Hello I’m Paul, I’m 46 years old and I have been going to Sport Aberdeen venues for the past 3 years.

I had a significant stroke in mid-2020 whilst recovering from major surgery. Everything was pretty much locked down at this point due to COVID so there was no person-to-person contact. Therefore, I was unable to receive any proper physio work after my stroke. I was given two A4 sheets of paper with limited exercises when I left the hospital and had to do my own kind of rehab.

I was put into the Horizon Healthcare system in 2021 and towards the end of the block they referred me to Sport Aberdeen’s After Stroke Class as the next best step for me.

The after-stroke class has helped me a lot. Horizon got me to a point but the after-stroke class helped me to figure out what I could and couldn’t do and what realistic goals I could set myself.

The instructors were brilliant and are trained to be flexible to each person. Not everyone’s recovery from a stroke is the same, meaning each recovery process is different. It really helped improve my balance and co-ordination..

Even though you maybe don’t see it on the timetable, there’s so much collaboration across classes within Sport Aberdeen. Whether that’s working with NHS groups or something there’s so much work behind the scenes you don’t really know about or appreciate until you’re involved.

I then moved onto the Steady Steps classes at the start of 2022. I also take the Live Well gym class once a week at Get Active @ Sheddocksley. During this class I use a lot of different machines which are new and interesting for me.

It’s something different but it’s trying to find the appropriate level. It’s important to reach a point without causing too much stress on the body. It’s all about how far to push myself and knowing when to adjust to less weight but include more reps. I’m just trying really hard at the minute to build stamina.

Being in the Steady Steps class you get a routine going. You can help others in the class but also receive the same support yourself. There’s a core group that goes along every week, they’ve been members for donkeys’ years which makes the atmosphere really good.

Even though you don’t see yourself changing or improving as much as you would maybe like, others in the group can see you have moved on further than you can see. It’s been great having that support system around me.

Before I had the stroke, part of my work was doing building site inspections, so I was up and down scaffolding and flights of stairs a lot and now I’m shattered after a 1hour Steady Steps class. It’s a big adjustment and one that hasn’t come easily.

It’s a long journey but in the two years that I have been doing the Steady Steps class, I’ve seen a big improvement which wouldn’t have been the case if I was left to the 2 sheets of paper I received after my stroke.

From that point of view, it’s made a huge difference. At the moment I’m still trying to find my level of what I can do. I might not be able to walk all day, or train and participate in an annual 10K, but within yourself you can feel you can do so much more. It’s finding that balance to get back to do something work wise and live independently.

I currently stay with my folks so for me, I am probably proudest of the fact I am still here and making progress. There are things I can and can’t do which is difficult to accept but being able to adapt has been a massive thing.

Little things like not being able to drive anymore, having done so since I was 17 is a huge thing to adjust to. I focus on improving and the positives just so I can work towards living, staying active and getting back into work one day.

I have a long way to go to get back to where I was before 2020 but having an end goal and something to work towards is hugely important. I’m using the classes to find out where I am physically and where I am in terms of potential work capability.

I want to get back to living an independent life and that’s always going to be my objective and end goal. Sport Aberdeen have been an important part of the process for me.

If you feel inspired after reading Paul’s story, then you can find out more about our Active Lifestyles programme and some of the classes here.