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A coach ticket
Danny West, principal consultant and coach of RYL Training and Coaching Consultancy, describes how dealing with the challenges of being diagnosed with HIV led to a career in life coaching 
In 1985, at the start of a bright new career in social work, I was one of the first people in the UK to be diagnosed HIV positive, which at that time meant a life expectancy of 18 months to two years.
I soon realised I needed to deal with my stress levels, so I retired on medical grounds and set about managing my health condition and responding to the many barriers and challenges of HIV.
In 2006, after 14 years of ill health and life on incapacity benefit, I set up my own training and coaching consultancy in south-east London. Being self-employed enabled me to work at my own pace, rest when necessary and manage my health condition without fear of prejudice or scrutiny from an employer.
The former United Kingdom Coalition of People Living with HIV found me a coach who empowered me and enabled me to develop my business idea. I soon realised that coaching was the ideal tool to support disabled people to achieve their personal and professional goals, and in early 2007, I secured a scholarship from The Coaching Academy, Europe’s largest coaching training organisation, which allowed me to complete a personal performance coaching diploma.
There are many stigma-associated barriers faced by people living with HIV and there are many associated health-related conditions that can lead to impairments. Coaching, however, gives me complete autonomy over my working life. I can work from home and provide coaching by telephone or email, and determine how much work I do.
Coaching is incredibly rewarding, especially when clients grow and achieve their goals, and I am inspired by the many successes of people I have worked with.
So what is personal performance coaching? It helps you achieve your goals in health, relationships, work, finances and leisure through a confidential relationship with your coach. Coaching doesn’t focus upon past failures, disappointments or mistakes or on what you can’t do but on what you can do, developing your self-confidence and self-esteem.
If you enjoy working with people and have a positive, empowered and determined outlook on life, especially in relation to the many barriers associated with having a disability or long-term health condition, I would recommend a part- or full-time career in coaching. There are many online coaching resources books and training courses.
• ryl-training-consultancy.co.uk
DANNY WEST: CAREER PATH
• 1977: Left Northumberland Park school in north London with four CSEs
• 1979: First residential social worker position
• 1984: First managerial social work position
• 1985: Diagnosed with HIV
• 1986: Freelance trainer
• 1989: Appointed first local government training officer for HIV in the UK
• 1992: Freelance trainer
• 1995-2006: Managing health condition
• 2006: Established training and coaching consultancy
• 2008: Gained coaching diploma