Helen’s Wass-O'Donnell’s story – Finding freedom through Frame Running
For 66 year old Helen Wass-O'Donnell, Frame Running has been nothing short of lifechanging. Living with the many impacts of Encephalitis, an acquired brain injury and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), has meant that staying active has become increasingly challenging in recent years.
On Tuesday nights, come rain or shine, you’ll find her on the track at Saughton Sports Complex in Edinburgh, exercising alongside a lively and supportive group of around a dozen Frame Runners. And on other days, you might easily spot her gliding along the promenade at Cramond on her own Frame, enjoying the independence and confidence that movement brings.
Helen has been involved in Frame Running for more than a decade. She was one of the very first people in Edinburgh to take up the sport, long before most people in Scotland had even heard of it. In the early days, she often trained with world class Frame Runner Finlay Menzies, who recently won a bronze medal in the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
“We used to share a Frame,” she recalls. “Back then, there were hardly any Frames around. It’s amazing to see how things have grown, but there are still lots of people who have never heard of Frame Running, and don’t know about the health benefits.”
An active person all her life, Helen describes herself as having once been “a slow jogger,” even training for half marathons while managing her MS. But a serious encephalitis infection in 2015 changed everything. Its impact forced her to give up work, and everyday movement became increasingly difficult. “I can’t walk any great distance unaided,” she explains. “I fall all the time because of the MS and encephalitis. Without Frame Running, I would be housebound.”
For Helen, Frame Running has been transformative. “The Frame supports you, so people with walking difficulties can exercise. It allows me to get back into the world of ability instead of being stuck at home, unable to do anything. Frame Running gives me freedom. It gives me confidence. It’s a massive lifeline.”
With her Frame, Helen can complete five laps of the athletics stadium track - something she describes as “medium and high impact exercise,” which would be impossible for her without the equipment. “It gets the blood pumping, gets your heart rate going, and boosts your endorphins,” she says. “After I’ve been Frame Running, I always notice the benefits the following day - and the day after that.”
Once mainly associated with people with cerebral palsy, Frame Running is now spreading across Scotland and becoming increasingly well-known among people with MS and other conditions that affect mobility. “Ten years ago, these groups didn’t exist,” Helen notes. “Now they’re popping up in different areas across Scotland, and helping more disabled people get out, move, and socialise.
Today, Helen has her own Frame, but she’s keen to emphasise that new participants don’t need to buy one to get started. “You can borrow a Frame from a Frame Running club. And you don’t need to be super-fast or able. Yes, we have some highfliers in the sport in Scotland, but everyone is welcome to try Frame Running – whether you can do several laps of a track or just manage a short distance.”
“There are also brilliant coaches who can help you,” she says. Graeme Reid is the lead coach at the Saughton (Corstorphine Athletics club), who is incredibly supportive and encouraging of all the Frame Runners (who he refers to as ‘athletes’). Another is Cameron Smith, a sports rehabilitation student at Queen Margaret University, who supports several Frame Running groups for Team East Lothian athletics club. “Cameron and Graeme have both been fantastic” she says warmly. “Having the right support makes such a difference. It’s just a shame that more people with disabilities still don’t know about the sport, because so many could benefit from the opportunity it presents to do intensive exercise.”
Most importantly, Frame Running has allowed Helen to remain active, connected, and part of the world around her. It’s also given her goals to aim for. “It has allowed me to be a far more able person - someone who takes part in society,” she says. “I’m using muscles I simply couldn’t use without the Frame. And in October this year, I’m aiming to do the Great North Run. I would encourage anyone with walking difficulties to give Frame Running a try. It’s completely changed my life.”
For further media information contact: Lynne Russell, Communications Manager, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: lrussell@qmu.ac.uk (copy to pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk).
