About Me

My name is Benjamin Stephens. I am a disabled personal trainer. My disability has never held me back, quite the contrary.  

Please do take time read my inspiring story...

I was born with an incurable kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy. Despite a slew of surgeries and a whole lot of trials and tribulation that come with being disabled I've defied the odds for a long time now. I have learned to adapt and overcome many different obstacles my health has thrown at me. I'm a survivor and a fighter.

Here's the rundown:

When I was born,the docs told my mother I probably wouldn't live because my kidneys wasn't developing properly. In an effort to keep me alive, They removed the right kidney. I also had to have a few other bladder surgeries along with some other surgeries I don't remember as a baby. LOL. 

Again the docs told my mother I probably wouldn't make it.

I DID!

After a few surgeries and some other things the docs couldn't seem to explain, I kept on fighting for life and living on. They finally quit telling my mom I was going to die. ;-)

I went on to live a pretty normal life until I turned 12. I went for a physical to play football and the Dr. administering the physical, through a series of health questions and basic test, discovered the disease was attacking my other kidney and shutting it down. Needless to say, my dream of playing football died right there along with wanting to join the military.

A few months later my mother donated me a kidney and I had my first kidney transplant. Boy was that a set back.

I missed a lot of school and recovery was hard. I now had to face the unfortunate reality of life as a disabled child. I gained a ton of weight due to post operation meds. I also stayed sick and was in and out of the hospital for many years after the surgery  which was also due to the meds. The transplanted kidney lasted me exactly 8 years.

March 1st 2000 - March 1st 2008

In 2008 the transplanted kidney was rejecting and had to be removed as well. Leaving  me to be put on dialysis. Yet another set back, but again,I never let it keep me down.

I learned to live with and make the best out of living with my kidney disease. I have missed out on a lot I wanted to experience in life,but at the same time was fortunate enough to still experience more than I probably deserved. I went on to graduate High School. Even though I was again sick from the kidney disease and had to be wheeled across the stage in a wheelchair by my brother. I DID IT!

I got better again and ended up getting to go to Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Florida. I lived on at home dialysis while going through school there until everything changed once again in 2010. I got a real bad sickness called peritonitis due to a malfunction in the hardware that attached me to the machine. I ended up back in the hospital where my heart even stopped 6 times. That was a scary time in my life,but once again I SURVIVED! 

This is the sweetest part. I went on to work on motorcycles for a while and ended up meeting who are now my lovely wife and kids. We moved back to Tennessee to my hometown of Bulls Gap to raise a family and  live the simple country life.

After being back a while I had become more sedentary due to feeling rough from the dialysis all the time, and in turn ended up gaining more weight than my body should have to handle. 

I was tired all the time and just feeling overall pretty crummy. I kept blaming my sickness. Then one day I finally woke up and realized it wasn't just my sickness.I had fallen into the role of playing the victim and let my health take the back burner as well as blame my health for not making any progress or being productive in my day to day life and weight situation. 

I decided to make some life changes that led me here. I joined a gym and started going everyday I had dialysis. I would go to dialysis. Then to the gym right after. Everyone kept telling me "you're crazy" and "go home and rest"! That's not my style though.I decided it was time to make a change and start living healthier and being more active. Which is exactly what I've done. I've been on a steady workout regimen for over 3 years now. Through my working out and passion to help others with disabilities live a more positive ,healthy,and active lifestyle I was lead to take one step further and went through certified fitness training with the International Sports Science Association. I took some extra courses with a focus on working with people with disabilities as well as some motivational classes to help motivate and spread positivity. I strive to stay positive,healthy,and active everyday. I would love to share what I've learned and developed with you. 

 I am currently functioning with no kidneys,and I'm an in clinic Hemo dialysis patient.That means everything your kidneys do for you is done for me through a dialysis machine. Like fore mentioned, I don't let it hold me back or let it make me become a victim. I adapt and overcome many trying obstacles daily.I love my life and consider myself very blessed aside from the health circumstance. I have a great family that is supporting me through my ventures of starting a fitness business to help others achieve their fitness and health goals and to be their best self like I've done and keep doing daily.
Naturally,I really have taken a special interest in YOU the others out there with disabilities and health problems that might have slowed you a little. I want to teach you what I've learned,and that being disabled isn't the end and we can still live a very fulfilling,positive, active,and  healthy life. We just have to do what I've always done, put one foot and front of the other and keep moving forward. We're survivors. That's what we do.

If you're interested in my very personal and very reasonable fitness programs that anyone can do, Reach out to me in the contact me section or by texting the number listed and let's schedule a FREE consultation in person, through Facebook video chat, or on the phone. Nothing to lose except maybe some weight and a few bad habits.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It's more appreciated than I can express through words. Thanks a million y'all.