Based in Enniskillen, N. Ireland, Liam McCaffrey MCIMSPA(Ch) is a Personal Trainer and Clinical Exercise Specialist for special populations.
Liam has recently graduated from our Chartered programme and as such is recognised with the mark of distinction that is reserved exclusively for those who have demonstrated true excellence, innovation, and impact within their field.
A keen gym goer for well over 30 years, Liam has a deep-rooted and infectious passion for exercise and fitness.
After a 25 year career in teaching, Liam made the decision to pursue his dream of working and teaching in the fitness industry full time.
After leaving his previous position in November 2019, he immediately enrolled to become a Personal Trainer. Since then, it’s been a conveyor belt of professional development that has seen Liam acquire a staggering 18 qualifications in three years as he very much made up for lost time.
We started out by asking Liam about the benefits he got from joining CIMSPA as a practitioner member, before achieving chartered status.
“I wanted to present myself as a credible and professional practitioner and as such instil confidence in my prospective clients, there’s no better way to do that than having the Chartered Institute for your profession recognise you have achieved the required qualifications and CPD to excel in your role.
“Utilising the member logos has really helped me showcase my professional status, it’s front and centre on my website so any potential clients can see I’m endorsed by CIMSPA.”
Liam went on to detail how access to CPD through SkillGate and UK Coaching have proved a real asset to his development.
“On the professional development front, the opportunities I receive from CIMSPA seem endless, and it’s really satisfying to upload your certificates to your CIMSPA profile and see your professional profile develop. The wider sector can see it too, so it works as a further tool to connect with potential employers and customers.
“Also, another benefit of my CIMSPA membership has been the Premium UK Coaching Club Membership that has given me access to a bucket load of further support, such as more CPD, workshops and webinars. There are some really useful resources that I’ve found really helpful.”
From speaking with Liam, it was evident he had his clients and their welfare at the forefront of his mind, and he didn’t think twice regarding upskilling wherever necessary.
“I operate as a freelance practitioner and for the NHS, as such people come to me for a variety of reasons such as to assist with a broad spectrum of medical conditions. Two of my clients currently have cancer and I want to make sure I can offer them the best possible service, with that in mind I’m in the process of completing a cancer rehab specialist course.
“One of those people is a 13-year-old boy who has a prosthetic limb, this further illustrates the wide-ranging and broad spectrum of people and conditions that I work with. No two days are the same and I love it, it keeps me on my toes and ensures my continuous professional development is relevant to my community.”
Liam was keen to let us know how being listed on the CIMSPA Directory has added credibility to his offering and gives potential clients the instant reassurance of his credentials.
“Initially I joined as a Personal Trainer Practitioner. After gaining my exercise referral qualifications and knowledge around the medical side of things I became listed in the CIMSPA Directory as an Exercise Referral Practitioner.
“This has been critical in driving the right clients my way and ultimately a significant increase in enquiries about using me and my services to help clients in terms of aiding movement and minimising pain associated with specific conditions.
“In the initial chat to discuss their requirements, I will often direct a prospective customer to the CIMSPA Directory where I am listed as a CIMSPA approved Exercise Referral Practitioner. They will then look me up via the directory on their phone, often beside me, and that tangible reassurance of my skill set tends to clinch the deal.”
Talking through what made him apply for Chartered status, Liam was very humble about his achievements and was quick to acknowledge his clients’ contributions.
“I was just scrolling through the website and stumbled upon an article about becoming chartered, I wasn’t aware that this was something I could do and initially, despite meeting the criteria, I doubted I was at that level as I’d only been in the industry a few years.
“I then made the decision to go for it and I’ve never looked back since. I’ve been very busy but it’s all paid off. I’m honoured and feel very privileged to have this status, however I owe a lot to my clients, without them putting their trust in me I couldn’t have done this.
“Having started my career in this industry a little later in life I wanted to push myself, fulfil my potential and be the best version of me.”
Liam then moved on to talk of the support he received from CIMSPA that has aided his career progression and helped him achieve the recognition of being chartered.
“Everything was first class from start to finish. From the moment I registered I’ve been supported 100%, I could not have asked for anything more.
“Throughout the duration of the assessment, my assessor was fantastic. After submitting my portfolio of evidence, we had numerous follow up meetings to pinpoint things I needed to include or add a little bit more substance to, or indeed remove.”
When we asked Liam what it meant to him both personally and professionally to have achieved chartered status, he told us of his immense pride in his achievement.
“It was hard to achieve, it certainly didn’t come easy, but it’s the ultimate status you can achieve as a professional and therefore it warrants that level of commitment. It really does mean an incredible amount to me personally to fall into that category. I’m absolutely delighted.
“In terms of my career, to be validated by CIMSPA puts me in a in a very strong position. It’s a huge endorsement to have the Chartered Institute for our sector say I have the experience, expertise, and wide-ranging capabilities to be considered chartered, and therefore the best the sector has to offer.”
Finally, Liam offered some valuable advice and guidance to others considering applying for chartered status.
“It’s natural to doubt yourself but I’d encourage any existing practitioners who meet the criteria to 100% give it a go. Even if you aren’t ready right now, it’s worth building up evidence of your qualifications, CPD and examples of how you have delivered positive outcomes for your clients, as it will help any future applications.
“As you would expect for such a status, the process is rigorous, robust and a true test of your credentials. You will need to be disciplined and commit to the process in order to be successful.
“On the flip side, it’s incredibly rewarding. The respect from peers and recognition among clients and the wider sector is unrivalled.”
Liam McCaffrey MCIMPSPA(Ch) is the founder of LMC-PT and offers the below courses.