About Gym Possible
Our Story
Gym Possible exists to make exercise physically, financially and culturally accessible for people with disabilities. We empower people to improve their physical and mental health, confidence, independence and wellbeing so they can live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives.
Where it began
The start of Gym Possible
Gym Possible exists because everyone deserves the opportunity to exercise, improve their health and live life to the fullest, regardless of disability.
The charity's story began in 2014, when founder Drew Graham sustained a C4/C5 spinal cord injury in a shallow diving accident while living in Denver, Colorado. During his rehabilitation at Craig Hospital, and through specialist community rehabilitation services in the United States, Drew experienced first-hand what accessible exercise and long-term rehabilitation could achieve.
After returning to the UK in late 2015, he discovered there was very little available that matched the specialist rehabilitation gyms he had used in America. Like many others with spinal cord injuries, he found that the lack of accessible exercise opportunities affected both his physical and mental health. Rather than accept this, Drew, together with his family and friends, decided to create the service they wished already existed.
As seen on the BBC
Inside Gym Possible
Our journey
From pop-up to two gyms
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2016
Pop-Up Gym is founded
The charity was established as Pop-Up Gym, with the vision of taking specialist accessible fitness equipment to disabled people across the North of England through travelling pop-up gym sessions.
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2017
The first permanent opportunity
An affordable gym space became available in Felling, Gateshead. Instead of remaining entirely mobile, the charity decided to establish its first permanent base while continuing to develop outreach sessions.
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2018
Our first gym opens
After extensive refurbishment to make the facility fully accessible, the first Pop-Up Gym officially opened in Felling, Gateshead.
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2019
Expansion begins
Accessible pop-up sessions launched in Teesside in partnership with Tees Neuro Physiotherapy, extending our reach across the region. Later that year, the charity moved into significantly larger premises in Team Valley.
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2020
A new name and a global community
To better reflect our mission, Pop-Up Gym became Gym Possible. When COVID-19 forced the closure and loss of the premises, the charity developed one of the UK's most comprehensive libraries of accessible fitness content, with live classes and on-demand workouts reaching participants across the UK and around the world.
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2021
Back to face-to-face support
With support from trustee Craig Heap, Gym Possible opened a new base at Tumble Gymnastics in Benton, once again providing regular in-person sessions for disabled people.
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2024
Two dedicated gym sites
Gym Possible opened a second permanent site at Gateshead Leisure Centre while retaining its Benton location, which later moved into a new state-of-the-art ground-floor facility. Each gym is around 100 square metres, equipped with a wide range of accessible strength and cardiovascular equipment.
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2026
A thriving community
Gym Possible now supports more than 100 members, with numbers continuing to grow. What started as one person's determination to solve a problem has become a thriving community, and the journey is far from over.