A personal trainer who since the age of 16 has been helping disabled and elderly people get fit for free in the gym has said he is “just a man who wants to make people happy”.
Javeno Mclean, who works out of the J7 community health centre in Manchester, has been handed a Pride of Britain Award for his efforts to make fitness more inclusive.
He began providing the sessions as a teenager when he noticed disabled and elderly people were being “pushed to the side”.
The 40-year-old told Radio Manchester: “How horrible it is to not be seen or noticed? I would hate that. Something about me at 16 made me go, ‘you know what? Let me be the person to just go and intervene'”
The awards, hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, were shown on Thursday.
Javeno was selected for the P&O Cruises Inspiration Award from thousands of public nominations by the Pride of Britain judging panel.
The panel said it his work is “genuinely changing lives and inspiring millions” adding that his “positivity and power to motivate” shine through in everything he does.
Javeno said he works up to 90 hours a week to provide the free sessions but “wouldn’t change it for the world”.
“It’s a lot of hours. I take one Sunday off every three weeks and it’s hard but there’s people out there who need it.”
He said he started out in a local park in Manchester before working for the council, before opening his own gym in 2016, where he helps people with disabilities to build their strength, fitness and mental wellbeing.
His videos often go viral on social media where he has amassed nearly two million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
HandoutMr Mclean said: “My brother is the person that kind of bullied me into going on social media.
“‘He said ‘no you need to really get on to this because people are gonna get so much joy from it'”
“I’ve done talks with loads of big wigs about how to make the perfect video and they’re all sat there with the notepads and the pens and I literally go, ‘mate, just record’.
“Just press record and see what happens and that’s my theory. I just try and make it as organic as I can. I don’t do take twos, I just record and if we capture an amazing moment, we do it.”
He said his social media success has introduced him to a global audience and he now welcomes people from Australia, America and Africa who travel to Manchester to take one of his classes.
“It sounds insane. And originally when it started happening I used to go ‘no no no no don’t, don’t come all the way to see me’.
“But I realise if somebody requires a little bit of happiness and they’re willing to travel just to spend half an hour in my little facility because they’re gonna get something from it, who am I to say no.”
“I want to give you something that lasts forever just acceptance and identity just a skill to be unapologetically yourself them kind of tools will last forever.”