About me
Dermot Kavanagh
Hello, my name is Dermot and I am a personal trainer with 8 years experience in the fitness industry. A 5-year career as an Army Reservist taught me to have a high standard of physical fitness, which is something that I have continued through life and into my career as a PT. I have a passion for Calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), and have been training in this style for around 5 years now. I have recently qualified as a Calisthenics instructor and take great pride in teaching people how to get strong using their bodyweight.
As well as teaching calisthenics, I am also a PT for many amazing children and young people with additional needs. Through my wife, who is a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I quickly learnt the need for accessible exercise for children and young people with additional needs. Most gyms are far too overstimulating, and bootcamps can be far too demanding. For the last three years I have been working as a PT for children and young adults with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including ASD, PDA, dyspraxia, hypermobility, brain injuries and Tourette's Syndrome. Taking a child-led and low demand approach to PT has seen huge successes, and has helped build the confidence, self-esteem and overall health of many of the young people I have worked with.
In addition to my love for fitness and wellbeing, I am also a keen conservationist. I have been lucky enough to travel to South Africa on many occasions, both to support and train anti-poaching units that work to keep endangered wildlife alive. I am now proud co-founder of Connected Planet Foundation, a UK-based charity whose goal is to connect communities to nature. We provide opportunities for marginalised communities to visit their local wildlife reserves and learn about the amazing wildlife there.
I am a dedicated vegan who loves to be out in nature, and if I am training in nature then I'm even happier. I live in Walton-on-Thames with my wonderful wife, my 12 year old son, and our Goldendoodle, Thula.
Training
Each individual I work with is unique, and therefore I develop a structured and effective training plan which will suit their needs and fitness goals. There are three main areas I focus on:
HIIT Training
This high intensity training is a fantastic way to get you in shape fast. It focusses on bursts of high intensity exercise followed by a lower intensity period.
Calisthenics
I am qualified Calisthenics Instructor and can teach you how to master your bodyweight and learn exercises such as the pull up, muscle up, handstands and front lever. The calisthenics movement is fast growing and I can help you to master the techniques and be rewarded with the strength and flexibility results this training delivers.
SEN training
I specialise in providing PT sessions for children and young people with SEN. I have three years experience working with children with autism, ADHD, PDA, hypermobility, sensory processing difficulties, processing delay, Dyspraxia, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), and Tourette's Syndrome.