marathon last year it was the perfect time to get into something new,” he said.

However, accessing a gym can be a daunting prospect for some people with a learning disability, explained Karen Gilgunn, Senior Communications and Influencing Lead at Mencap.

“There are 41,000 people in Northern Ireland with a learning disability, but many organisations may assume that if you don’t have a physical disability, you don’t need support. Healthy living starts with inclusion and everyone deserves equal access to health and wellbeing facilities. Small changes, can make a huge difference to people’s lives,” she said.

Mencap has been working on research through its Healthier Me project that showed startling health inequalities for people with learning disabilities. It found that 63% of those questioned, felt lack of support was a main barrier to participation.

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In addition, statistics show that people with learning disabilities can die up to ten years earlier because of health and well-being inequalities.

When Eoin approached the council, they immediately responded positively. He has given feedback to staff at Foyle Arena and this has led to the council implementing Mencap Learning Disability awareness training for all gym staff.

Eoin Kenny from Derry plans to run the relay in the Waterside Marathon this September with a team from Mencap. Not only is he getting fit, but he’s helping his local gym be more inclusive by sharing his experiences. The team at Foyle Arena were delighted by his input and have welcomed ways that they can improve service.

Steve Settlefield, Leisure Area Manager said: “We really enjoyed working with Eoin and hearing his story. He was excellent at articulating his experience at the centre since joining. He was also able to point out a number of ways in which we could improve the service, which we are very receptive to. 

“Embarking on a programme of physical activity and exercise has important benefits for everyone. This includes improving communication, social interaction, motor skills, social functioning and muscular strength and endurance. 

“We were lucky that Eoin made the choice to join Foyle Arena, and we are very hopeful that by telling us his story, it will encourage other people with a learning disability to become physically active.”

Eoin added, “When I go in to train now, I feel comfortable and am able to ask for help. I’d never used the treadmill before and was a bit nervous but one of their coaches showed me how to use it so I felt safer. Part of Mencap’s value is that collaboration and support can lead to healthier and happier communities. This is a great example of how we can live and thrive together.”

“The staff are really keen in terms of including people with learning disabilities and to encourage everybody to use their gym. They really want to welcome people,” he added.