A man who was once a homeless drug addict turned his life around. With the help of a local homeless charity, a kind-hearted volunteer tutor and a gym that 'gave him a chance' Ryan Riley is now the happiest he has been in a long time.
The 29-year-old was in and out of prison, as he dabbled in crime to fund his addiction. He is now determined to help others who have been in a similar situation and feel like they have nowhere to turn.
Ryan has been sober for five months and sought help at a charity in Grimsby called Harbour Place. It was here that his interest in fitness inspired staff to deliver educational courses to service users.
He completed a distance learning course in Health, Exercise and Nutrition and is now volunteering at a local gym and We Are With You charity. His aim is to become a personal trainer to people who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.
Speaking exclusively to Grimsby Live, Ryan said: "I was a totally different person to now. I was in a place where I didn't think it was possible to come back from. [The course] has given me so much confidence and an ability to believe that I can do it, and I can be something. Kath used to always tell me in the classes, 'You deserve it, Ryan, you can do this', but I'd always look for something to focus on to sabotage it all, I'd get Imposter Syndrome.
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"But a lot of us just need a chance. When I was on the streets people set me on fire and a lot of bad things happened to me, but in a way I did put myself in that position through the choices I made, so it was all about learning from that and trying not to make those mistakes again.
"I was rough sleeping, going to prison, getting out homeless, doing the same things I was doing, then going back to prison, it was a cycle that I found difficult to break. When I first met Charlene I was 20 months completely clean of all substances, but I ended up relapsing last July, and I overdosed. I was given CPR for nine minutes. The saddest thing was that I never wanted to be in that position. I just wanted things to stop.
"I was so afraid of people seeing that weakness. I could see how proud everybody was of me but I was never proud of myself. It was the gym that changed everything for me, and I've been clean since October. Charlene and Kath have taught me to find balance and not focus on little negative things that are out of my control. You're always going to face opposition, but it's just how you react to it."
Harbour Place Volunteer Co-ordinator Charlene said: "I'm so proud of him in his placement. The manager at the gym, Michael, has really took care of Ryan and took him under his wing, and I've seen a big difference in Ryan from going there. They've all took him in as family and Ryan feels like he's found a new way of life.
"I wouldn't want to get up and go to a course or go to work if I'd had to sleep rough the night before, but Ryan still turned up to his course and gave 100 percent. He never allowed that to impact his learning. He shares his journey so selflessly, a lot of people would be embarrassed to share it, but Ryan shares it because he is so compassionate and wants to help other people. He wants to inspire other people to get clean, to get off the streets and to access the support available."
Michael Bryant, Manager at Complete Physique Fitness, told Grimsby Live: "I'm quite a good judge of character and I can see he's a nice guy and he wants to change his life. I think people need to tackle addiction as a general issue. Physical fitness is a great way to keep your mentality, so having Ryan in the gym, I make sure I train with him every day and have a chat with him, because I think that's all people need, just a push in the right direction.
"It feels great to know I've inspired Ryan. It's been great having him in because he's got a lot of stories and I've enjoyed having him with me. It's made my life a lot more rewarding. I've got such faith in him."
Kath, who delivers the courses on a completely voluntary basis, said: "Ryan was a delight to teach. He had his down days, but he was so focused on his learning. He always tries to credit other people for his success, but he is responsible for his success. He's engaged with it 100 percent, and it's his success."
When asked what advice he would give to someone who is battling homelessness and drug addiction and doesn't know where to turn, Ryan said: "Not everybody out there is going to hurt you, not everybody is out there to cause you harm or destroy you. God has been a big thing for me, allowing him to help me. I know some people don't grasp that but that's been massive for me.
"And I think being honest has helped me. For me, I was putting a mask on every day and pretending everything was OK. But just be honest, because people can't help you if you're not honest. You've got to put the work in yourself, too."
Sadly, the Gym Instructor Level 2 course which would have allowed Ryan to become a full-time personal trainer was halted at the last minute due to not enough students enrolling. Now, he is hoping to raise the funds needed to pay for the same course delivered by an alternative provider online.
"It was a real blow for Ryan for them to say they weren't running it. It's going to cost in the region of £300 to £400 for him to do it, but we were thinking that people want to help when they see Ryan's story," Charlene said.
