No matter who you are, this world is going to have a lot of challenges and hardships in store for you at some point in your life. But those hardships will affect some more intensely than others, and that’s what makes it so affirming when communities step up and support their more vulnerable members.
Indeed, there have been some inspiring stories that saw movers help people out of unsafe situations at no charge, a barber showing heartwarming kindness to a child who couldn’t sit still for haircuts, and a father who turned his family’s tragedy into a life-saving mission.
Considering how easy it is to hear about people’s inhumanity towards each other, stories like these can help restore our hope in what we’re capable of and inspire us to show that same kindness and respect to others.
And after a few chance meetings led to an opportunity to do some good for his community, one British powerlifter now serves as another example of how beautiful that togetherness can be.
For the last 13 years, Javeno McLean of Manchester, England has made fitness his life’s passion.
As McLean told Ladbible, this dream had a rough start as he grew up in poverty, but he was relentless in pursuing it after writing out what he wanted to do with his life on a piece of paper in his mom’s kitchen.
In the early years of this dream, he was able to find work through the Manchester City Council and helped develop an exercise movement called Active Lifestyles.
And just last year, he walked away from the Powerlifting European Championships with a gold medal for his deadlifts.
But in the years between these achievements, he was able to get something even more important to him off the ground.
This would become the J7 health center and while he initially established this business out of a desire to build his “own thing,” it would eventually become a meaningful place for disabled and older individuals within his community.
This started by accident when he was asked to coach two people with disabilities and it seemed those two were happy enough with their experiences to recommend him to others.
As McLean put it, “It started spreading like wildfire, and I got some amazing messages and I thought the more people that know about this [the better].”
Today, he trains 15 disabled children and more than 30 older adults for free.
One of the children he works with is 11-year-old Marley Fenton, who has celebral palsey.
McLean has worked gradually with Fenton and started with activities such as training him to lift himself out of his wheelchair and to lift a ball over his head.
And according to Fenton’s mother Nicola, this slow and steady approach has shown incredible results for both his mobility and his confidence and determination.
RELATED STORIES
In her words, “He makes Marley smile from the get go. Javeno deserves to be known for being such an incredible guy with a huge heart.”
Nicola also believes that the core strength training McLean and Fenton are now doing together will help him take his first steps.
Indeed, the mental effects of what McLean is doing shouldn’t be underestimated, as another person he’s working with named Josh Coy now has the strength and confidence to pursue acting.
And in turn, McLean has felt inspired by the people he works with, as he recognizes the strength they show every day in overcoming the conditions that would otherwise hold them back.
He’s also considered it amazing to think that he’s had such a powerful impact on their quality of life.
As he said, “My family taught me when I was young, when I’m in a position to give without taking, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
h/t: Ladbible