DJ keeps injured woman's passion for spin alive
"I'm just doing what I used to do, just in a different way."When an accident left Sue Frost paralysed from the chest down and unable to get on a bike, it looked like her days of leading online spin classes might be numbered.However with the help of a DJ and producer, the 60-year-old has found a new way to keep her passion going.Paul Gribby, from Nottingham, is sharing his skills with Sue so she can pump out top tunes while instructing at future spin sessions.
Sue, from Lincoln, told the BBC she has had a passion for spin for about 15 years and ended up teaching 11 classes a week after her instructor stepped down - before she broke her neck falling down the stairs at her home three-and-a-half years ago."It's changed my life completely," she said."I've gone from a very active life with my spin classes, cycling and working full-time to doing basically nothing, but just trying to reintroduce things that I was doing before in a different format."She had resigned herself to giving up spin before meeting Paul through SoundLincs, a community music charity based in Lincolnshire, and he then introduced her to the world of DJing.
"I wanted to help Sue because I believe that no matter your situation, there's always a way to try and do things," Paul said. "It's just a matter of trying to find them."The 49-year-old, who hosts DJ workshops, told the BBC within the first two hours of meeting Sue, they had come up with the idea of her DJing spin classes."It would actually be something good for Sue to focus on, give her something to do away from spin classes as well," he said."Finding music, creating playlists, practising DJing and just being in a happy place."Paul said after a bit of research they found some decks that fit on Sue's lap, which then connects to an iPad and from that to a speaker.
Sue said: "It's something I've never thought about doing before with DJ decks, I honestly thought I was a bit too old for that."But Paul's showing me that you can do anything. If music isn't your life, it can become your life."It was my life before, I've always enjoyed my music, but now I'm just moving on to a different way of doing things."She said she plans on practicing more on her decks before getting people together for an online class."I'm doing what I used to do, but in a different way. I can't get on a spin bike anymore, but that doesn't really matter - I can still teach online," she said.Paul added: "It's just really inspiring to see, because originally I think Sue just wanted to have a go to see what was going to happen."I think she's always wanted to have a go at DJing and then I think it just spiralled into a whole new area which Sue and I didn't even think we could do,."But I think there's always a way, you've just got to find it."
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