4 days ago
Spirit of Sport Northern Ireland winner Helen Logan 'motivated and able'
'If I can help one other person it will all be worth it', explained Helen Logan who is this year's Spirit of Sport Northern Ireland Winner.
Helen Logan was born with a condition called Spina Bifida and has now set up a charity called Motived and Able to help those who have disabilities and struggle with their mental health.
Located in the town of Ballymoney, Helen wants to make a difference.
Approximately one in every thousand children are born with Spina Bifida in Northern Ireland.
According to a 2025 survey from the Spina Bifida Association it highlighted that: 'Social difficulties, including immaturity and passivity, fewer friends and fewer social contacts outside are important issues with children with Spina Bifida, and this tends to continue into adulthood'.
This shows that people who have Spina Bifida struggle emotionally alongside dealing with this condition.
After winning the award in 2024 for Inspirational Woman of the Year and the 2025 Spirit of Northern Ireland Award, Helen wants to help people in similar situations like her.
Her aims are to lift others who grapple with pain and hopelessness.
Helen commented 'the biggest thing holding me back is pain', she shares her personal battles with depression and the challenges of adapting to her condition.
'I was in bed for months on end with pain and the only way to get me out of bed was to accept a wheelchair', trying to adapt to a life changing situation.
Spina Bifida causes Helen to experience pain daily.
Accepting the fact that the only way that she could go about her life was to adapt to her wheelchair was hard as she explained, 'I was in a dark place but accepting the chair changed my life for the better'.
Her message is clear: movement and acceptance are vital for a fulfilling life. Helen is offering workshops to help power individuals to take control of their narratives, encouraging them to find strength in their circumstances.
As Helen continues her work, she aims to organise a four-week workshop, collaborate with local charities, and represent Northern Ireland through her athletic pursuits and motivational speaking.
Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, community, and the unwavering spirit to overcome life's challenges.
Reflecting on her childhood, Helen recalls the numerous surgeries and the challenges of wearing calipers. Her mother's unwavering support served as the foundation for her resilience, instilling in her the belief that she could overcome any obstacle.
Grace, a dedicated coach who works at a gym called Forge Fitness located in Ballymoney, played a critical role in Helen's journey, fostering a welcoming atmosphere that helped her overcome initial fears.
Helen recalls the warmth she felt, especially when Grace made her and her daughter feel at home during their first visit.
Helen recalls: 'I was a bit hesitant as I had been to three other gyms and the minute I said Spina Bifida, and the minute they saw the chair, they almost took this giant step back'.
Helen opens up about people seeing someone who is a wheelchair user as she said, 'I think it's fear'. But Forge Fitness's supportive environment allowed Helen to focus on her fitness goals, opening doors to new possibilities.
Helen's determination has not only inspired her but also those around her.
Grace emphasises the importance of creating an inclusive space, where individuals can pursue their fitness goals without feeling marginalised.
Grace said 'my impression of Helen was this is another woman who wants to join the gym', growing up with a brother who has special needs Grace understands that sometimes people needs are different and that is okay.
Understanding this makes the bond formed between Grace and Helen positive as Grace has tailored workouts that prioritise Helen's strengths, further motivating others in the community.
Taking the disability out of it, Grace highlighted 'just because Helen's in the chair it doesn't make her needs different from anyone else. She wants to get fitter. She wants to feel her best self. She has a goal."
Grace asked the question 'here's a woman that wants to do her best, how can we help her, the same goes for every woman who enters this gym'.
Not being asked about her disability, Helen felt that she was not labelled as just an ordinary woman.
'I did not want our conversations and our sessions to become labelled because actually there is so much more you can do with Spina Bifida than maybe other people', Grace said.
Grace described her attitude for every member who enters the gym, 'For every woman who comes in here, it's not oh, you're menopausal, oh you're over fifty, oh you've got three kids'.
Grace reinforced that 'yes you are a woman let's see what we can achieve without any boxes'.
Forge Fitness has named some of the exercises after Helen as they don't exist in the world as they are adapted for Helen's needs as Grace explained, 'We have come up with new exercises as it's like, well how can I help Helen achieve this, let's do this movement but change it so that it suits Helen'.
Helen also stated: 'It's just so good as I train with the other girls and there's not a difference made which is great'.
As Helen continues her work, she aims to organise a four-week workshop, collaborate with local charities, and represent Northern Ireland through her athletic pursuits and motivational speaking.
Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, community, and the unwavering spirit to overcome life's challenges.
Helen will be speaking at events taking place on Wednesday 30th of July at 2pm and Thursday the 28th of August. These talks will be located in the Oasis Centre in Abbey Street, Coleraine.
In a world that often overlooks the power of inclusivity, Helen stands as a symbol of hope, proving that with the right support, anyone can rise above their circumstances and inspire others along the way.
