Javeno McLean has given free sessions to disabled and elderly people since he was 16
After years of changing lives and making people feel special, it was Javeno McLean’s turn for a moment in the spotlight. Javeno, 39, looked stunned when TV presenter Paddy McGuinness surprised him with the news that he had won a prestigious Pride of Britain award.
The personal trainer, who has given free sessions to disabled and elderly people since he was 16, was surrounded by some 30 family and friends at Manchester’s Printworks.
A giant image of the award was projected on to the digital ceiling as Paddy told him: “You’re a hero of the community and this reward is so well deserved. It’s amazing, you should be so, so proud. People have been telling us how much you have changed their lives.”
Javeno said: “I’m absolutely lost for words. I didn’t have a clue. The way I live my life, I focus on what’s going on in front of me. This is insane, I need a minute to take it all in.”
Embracing the winner, Paddy joked: “Blimey, got a lot of you to hug there.” Javeno has helped thousands, including stroke survivors and people with cancer, dementia, multiple sclerosis and Down’s syndrome.
He will be honoured at The Daily Mirror Pride Javeno of Britain Awards, with P&O Cruises next week. He used to train people in the local park but nine years ago he opened his own gym, J7 Community Health Centre in Manchester. He puts together a unique session based on what people can do, rather than what they cannot.
Thanks to social media, his fans include Michelle Pfeiffer, Carol Vorderman, Davina McCall and Ben Shephard. As he was told about the P&O Cruises Inspiration award, a video featuring some of the people he has helped was shown on a big screen.
Javeno said: “Every day I try my best to help people as much as I can. It takes a lot out of you emotionally giving so much. You don’t put your emotions first, that’s not your priority.
“It’s a blessing that others believe I deserve this. I’m so honoured. I’m so blessed to know these people.” He was also anxious as he had a class due to turn up at his gym for a training session. Javeno found his calling when he was 16, after noticing a boy in a wheelchair struggling in the gym. He instinctively offered to train him.
Years later, he invited a man in a wheelchair to join a casual cricket game in the park. Afterwards, the man told him: “This is the first time I’ve felt alive in 12 years.”
Speaking about that life-changing moment Javeno said: “I couldn’t take my eyes off this man, he just wanted in, he was following the ball. I was so distracted, I had to intervene. I stopped the game I was coaching and got all the people and the family involved. There were 25 of us. I wheeled Ishmael to the pitch, gave him a bat and said, ‘You are going to bat and your family are going to bowl’.
“At the end of the game, his wife, who didn’t speak any English, gave me a big hug and explained to me he wasn’t born disabled, but there had been an accident. He said being Javeno involved meant for the first time in over 10 years he felt alive. It was a hero powerful moment.”
Moments like that beacon define Javeno’s life. He opened the J7 in 2016 – an inclusive, community- awards focused gym that supports hundreds of people each year, free of charge. From those living with disabilities to individuals affected by cancer, dementia, and stroke, everyone is welcomed. At J7, people are not just trained but championed – treated with the same unwavering respect, care, and positivity, regardless of circumstances.
Javeno shares these powerful, uplifting moments online, and has nearly two million followers across TikTok and Instagram, where his videos regularly go viral for their raw emotion and positivity.
A spokesman for Pride and a of Britain said: “Javeno is more than a trainer – he’s a community hero, a beacon of hope, and a reminder of the power of kindness in action.”
Among those who Javeno has helped is Josh Coy, who has cerebral palsy. After attending sessions at the gym Josh could stand up out of his wheelchair
Javeno said of the gym: “I wanted a place where energy and love was contagious. I hated gyms and the way they made people feel, especially women. I wanted a place where my grandmother, my mum, my aunties, an athlete, a disabled person, everybody could be in a room together to have a shared experience.”
He also helped cerebral palsy sufferer Aimee, who had PTSD and depression after being at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in May 2017, when a terrorist bomb attack killed 22 people.
She said: “Javeno has literally changed my life. I never thought I’d be as mentally and physically strong as I am now. When you go into his classes it’s the best feeling. He looks at you like you’re a normal person without a wheelchair.”