Ken suffered a spinal cord injury back in 1971 when he was teacher-in-charge of a small school near Wagga. After his initial recovery he was able to walk short distances with the aid of walking sticks. Things changed last year, when the disc in his back slipped and ruptured which resulted in intensive treatment and a lengthy stay in hospital.

Following this difficult experience, Ken undertook 6 months of rehab, and is now mainly confined to a wheelchair. Already a member of Sargood on Collaroy, Ken was keen to return to the gym to explore how he could better manage his changed situation and increase his own independence.

Thanks to the support of our donors and our partner Royal Rehab, The Sargood Foundation has been able to fund a tailor made program for Ken to actively develop his strength and agility. We hope this will enable Ken to continue living the best life he can, mentoring others and resuming his role as a teacher of spoken English to migrants.

With the help of our dedicated team here, Ken has been working on the strength and fitness of his whole body with a focus on his lower limbs in order to maintain his capacity to transfer in and out of his wheelchair and into and out of bed. He is also working on his shoulder strength to maintain shoulder integrity and muscle endurance to prevent injury in the long term.

By introducing Ken to a variety of exercises and equipment that he hadn’t tried before and showing him how to use it more effectively the team from the Club Sargood Gym, Kierre, Jo and Aimee have been able to work on increasing his overall health, stamina and general fitness.

“The team has kindly and consistently helped me through this transition period and thanks to their support I am so much more confident”