Hannah gets people moving with Zumba

HANNAH PAYTON HAS GAINED RECOGNITION FOR BECOMING THE FIRST PERSON IN THE UK WITH DOWN’S SYNDROME TO BECOME A ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR AT JUST 24 YEARS OLD. BUT HER ACHIEVEMENTS DON’T STOP THERE. SHE SPOKE TO KIDZ TO ADULTZ MAGAZINE ABOUT SMASHING RECORDS, WINNING MEDALS, HELPING OTHERS AND ENJOYING LIFE.

Like many people, Hannah spent

lockdown taking exercise classes on Zoom. Hannah’s class of choice was Zumba, a dance exercise class with roots in Latin music, with

a mixture of high and low intensity cardio set to the beat. Unlike most, however, Hannah decided to take this new found passion further. “I did training with Sandra whilst we were

in lockdown on the laptop and copied what she was doing. In the end I got an instructor license certificate and then I became a Zumba instructor.”

Hannah is one of 1.5 million people in the UK with Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that often causes some level of learning disability, though the condition varies from person to person. Being born with Down’s Syndrome hasn’t prevented Hannah from following her passion, saying “just do what you do, and do your best.” In fact, Hannah’s Zumba instruction is a way to keep doing what is important to her: “I like making everybody happy. I get so excited. Have some fun!”

Making the transition from participating in the class to learning to be a Zumba instructor wasn’t easy, but Hannah was motivated by the support of her trainers. Now that Covid restrictions have lifted, this motivation isn’t dimmed by the early starts and travelling to the Zumba studio: “I love getting up early all the time…It makes me feel excited to go and do Zumba every morning.” This is just part and parcel of a job that Hannah adores. “I love being a Zumba instructor. I am really happy,” she says.

Hannah recently appeared on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4. Not only did she get to practice her instructing skills by teaching some Zumba moves on live television, but she was interviewed as well: “I was on my mark, and I was dancing. They were asking questions…I found that really great.”

Zumba isn’t the only sport that Hannah enjoys. She won badminton and swimming medals at the Special Olympics in Glasgow. Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics are a competition and year-round programme that gives children and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop their physical fitness.

Beyond sport, Hannah is always on the go. She enjoys volunteering, donating her time to the registered charity Makants Greyhound Rescue in Greater Manchester, “helping out with the greyhounds, cleaning beds

and washing dog bowls. I do that a couple of times a week.” Hannah’s positive outlook helps her tackle even life’s more serious side. “I did Race for Life. It’s a shame that one Zumba instructor, Emma, has breast cancer and I was raising money for her. My mum had cancer as well, but she’s fine now. My mum’s mum from Germany had cancer as well. And so we’re beating cancer for all those three.”

For Hannah, life is about enjoying what you do. Whether it’s a music festival (“the best thing is everyone dancing like mad in the mosh pit.”) or climbing mountains with her family in Yorkshire, Hannah tells us that the most important thing is to stick with it: “Keep going. Never give up. Keep going.”