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The personal trainer giving clients confidence

Jamie Niblock/BBC Callum Foster with dark short hair and Edward Wagland with blonde short hair stand back to back while looking at the camera. The man with dark hair is also wearing a black T-shirt while the other man is wearing a blue top with black glasses.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Callum Foster (left) is Edward Wagland's personal trainer and ensures his sessions are more than just exercising

A personal trainer for children and adults with learning disabilities said giving his clients confidence was the key to his role.

Callum Foster, 22, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, set up This Ability Coach to offer the sessions from Fortitude Fitness gym in Ipswich.

He was inspired by his grandfather who also worked with children with disabilities.

Edward Wagland, 22, who has Down's syndrome, attends Mr Foster's sessions and said they were helping prepare him for the rest of his life.

Jamie Niblock/BBC Callum Foster with short dark hair and a beard smiles at the camera. He is wearing a black top and the background is dark and blurred.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Mr Foster urged other personal trainers to think outside the box for clients with disabilities

Mr Foster works as a personal trainer part-time while also working for the Ipswich Town Foundation.

He said his personal training was more than just being about exercise and physical health.

"It's about making them happy, giving them the confidence and support that they deserve," he explained.

"They're amazing individuals and they deserve the recognition and respect that I can give them.

"Seeing them being independent is incredible for me and I'm lucky that I can see it when maybe they don't.

"It why I do what I do."

Jamie Niblock/BBC Edward Wagland with blonde hair smiles widely at the camera while tensing his bicep muscles in his arms. He is wearing a blue top with a silver star in the middle of it as well as black glasses.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Mr Wagland is incredibly active and also loves performance art

Mr Foster explained he focused on instilling confidence into his clients and said Mr Wagland was "determined, strong and incredible".

"I want [Edward] to have that support and that feeling that he can talk to anyone which sometimes can be difficult for children with disabilities," he added.

"At the end of the day he's the one that shows up every week out of his own time, on top of all the other stuff he's got going on.

"I can't do what I do without him, his energy, his support and dedication and the whole reason I do it is to showcase that to people."

Jamie Niblock/BBC The two men are pictured sparring in a boxing ring. Edward Wagland is wearing boxing gloves while Callum Foster faces his with boxing pads on his hands.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Mr Wagland said he had made a real friend in his personal trainer

Mr Wagland described his personal trainer as a "genius" who was "excellent" with him.

They have since become good friends.

"He knows a lot about me, he's always so proud of me and he's happy in general I'm doing this stuff because it's good for my health, my social [life], it's building me up ready for my life," Mr Wagland said.

"It also helps me to think and have less stress from college."

Jamie Niblock/BBC Edward Wagland with black glasses smiles at the camera while his head rests on a Helen Wagland's shoulder. She has shoulder length blonde hair with some grey. She is wearing a black top and smiling.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Helen Wagland said the sessions "opened another world" for her son

Mr Wagland's mother, Helen Wagland, praised the work Mr Foster had done with her son.

"Not only has Edward gained some sort of independence because he's doing something on his own with someone like Callum, who is a male role figure to be really applauded, but he's doing it alone with him," she said.

"It gives Edward confidence, it gives him independence and independence doesn't come easily to someone like Edward.

"We're very grateful, it's been smashing. Edward loves it, he keeps asking when is his next PT session."

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