A FORMER SALE High School pupil and PhD student has won a Shell LiveWire Grand Ideas Award for his enterprise.

Ben Kelly, 25, of Old Hall Road, who took up a PhD scholarship at Loughborough University, received the award in March in recognition of his work to develop gene-based exercises for people with inactivity-related illnesses.

The personalised workouts are aimed at helping patients, who suffer from chronic conditions like cardiac disease and diabetes, stay fit and complete their health rehabilitation.

Ben said trials showed the exercises could improve individuals’ fitness by more than 50 per cent and reduce the risk of premature death by a minimum of 30 per cent.

He added: “I design them an exercise rehab programme that is guaranteed to work, because it is, of course, based on their own genetics.

“Over the past three years I have been working on research to find the best non-pharmacological treatments available to treat and prevent diseases.

“My particular focus has been on designing novel exercises strategies that are effective and accessible to all.”

He said the genetic tests allowed him to predict how individuals would respond to any exercise before starting the workout.

The judges praised his enterprise concept in the context of the probability that health insurance policies will begin to be charged at a rate dictated by an individual’s lifestyle and health status.

Ben is expecting to have his clinic open in 18 months in London.

He is currently competing against other business ideas in the 2014 Loughborough University Enterprise Awards.

To support him, vote via the Think Big section on the University’s website at www.lboro.ac.uk