The gym manager helping CJ put his new shoes on. Photo / Facebook
The gym manager helping CJ put his new shoes on. Photo / Facebook
A gym manager in the US is being praised for the loving way he addressed a gym member who arrived at the gym for his workout wearing the wrong footwear.
A man named CJ, who has Down syndrome, arrived at the gym wearing the wrong shoes.
The manager, Daniel Cote,noticed CJ arriving in boots instead of sneakers and his good deed has now earned him praised across the world.
"I met CJ for the first time when I was doing my 9 to 5 shift at Planet Fitness," the gym manager told media.
"I could tell from the start that CJ was a very energetic man that enjoyed coming to the gym to work out."
He also said he noticed the 22-year-old liked having a routine.
"Seeing that his routine had been disrupted that day due to not having the proper footwear to work out made me want to do something to fix that," he added.
"I knew that just providing CJ with sneakers to work out would make him incredibly happy that his routine would not be altered."
He asked CJ's caretaker for his shoe size, went into a sports store a few doors down and bought him a pair of sneakers.
He then walked back to the gym and pulled CJ over to help him put the sneakers on his feet.
"It took me a moment to realise what was happening," Lisa Simpson, CJ's caretaker, told Yahoo.
The gym manager helping CJ put his new shoes on. Photo / Facebook
"I was crying and after Dan was finished putting on CJ's sneakers, he looked up and realised how touched I was.
"He came over and gave me a hug and told me that it was okay, that he really wanted to do it."
Cote said he knows it wasn't so much about the shoes, but about keeping CJ's motivation to pursuit a healthy lifestyle.
"Lisa tells me that he wants to live a healthier lifestyle and that is why he is so adamant about making sure he gets to the gym as often as possible," he said.
"Watching his face light up and knowing his day was made better impacted me in a positive way. I realised that even the smallest act of kindness can have a lasting impact on someone."
