Gym owner helping 'as many people as we can' with hi-tech equipment for wheelchair users and long-covid sufferers
Assisted by Colin O'Shaughnessy, Ahmad is uses a robotic exoskeleton to walk during a rehabilitation session at Elite Fitness Cork, Marina Commercial Park. Picture: Cian O'Regan
Watching an international kickboxer train alongside a terminally ill man determined to make it up the stairs is not unusual for one Cork-based gym owner.
Indeed, Colin O’Shaughnessy, owner of Elite Fitness Cork, prides himself on running one of the most inclusive businesses of its kind in Ireland.
While mainstream fitness services “pay his bills” and “keep the lights on”, Colin says there is also a philanthropic element to his work.
Most recently, he installed a hyperbaric chamber in the gym based in the Marina Commercial Park, for those with various health conditions. It is hoped the chamber, which allows users to breathe 100% oxygen in a pressurised environment, will help those who otherwise would be unable to access a gym.
This is not the gym's first step towards inclusivity. It also has an exoskeleton which is a wearable, external structure that simulates human movement.
Nathan Kirwan, from Currabinny, who was paralysed in an accident, had fundraised to cover the €150,000 cost of purchasing the device back in 2015. The gym is now seeing wheelchair users flock from all parts of the country to enjoy its benefits.
The technology was initially co-developed in the 1960s by the US armed forces to increase the strength of soldiers.
Hyperbaric chambers, on the other hand, were initially used exclusively to cure scuba divers of decompression sickness — commonly known as “the bends” — before doctors identified their potential to benefit certain health conditions. In recent years, they have also proved useful to people suffering from long covid.
Colin says the benefits of the hyperbaric chamber, include accelerated wound healing, reduced swelling, and improved blood flow, among others.
Bandon Hyperbaric Oxygen Centre in West Cork is currently the only other Cork location offering the service.
Similar to the exoskeleton, Colin will accept a nominal sum from users of the hyperbaric chamber who can afford the treatment.
“We charge people a nominal fee if they can pay for it,” Colin explains. “If they can’t pay, then we pay for them. If someone can pay, this is used to help the next person to fund their petrol or diesel.
"People are coming from all over Ireland to use the gym, and this can work out very expensive for them.
"If there is an excuse not to come to the gym, we will try to get rid of it.
"The way we look at it is that the gym users travelling to use the exoskeleton will also benefit from the hyperbaric chamber. We want to make sure that people get as much value for their visit as possible.
He describes the resilience of those using the gym's accessible facilities.
“We had a guy who was terminally ill who came to us," he says. "He came into the gym to exercise, and as hard as it was for him, it helped his mobility for a few days.
"When he came to us, he couldn’t go upstairs. However, when he trained in the gym he was able to walk up the stairs again. He knew he was dying, but he came to us with the goal of keeping up his strength for as long as possible. He was so weak towards the end that he needed us to strap him into the bike.
"The strength of some people is incredible. They still get up to go to the gym despite the horrible cards they have been dealt.”
The fitness enthusiast spent the last year fundraising to make the introduction of the hyperbaric chamber possible.
“We didn’t do a GoFundMe, or an online appeal. The fundraiser was made possible through word of mouth and a lot of networking. Funds came in mainly from the families of people we have helped before, and companies affiliated with some of our clients.
"The hyperbaric chamber cost €16,000 in total. We had to check out companies from around the world because, while price was a factor, we also needed it to be able to do certain things. This one is designed specifically for wheelchair users.”
“The hyperbaric chamber really helps people with tissue repair. It’s been talked about quite a bit in the last year because of its benefits for long-covid sufferers. If we can exercise and move and get oxygen into all fibres of our body, then it can make a huge difference to our life."
And he is not going to stop there.
"The next thing we hope to get is a cross trainer for wheelchair users, which we are fundraising for. It’s still a bit off, but hopefully we’ll have it here eventually. Our goal is always to make the gym as accessible as possible.”
For more information, or to donate, email info@elitefitnesscork.com.
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