Since embracing my disability and becoming a wheelchair user in 2011, I looked for a way to return to work, where I could balance my health issues and my physical disability without it having a negative impact on my long term health. I became a general fitness instructor but quickly moved into disability fitness, with my own business Wheely Good Fitness providing a modern approach to exercise relating to disability. There I could challenge preconceived ideas of disability and fitness and take away the barriers to people living with a disability, with the aim of improving their health and enabling a more independant life. This was the start of an amazing journey, working with some wonderful people who started to believe in themselves and their abilities, going on to achieve a great deal in their personal lives.

From this simple idea my career has progressed outside of just the gym, to acting work, presenting, inspirational speaking and dance, in many ways, becoming a role model and ambassador to disability. Demonstrating to others that living with a disability should not prevent you from living and experiencing what life has to offer to you as a unique individual. That to believe in yourself and your own abilities and embracing your disability is key to living a fulfilling, healthy and independant life.

As a child I attended dance school and worked my way through to Gold Bar in Ballroom and Latin American dance. This stopped in my early teens because of the constant bullying I experienced, but my passion for dance and music has never gone away. Following being cast for a dance scene in the 2016 paralympics commercial, I now as a wheelchair user, have returned to dance, and am currently focusing on contemporary freestyle dance.

From a wheelchair perspective the main dance we tend to see in the public eye is Ballroom - beautiful elegant dancing, steeped in tradition, but as with everything, not necessarily for everyone. For me, as much as I still love Ballroom and Latin American dance, contemporary allows me to express myself and without the need fo a dance partner. So now I want to show people a different side to wheelchair dance, another way in which we (wheelchair users) can express ourselves and our creativity, with the aim to encourage other wheelchair users and, to demonstrate to others what we can do.

My plan was to enter Britain's Got Talent for next year's show and get this side of dance out there in the public eye, to hopefully encourage more people to explore dance. This was all going to plan until I received the contract which would basically prevent me from doing a lot of the work I currently do in the public arena and reduce my options for promoting a change in perceptions around disability. For me it's about making a difference and bringing about change, not making lots of money and gaining fame. The plan should I had not gotten through, was to film the dance pieces I'd been working on and share them on social media. However, the contract would also prevent me from doing this and the dances would no longer be my property. Therefore I decided to withdraw from the auditions and continue to pursue my goals through different avenues.

On Thursday 25th January 2018 I have the opportunity to hire the main house stage of my local theatre The Courtyard. There, the three dance pieces I have worked on for BGT, with the joint help of Penny Hemms from Aspire Dance Studio , will be professionally filmed and released on social media for all to see. This will ensure everyone can see the pieces, with the hope that it will encourage others to explore contemporary dance and also show other instructors what our capabilities are and open up their doors to more clients with a disability.

The cost of hiring the main house stage for half a day, with tech and lighting support, props and other stage equipment, along with hiring a professional videographer, is going to be around £800. There isn’t the option to sell tickets to raise money for this, as this will be a closed film set rather than a public performance, with lots of retakes and set work etc., in addition, the theatre hire cost is less being a private event and not requiring additional staff etc.

As I am only able to work part time because of my health and as there is no financial gain to this project, some of my friends and clients suggested setting up this crowdfunding page to help towards the cost of making this happen. Normally I am happy asking for donations but this has always been for events I’ve been doing for charities, such as my running the London Marathon for SCOPE and I’m not used to asking for help for myself.

As I have mentioned this is all about getting a message out there and not about making money, for my work is made worthwhile for everyone person that changes their perceptions of their own abilities or those of another. The only thing I can offer those donating to this other than their names on the credits and the knowledge that they have helped make a difference, is the option for anyone donating to come along and watch this come together on the day.

The plan is to perform three dances that Penny Hemms and myself have choregraphed. All three pieces tell a story, one that can be shared or related to by many people and are all performed to current music. The first piece is a modern ballad telling that no matter what happens to you, the person close to you will always be there, will always love and support you , giving you hope, help and love.

The second piece is more street in style and will include some additional dancers who will be giving their time to be a part of it through Aspire Dance Studio. This, from a stage set point of view, is going to be the most technical and time consuming, as we need to have the stage raised and make some props, but it should look great. The story is about believing in yourself and where you have come from, what you've achieved through self belief and with the support of others.

The third piece moves back to a gentle and perhaps haunting piece and will tell a short story about myself from first becoming ill, through to now. Reflecting the difficulty in coming to terms with a life limiting condition, denial and negativity, through to realisation and self belief, as you leave the past behind you and move forwards.

I do hope you feel that this project is worthy of your support and I thank you in advance for your consideration and any donation you feel able to make. Once each piece is finished it will be shared via the Facebook page of Wheely Good Fitness and on Vimeo where everyone can then share and circulate them. We will release each dance separately over a period of a few weeks, so please do keep an eye out for them when they are done.

Thank you.