From Visual Impairment to Physical Empowerment

Two years post-hospital, I've somehow become a gym regular. Following stroke, the NHS offers really good options to support physical recovery, and I got into the habit of showing up in my tracksuit twice a week at the East End pool, which was a really important factor in regaining my confidence. Since then, I've started going to the gym round the corner on my own with my white cane, with support from personal trainer Ryan Bolton from Physique Pro, who manages to be both patient and challenging at the same time.

I'm a member of the Socialist Health Association and I sit on the Council's Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee, where we hear about and discuss everything our local NHS is trying to do to support public health amid a crisis of funding caused by years of Tory cuts. Maintaining and growing community-based and accessible health resources is harder than ever, but my own experience is that physical wellness can be a vital element of overall health.