Valley gym focusing on exercise for all abilities

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — 14-year-old Colin is getting a workout in with Coach Jessica.

Adapted Athlete is an expansion of Train Like a Girl studio. The nonprofit works with individuals impacted by mental, physical and cognitive challenges.

“Having them in my life has given me immense joy, acceptance and it’s taught me a lot about myself,” says Executive Director Nikki Scholl.

Scholl says supporting families of all abilities came naturally as the gym’s mission is to promote body positivity, diversity and inclusivity.

“It came to us, we ran with it and it’s been the most beautiful part of our program,” she said.

Adapted Athlete offers group workout sessions and private training.

Thanks to state funding, Adapted Athlete was able to expand to a second location, have modified equipment and have expanded to sports camps.

“In the last year, we started doing football, basketball, cheer and it’s all-inclusive and integrated into our program,” Scholl said.

Along this three-year journey to provide quality training in adaptive fitness, Scholl teamed up with Inclusive Fitness — which focuses on one-on-one training — to enhance the program.

“It’s a really small community that often gets overlooked, so it’s really nice to come together to spread the word about what we offer, especially for adults with disabilities and kids with disabilities,” says Jacqi Vargas with Inclusive Fitness.

To get the word out about their health and wellness programs, both organizations partnered with “Able Inc.” — which provides resources including life skills, employment and community integration for people with disabilities.

“No more hiding in the background — we want our consumers out in the front,” says James Alves with Able Inc.

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