Ep 91 | Wheelchair Accessible Gym?

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So going back to, I know we've kind of talked about different accomplishments and things like that. And going back to the same young lady that we were just talking about, you know, at first when she was coming in, she was having a really hard time with her anxiety. And she had not been out of the schools to some very long, but she had a lot of social anxiety and at first came in and had to leave immediately. And she gave it another chance and gave it another chance. And now she actually just started a peer support group for others living with the same condition that she has. She's looking into starting her own podcast. And I think it's been really a big inspiration for her to, you know, not only become healthier and live her greatest quality of life, but also, you know, become an entrepreneur and help others using what she's learned. So I think that that that was a huge thing for me to see. And then just a reminder that it's not just about the physical body.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Welcome to the Voices United in Education podcast. Each week we showcase the teachers, administrators, and community members who go the extra mile to contribute to the success of every student in Escambi County. You'll meet the real people behind the titles and learn about the amazing resources to support every student's success. For many, the term athlete is an identity, one that not only shapes how challenges are viewed, but how community is formed. But where can kids with physical disabilities go to exercise both their mindset and their bodies? My next guest was a softball superstar and the head softball coach at Pine Forest from 2013 to 2016. She is also paralyzed from an accident during her sophomore year of college. Today she's going to share the importance of pursuing physical fitness regardless of ability and how she's making that possible for everyone at her Adaptive Gym Project 7. Wellness warrior, community builder, Pine Forest graduate Tara Blackwell. I'm so glad you're here.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

I'm so glad to see you again.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Yeah, you too. I can't believe that April 9th is not just the 19th anniversary of your accident, but the fifth anniversary of your gym. I feel like it just opened.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Yeah, me too. I think I was here either right after it opened or right before. But yeah, it's pretty mind-blowing, honestly. It was hard for me to imagine getting past like year one and here we are, year five.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Exactly because people don't realize that opening an adaptive gym is not like some of these group women fitness centers, no offense to them. You can't just throw some kettlebells in a room and hire some stay-at-home moms with the Madonna mic to walk you through it.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

So tell me like what all was involved to get that gym started because it was a lot of special consideration put in because it's an adaptive gym.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Absolutely. I think first and foremost, experience. You know, it took me 14 years to even come up with the idea of it. And that was because I had, you know, visited multiple uh physical therapy offices, multiple like world-renown therapy. I'd traveled all over to visit different physical and occupational therapy offices. In regards to, you know, spinal cord injury and physical disability. You know, it obviously takes not only a specialized trainer, but a special human being. So I think that that was first and foremost for me was finding the right person for the job.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So when you say person, are you talking about your coaches?

SPEAKER_01 3:41

Yes. Yes, we do. We have personal trainers and they are all certified, but most of them have been through either their bachelor's or their master's in exercise science.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

So they have a full understanding of more specialized care when it comes to injury, recovery, different complications that would be presenting in someone who has a spinal cord injury or maybe who has spina bifida or cerebral palsy. Yes. Things that you wouldn't um necessarily see at a typical gym.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Yes. And just, you know, I we don't have a set criteria, but we do ongoing education. So I'll have every now and then, you know, for a bonus, I'll have my trainers write a report on a certain condition just to, you know, better educate themselves, but you know, learn and be able to teach one another because, you know, all of our trainers deal with different conditions.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Wow, that gives me goosebumps. Yeah. Because I mean, the exercise science world and the technology, the combination of those two things, the adaptive equipment, it's always emerging. Yes. So to give your employees paid time to look into that, that's that is really distinctive. Yeah. I don't think any other place really has that. So talk to me about the equipment. What kind of equipment can someone expect at Project Seven?

SPEAKER_01 5:03

So a lot of the equipment, you know, one might walk in and see equipment that you would see in any other gym, but we do have some adaptive equipment. We have a piece, for example, that was designed by a quadriplegic for a person not only sitted, I mean, I'm sorry, seated in a wheelchair, but with limited hand function. So it has, you know, like a triangle where you can set your hand down and still utilize your upper body to move the equipment. So that's just an example. We have a lot of ergonomic equipment where you can change and add resistance for people of different strengths. So there's just all sort of ways of modifying the exercises.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

It's more customizable for each person. Yes. Why was it important to you to start a gym as opposed to just not? I mean, maybe you could have made, you know, I don't know, YouTube videos that are educational, or maybe you could have just stayed committed to your own personal fitness in the way that you were doing it before you opened the gym. Why would why did it matter to you to open a community gym?

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Well, first of all, I think I saw the benefit that I was, you know, receiving from focusing on my wellness and not just physically, but mentally, emotionally. And I saw the quality of life that I was able to achieve. And then in turn, all of the accomplishments that I was able to achieve after that. You know, just as an example, you know, getting my education and completing my bachelor's degree, getting a job as a head coach of a softball program that takes a lot of endurance and it takes a lot of health to stay out of the hospital and not fall victim to so many of the, you know, secondary complications that comes with immobility or physical limitation. And I just felt like it was really important to be able to share that and and teach people that you can still live a quality-filled life and a full life and maybe even a longer life, ideally, if you take care of your body.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

I don't think I'd ever associated it with the ability for you to complete your degree.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Like I was thinking more about how you did the not the dancing with the stars, but it was like the local version of that. When I think of like accomplishments, I hadn't really thought about being able to have the endurance of a full day of classwork. Yep. Yeah, that's that's pretty major. What are some things that a parent with a child who has a disability might have misconceptions about when it comes to physical fitness, specifically in a gym?

SPEAKER_01 7:28

I think that it kind of comes with the same misconceptions that may be perceived about someone with a disability as a whole. And that's, you know, we focus on the disability more than we focus on the ability. And I mean, just the the word alone is is very misconceiving disability. Well, what about all that we can do? And I think that it's really important for anybody to focus on the things that they can do. But for someone with limitations, it's even more important. And, you know, for me, I found that I was probably able to do more than what I ever would have realized prior to my injury. So I think that that would probably be the biggest misconception is there's so much that we can do still for our body and with our body, and and never mind what we can't do, but let's focus on what we can do to achieve that optimal wellness.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

You said I did more than I could have ever realized before my injury. What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Well, I mean, you know, opening a gym for an example. Oh. Like, did I ever have a dream of being a business owner? Absolutely. You didn't, honestly? No, absolutely not. No. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

In my mind, I've painted a picture of you as this uh continuously ambitious person that well for me I was gonna play softball the rest of my life, so I'm not really sure.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

But you know, when that obviously didn't happen, and I started dreaming of all these things, it's like, why can't I do this? You know, I've I've gotten myself this far and I've taken care of myself, and I'm the reason I get out of bed every single day. So why can't I do this? And I think that that's you know, uh a misconception.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Okay, so if I'm hearing you right, a parent of a child with a disability might find that that child could have a surge in confidence just from doing hard things at the gym. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

And and maybe, you know, ideally it's it's about just overall wellness. So let's say uh a longer life, let's say a healthier life. Let's say they don't, you know, spend the majority of their time fighting the condition. Instead, they're focusing on their wellness and and able to achieve more with their mind, body, and soul.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Parents of kids with disabilities have a lot of appointments. I mean, they feel parents with kids without disabilities already feel like a taxi service. Right. And so when you have a child that has more medical complications, there's a lot of doctor's appointments, physical therapy, maybe occupational therapy, equipment appointments. Like you have to they these fancy wheelchairs don't just show up at your door. Yeah, they never stop. And there's always something, and then you have to replace the the seat of the wheel. I mean, yeah, and that stuff you can't get on Amazon. No, no, I don't think people realize that.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

No, and if we do, good luck.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yeah, good luck, it'll last a week. Yes, yeah, exactly. So the potential for burnout in this area is real. Do you have any like insight into how a parent might be able to overcome this with maybe your gym in particular? Because I I just feel for parents in this area. Yeah and you know, I think if a parent, especially what if the parent is not an athlete, has never been an athlete, they don't have this athletic mindset that you have. Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

And, you know, we found that. And I actually worried about that when I were opening the gym. It was like, okay, I understand that the the population we're dealing with. I understand all these things, but what if we can't find enough people that want to be in a gym? But when you find all the other benefits of being in a gym and taking care of yourself, which we've already discussed, mind, body, soul. I think for a parent, it it goes the same for other caretakers. You know, it gives them that moment of okay, somebody else is is working with my child and and accomplishing the things that he he or she needs to accomplish today. And it gives them a moment to step back. Or, you know, I I think we discussed that we have a caregiver membership. So if they want to come in, we have parents and wives and husbands that come in and work out while their loved one is working out. So it gives them also a chance to focus on themselves and have that break.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Have some respite. Yeah. I love the double dipping too, because I think busy parents who are also, you know, it's like in the middle of all the things you're doing, don't forget to make money and stay healthy and XYZ. So if they can at least jump on a treadmill while their kiddo is working out at the gym, that's a huge benefit. And what is that? Like, what do you say, $25 a month?

SPEAKER_01 12:07

$25 a month?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

That's so great. Yeah. That's so great. And then they can multitask and not have to worry about the safety of their child. Exactly. So, which I find that not just the respite is that benefit, but like, you know, my brother has cerebral palsy. And so I have found that the community we got from his wheelchair basketball team, it one of the like side effects, if you will, was we learned how just to chill out. Yeah. You know, like, like it's gonna be okay. And because of that, I I can't speak for my brother, but I wonder if, you know, he also felt like, oh yeah, I can figure this out. Because, you know, you're we saw it all the time. The kid tips over in the chair, especially wheelchair basketball, right? Because you have to take off the little, you know, training wheel things. Yeah. Because otherwise you can't play. And parents would just freak out. And once they saw, you know, oh, my kid's okay. Oh, look, that happened to these other three kids too, and they're all okay. You know, it's like the uh wheelchair equivalent of falling and and stubbing your knee or whatever, they're like, oh, okay. So there's just a lot more confidence.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

And we actually experienced that not too long ago. We had a parent call, and I think the child was 18 or 19, but had not, you know, done a whole lot like that, especially without the parent. So, you know, we explained to them you can of course be there. You can be there with her, you can, you know, be of support, but also trust that we know what we're doing and and you know, it gives them not only a an outlet to become healthier, but a social outlet as well and and to kind of you know get out of the box. Because it's easy for us to live in a box of comfort, right?

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Yeah, and perceive safety, yeah, you know, of bubble bubble wrap. Yep, yep, exactly. You've created quite a community since you opened the gem there. I mean, it seems like just from following the gem on social media, it's way more than just a gem. I mean, it seems like y'all are celebrating the highs and the lows together. Can can you tell me more about the community that you've built and maybe any more community members that come to mind?

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yes. So going back to, I know we've kind of talked about different accomplishments and things like that. And going back to the same young lady that we were just talking about, you know, at first when she was coming in, she was having a really hard time with her anxiety. And she had not been out of the schools to some very long, but she had a lot of social anxiety and at first came in and had to leave immediately. And she gave it another chance and gave it another chance. And now she actually just started a peer support group for others living with the same condition that she has. She's looking into starting her own podcast. And I think it's been really a big inspiration for her to, you know, not only become healthier and live her greatest quality of life, but also, you know, become an entrepreneur and and and help others using what she's learned. So I think that that that was a huge thing for me to see. And then just a reminder that it's not just about the physical body.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

That I mean, you had me at podcasts.

unknown 15:19

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

I thought you'd appreciate that one.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Yeah, that was well played, well played. That I mean, that really speaks volumes though, because there might be the the temptation for a parent listening to think, well, I already screwed up my kid's 17, you know, it's too late. But in this case, she was a legal adult.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Yep. That's major. Yep. Yeah. I had a question, it just left me. What's the minimum age for a kid to be able to participate in the gym?

SPEAKER_01 15:50

So we can serve anybody 12 years of age or older.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Do they have to have a parent present?

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Yes, unless they're 18 or older, we would prefer a parent present, yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

And you mentioned the peer support group. So the one gym member, she's kind of doing her own peer support group, right? But you have one too?

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yes. So we do a community. Peer support is actually open to anybody in the community. We typically find that it's a lot of gym members, but we bring in, you know, we we promote it to anybody in the community, and that's for anybody living with a disability and or their caretakers. Um, so that's been really huge for us to all just to kind of be able to connect. And at first, we, you know, thought about dividing it by condition, but we learned that no matter what our condition is, we're all able to, you know, sort of relate and discuss certain challenges and resources. And, you know, whether it be maybe insurance or, you know, the numerous challenges that we all face, we're able to relate and connect somehow. So it's just been really uplifting and we've gotten to where we do it every Friday at noon now.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Wow. Okay. So the the family members and the members with disabilities, they're all in one group together.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yes, all in one group together.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Okay. Yeah. That that is an incredible resource. And it's free? Yes. That's amazing. Yes. Okay, so talk to me about the gym membership. How can someone like visit for free and check it out? Or what's enrollment look like?

SPEAKER_01 17:20

So we do a free consultation where they come in and they visit and they can see the gym and uh talk to the different trainers. Um, we typically assign one trainer, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's who they're gonna work with. We really try to see what's gonna be the best fit personality-wise, you know, all the things that that that matter. But they come in for a free consultation that can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. We like to discuss the condition, we like to discuss their secondary conditions, you know, we do, although we're not medical, we do discuss, you know, medications and things like that just so that we're aware of of you know what we're getting into with that particular uh client. And we, of course, want to know their goals. Like, you know, everybody has certain goals. Some's just to be healthier, some's I want to be stronger so that I can walk better. You know, I want to get out of the chair and back, you know, on a walker or whatever it may be. We like to really, really focus on personal goals. So that's the first thing that we do. We do have, you know, particular packages where clients may have to pay out of pocket, but we also have a partnership with the Northwest Florida uh Rehab Foundation and they provide four-month scholarships for four clients every four months. Wow. Yeah. So, you know, that that adds up to be quite a few sessions and is really beneficial to our clients.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Do most clients become gym members and it's just, you know, continual, or do they do they come in in seasons like they'll they'll, you know, be a gym member for six months and then work out on their own for six months? Or what do you normally see?

SPEAKER_01 18:55

I mean, honestly, it it varies. We have a lot that are just consistent. We have so many that actually started with us and are still with us, which is just crazy for me to see. But, you know, we do have some that maybe, you know, have things going on in their personal life or, you know, for medical reasons have to step away for a minute, but they usually come back and uh realize the the benefit of it. But typically we find that they want to be around.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Yeah, yeah. Why wouldn't they? Yeah. And you know, we know that gyms that create successful community vibes, those members always do well because it's what is that called? Mimetics, like you do what you see. And so when you see somebody being unhealthy and sedentary, that's what you tend to do. Yeah. And so by seeing other people, especially other people that have physical challenges, yes, and they're killing it and they they're you know high-fiving their trainer because they reached goals, like, oh, I want to do that too. So, how powerful that that is available for students, also.

SPEAKER_01 20:01

Yes, absolutely. And it's definitely a family, and I think that's the word that anybody that's a part of our gym from bottom to top, that's what they would tell you. Is it's definitely a family environment. You know, everybody knows everybody by name. You'll hear, you know, clients cheering other clients on, and it's just really a really huge support group, you know, of all different from all different aspects.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Yeah. Having walked in to the gym during just like a regular day, I definitely heard like one client yelling at the other client, yeah. Get it, Jim, get it. Exactly. Come on, push it, push it. Exactly. And I loved it so much. Yeah. Before we wrap, can you share what the significance is behind the name Project Seven?

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Yes. So seven was my number in college. I was a collegiate softball athlete at Troy University, and seven was my number. So whenever I was, you know, thinking of this whole entire concept, I was like, we need core values. So what better than to have seven of those? And that's commitment, determination, faith, fortitude, support, vitality, and wellness.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

I love those. Those are so perfect for what you're doing. As before we close, what can parents do as a good next step to get involved? Or maybe people who are not parents of kids with disabilities, how can they support you? I'd love to hear both.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Yeah, I would say, I mean, if you're interested in, you know, potentially getting a family member or a loved one into the gym and you know, please stop by, stop by at one of our peer groups. We're there every single Friday at noon. You can guarantee that somebody's gonna be there at that time and you'll, you know, really get a better grip on kind of not just what we do, but the the type of people that we support, the type of people that want to be, you know, at our gym. And and you might find that somebody can relate to you or your loved one. Give us a call, 850-972-9555. And our email address is connect at the sevenproj.com. We would love to hear from any of you. We would love to get your kids in there. We've you know found that we have most of our kids come in and out during the summer, but you know, they're obviously welcome at any time and we would love to meet them.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

How can parents support like your fundraiser basically? Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:23

So we we do a couple of fundraisers each year. The one that we have coming up on April 7th is going to be held at the new ticket on Nine Mile Road. Um, it's called the Corndog Festival. Ooh, yeah, yeah. I'm sure you can imagine what happens at a corndog festival, but also they are donating a significant portion of their proceeds to the Seven Project for our fifth anniversary. Also coming up in October on October 4th, we are doing our big golf tournament, and that's going to be at Marcus Point Golf Course. So you can find all the information at our website, www.thesevenproj.com.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Awesome. Thank you so much. This was fantastic. Thank you, Manda. Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe and share. Voices United in Education is a production of Scandi County Public Schools.