Alumni News: Chris has a 'space to feel good'

Chris Colbert is a 23 year-old personal trainer from Doncaster who has been registered blind since the age of four due to Leber's Congenital Amaurosis and Nystagmus. Chris joined RNC at aged 16 and began pursuing a career in fitness.

Pictured: Chris at work, wearing his BPL uniform, lanyard and walkie talkie

He worked his way through the gym-based qualifications, eventually qualifying as a personal trainer after completing the Level 3 Personal Training programme. He was also a member of the College’s Goalball Academy, which has seen him compete at international level.

Aaron Rees, Teacher in Charge of Sport and Recreation, also introduced Chris to weightlifting, another sport where he excelled. Chris was runner up at the Disabled Strongman competition at the Arnold Classic held in Birmingham in 2021.

The gym-based qualifications at RNC are designed to provide real-world experience. Chris gained valuable insights working with a diverse clientele, including people with visual impairments, mobility limitations and wheelchair users. He learned how to meet and greet clients, structure fitness programmes and work in a public gym setting.

He enjoyed all aspects of running a gym, including setting up and taking down equipment, cleaning and maintenance and running exercise classes in a variety of disciplines. As part of the course he also undertook work placements out in the community at a local school and public gym.

The College gym where Chris was taught uses the same equipment as any public gym but with slight adaptations for those with visual impairment. For example, tactile markers help people who are blind or visually impaired to navigate the gym. This can be introduced to any gym environment very easily and at hardly any cost.

Chris now lives independently with his partner along with guide dog, Bracken, who he was paired with about 18 months ago. Chris’ sight has deteriorated slightly, and Bracken has increased his independence and safety.


Pictured: Chris with guide dog Bracken

Chris is not held back, he has been working for a company called BPL whose tag line is 'your space to feel good', which has gyms across multiple sites. The company has been impressed with Chris and it’s likely that he’ll be trained up as a supervisor.

Chris has built a great rapport with customers at BPL and strives to make their experience better and more fun. He has learned from past experiences and doesn't mention his visual impairment to clients upfront. He has found that people treat him differently if he does. Now, he lets them find out on their own, usually because they notice Bracken. By this point, Chris has already established a professional relationship with them, so there is no awkwardness.

Chris receives help from the Access to Work scheme, which has provided him with assistive software (SuperNova) for his computer and covers the cost of taxis to and from work when required.

Chris loved his time at RNC. It helped with his social and living skills and put him on his career and sporting pathways and he made of lots of good friends. He's had to give up the strongman competitions recently to protect his eyes, but is still playing Goalball internationally.

It’s wonderful to hear how well things are working out for Chris. His achievements highlight the power of specialist education and having the right support in place and we wish him continued success.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a personal trainer, visit the course page here.