Hi, my name is Steve Tighe. I am a Functional Fitness & Lifestyle Consultant for Chrysalis Brain Injury Case Management. I am a Former Royal Marine Commando, serving my country for almost six years.

Prior to this, since leaving school I worked at my local leisure centre as a gym Instructor, lifeguard, and beach lifeguard manager. I have always maintained an elite level of fitness following a very successful boxing career as Royal Marines & Navy Champion, also reaching a National ranking within Great Britain.

I am a fully qualified advanced personal trainer/ fitness instructor/ sports massage therapist and crossfit instructor. For the past nine years I have been working within my own company; Blast Fitness Training, and more recently, Crossfit Bridlington. I have a growing profile and business formed of dedicated members including many who have additional needs, disabilities and injuries. These members as well as myself, take part in a huge variety of events, such as marathon’s, tough mudder and competitions across not only Yorkshire but also the rest of the country. I was the number one UK participant at the worlds toughest mudder 2014, finishing eleventh in the world.

I have been working with clients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury for thirteen years, aiding in the recovery process by using fitness, outdoor immersion and looking at all aspects of health and lifestyle.

At Chrysalis we recommend that all our clients have a fitness and lifestyle assessment. This involves meeting with the client and the clinical team (doctor, occupational therapists, physiotherapists etc), to ascertain the clients baseline level of physical functioning. It is from here that we begin the rebuilding process!

I will devise and deliver a bespoke, measurable program of fitness as well as implement compensatory strategies and coping methods to enable our clients to deal with any physical deficits they may have. My overall aim is to maximise independence as well as see physical benefits.

All workouts are tailor made to match the needs of the client; whether they are performed in a hospital bed, outdoors, or in a gym; they are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of the core movements of life. By employing a constantly varied approach to training, functional movements and intensity lead to dramatic gains in fitness and physical rehabilitation. This method of training, lowers fatigue levels and cognitive load but also excites new and strengthens existing neural pathways.

My aim is to eventually  integrate clients into their local Functional Fitness Centres or chosen sporting venue to increase natural camaraderie friendships, support, competition and fun of sport or game yields, an atmosphere that cannot be matched by other means.

In addition, I believe that a healthy diet during the recovery from a brain injury is highly beneficial. Scientists know that deficiencies in certain nutrients and chemicals can cause disruptions in brain functioning and the ability to think clearly. The brain uses calories to function. When someone sustains a brain injury, it is necessary to eat enough nutritional calories to help the brain function efficiently and drink enough to be adequately hydrated. Again, I can assist clients with this aspect, during their recovery.

To summarise, I take a proactive approach to fitness and all round health during the rehabilitation phase, in order to promote the best possible outcome for every individual.