Saturday February 27th marked our 3rd year hosting the “Are You Able?” event. This event is aimed to open eyes and change some perceptions of what a disabled person faces on a daily basis. Along with our philosophy of promoting active lifestyles, we took to sport to get the message across. Football, hockey, golf, basketball, Krankcycling and an obstacle course were included, with one catch: all participants had to perform these events from a wheelchair.
The obstacle course simulated what someone with a disability, who mainly uses a wheelchair to get around, deals with daily. The 2-lane course included obstacles like opening and passing through a door, going over uneven surfaces, wheeling over plush carpet and up and down a hill. The set up created a fun race against the person in the next lane! A little friendly competition ensued, as in years past, but the point we were trying to make was well received by all in attendance.
Matt Jackson repping it out on the Krankcycle
The new IM ABLE Krankcycles were a huge hit, drawing crowds to egg on competitors for max revolutions in one minute. These arm powered spin bikes showed everyone just how challenging it is to ride using arm power rather than leg power, as those who have lower body impairments must do if they want to ride a bike. From the looks on competitors’ faces, it was a long minute!!!
This year we also added a kids’ event so they could experience the same sports and fun time that their parents were able to try. We had almost 70 children in attendance ranging from very young to pre-teens. Having fun and being able to sit in a wheelchair gave these kids a better understanding of disabilities. It is our hope that by teaching them about disabilities and letting them share a fun experience, they will be more accepting of their disabled peers. Kids are a great example of understanding as long as they are exposed early to the differences of some of their peers. When a child comes up to me and asks what happened to my legs I am happy to answer and once I do they move on. I think a lot of adults, who might never have been exposed to someone who is disabled, can learn a lot about acceptance from our younger generation.
Here is a video of my brother Eric Kaag, who also was diagnosed with Adrenomyeloneuropathy shortly after I was. Also a former US Marine and police officer, he is now 31 yrs old and his symptoms are having an effect on his ability to perform a lot of leg intensive tasks. Two years ago the IM ABLE foundation teamed up with Fromuth Tennis in Wyomissing, PA to purchase him a handcycle to get him out on a bike again. Unfortunately the winter here in PA has been a long one and getting outdoors to ride on the roads has been difficult, which is where the Krankcycles come in. Recently purchased, the two Krankcycles are a perfect way to get some great cardio work inside to ensure the winter months do not limit your activity level. We’re excited about the new additions and welcome anyone who might have some limitations with their legs and want to give the Krancycles a spin!
These Krankcycles will be used in conjunction with a proposed new spinning class at Corps Fitness, and will allow anyone with a disability the chance to be apart of the class and even more exciting to teach one!!!
For anyone who is faced with a life changing accident or change in their way of life often have a hard time coping with the changes that follow. When I started experiencing symptoms of a degenerative nerve disease, seeing the stories of others who had overcome and were doing incredible things that gave me the optimistic attitude that there wasn’t much I couldn’t do. While you might think that the entire world is able-bodied and there aren’t any others out there who can relate to what you’re going through, it takes getting online and searching that you will find those who have overcome and with those examples to go by you can find the strength to overcome your own challenges. Dig deep and you can accomplish anything! Here is just one example of a woman who did just that and since I just started using a monoski, her reassurance that it gets better motivates me that much more to get up from the falls and push on!! Whatever your disability, find someone that will inspire you to keep taking that “next step” and reassure YOU that you can do it…
Founder and Executive Director Chris Kaag going through the paces
IM ABLE is proud to announce the addition of the two new Krankcycles thanks to the generous donation made by Marty and Terri Stallone, of Wyomissing, Pa. These are arm powered spin bikes that will give anyone who has a disability to their legs the ability to partake in a spin class or even better teach one!! The purpose of IM ABLE is to promote active lifestyles by giving people the resources to do so. Founder and Executive Director, Chris Kaag took the Kranks through an initial spin and the brief 45 minute workout was a smoker!! Chris is a handcyclist, but the Krankcycles offer one arm, alternating arms, and backwards rotation that provides additional work compared to regular handcycling. We’re excited about our new additions and look forward to getting as many people on them to step up their cardio workouts!!!
For more information about Krankcycles please visit www.krankcycles.com
As with anything new, it takes time and patience. Taking to the slopes of Jack Frost Mountain in Pocono, PA would be my 4th time down the slopes over a 3 year period so not much time spent sharpening my skills. Last year IM ABLE bought a mono-ski, for anyone who wants the opportunity to keep active over the winter months here in PA, so I took it for its first run. I went through a 2 hour lesson that was not pretty and then was able to do another run with a friend who is a ski instructor at another mountain.
Aside from the the ski lifts not being low enough for my ski to hit when I came to the top of the lift and falling off and stopping the lift, it was time well spent! Learning to feel comfortable is going to take more than just 4 times in 3 years and I am starting to get more confidence that I will get there. WORK=RESULTS! I can’t sit around and expect the skills to come but instead I have to put the time in and work. My results will eventually look better than the video!
Today I had the pleasure of speaking to a US Marine brother who is living the Improvise, Adapt and Overcome philosophy that we learned during bootcamp. These three words have become the foundation of how I’ve lived my life since my diagnosis in 1997 and the subsequent disabling nerve disease that has affected my legs. Hector’s injury in Iraq, that left his right foot paralyzed and his left foot partially damaged, left him with the same decision facing anyone who is presented with a life altering challenge…give up and let his condition take over his life or dig deep and move forward with no excuses. After he returned from service he let himself go to the point where he was 230 lbs and living an unhealthy lifestyle. About a year ago he changed that and has picked up the CrossFit philosophy, at CrossFit Suffolk in NY, and began pushing himself like he did when he was an able bodied US Marine. He is now 146 lbs and works out 5-6 days a week. In addition to his workouts, he is putting himself through school to earn his bachelors at the same time working for the VA helping other wounded vets deal with the effects of being in a war. Semper Fi Hector and keep motivating!!!
The IM ABLE Foundation is very proud of 9 year old Ceren, who raised $430 for the Foundation through the sale of her self-produced holiday piano CD. Ceren learned of the IM ABLE Foundation after watching excerpts from ‘Fight, the Movie’ in her 3rd grade classroom: her teacher, Kristy Kowal, is also featured in the movie and shared her story and a few others, including mine, with her students. After Ceren’s donation, Ms. Kowal was gracious enough to invite me into her classroom to speak. During my visit, I let Ceren’s classmates know of her hard work and generosity, and I gave some insight as to what the IM ABLE Foundation does and how we can help the students’ disabled peers.
Coming into the visit, I wasn’t sure how to approach my talk or whether the 3rd graders would truly understand the Foundation’s philosophy of changing perceptions and attitudes about disabled people. I explained the history and pathology of my disability, which fit in well to their recent lesson on the nervous system. I also spoke about the lives of children their age who do not get the opportunity to live a “normal” childhood that includes riding a bike, running, and playing. I stressed the importance of appreciating what abilities the children have and also accepting their disabled peers, not treating them differently. I brought in a handcycle designed for children to expose them to and help them understand the equipment used by disabled people – some of them even said that they would ask a disabled child using a handcycle to join them on a bike ride rather than staring at them, confirming their understanding of the inclusiveness idea the Foundation stresses.
I was amazed and impressed by the questions generated and the genuine interest about what the Foundation does. While some of the questions focused on my personal situation, there were many questions that showed the true inquisitive nature of the students’ young minds, and demonstrated their desire to understand different situations. I was very happy to provide as much useful information as I could. As I was leaving, I was touched by the children’s intention to start a classroom coin collection site for IM ABLE. This was a truly rewarding experience, and I thank the students and faculty of Whitfield Elementary School in West Lawn, PA for inviting me to share some time and knowledge with them!
The IM ABLE Foundation is holding its 3rd Are You Able? Challenge Night on Feb 27, 2010. New this year will be a kids event to allow your young ones a chance to experience what the adults do from 2-4pm. These will be the same games and obstacles that let an able bodied person sit in the seat of someone who is faced with being in a wheelchair to gain a little insight as to what our disabled counterparts face daily. The games will include football, basketball, hockey and a “day to day” obstacle course simulating things such as opening a door and going over a rocky surface. All of these are performed from a wheelchair.Click here to go to the event page and register online if interested in joining us
In keeping with the philosophy that there are no excuses why you cannot do something regardless of your limitations, I took to the woods for some paintball. A good friend of mine invited my wife and I to come out and join the other 60 people involved in their annual paintballing extravaganza. Despite the limitations of my legs we devised a plan to use a four wheeler to drop me in the woods and participate as a sniper for my team. Being in the woods and being involved with this fun way to spend an afternoon took me back a bit. In the woods, crawling around on the ground, getting dirty and shooting paintballs at the opposing team made me feel like I didn’t have any limitations and took me back to when I still could walk and would play in the woods with my friends or when I was a Marine doing drills.
Despite any limitations you have there is usually something you can do to ensure you can participate as long as you accept it might not be the same but it is as good as you want to make it. I had an incredible time, along with my wife and great friends, and am pumped about doing it again!!
Top: Founder Chris Kaag, Ceren’s mother Sadan, Chris’ wife Gretchen Kaag and Ceren
It is a great time for me when I see the enthusiasm and drive to do things for others and it is even more rewarding when you see those traits in someone who is young. I know Ceren’s mother and father through our local Penn State branch and have corresponded with them on many occasions, even briefly training them in my Corps Fitness class. I received an email one day letting me know that their daughter Ceren had seen me in “Fight:the movie”, along with her teacher Kristy Kowal, a silver medalist Olympic swimmer, and wanted to do a fundraiser for the IM ABLE Foundation. When I found out how old Ceren I was amazed that a 9 year old had a desire to do something like this but was even more amazed when we met for the first time and she handed me a check for $430!!! She recorded her playing a piano to create a holiday CD and sold them in an effort to raise money for IM ABLE. We made sure she knew what we did and from the pictures you can see we got her on a handcycle, that someone her age would ride and explained to her how her money would be used to possibly help someone ride a bike for the first time.
We thank Ceren and her efforts and thank her parents for raising such a genuinely great kid!
"Today is a new day, a new beginning.
It has been given to me as a new gift.
I can either use it or throw it away.
What I do today will affect me tomorrow.
I cannot blame anyone but myself if I do not succeed.
I promise to use this day to the fullest by giving my best, realizing it can never come back again.
This is my life and I choose to make it a success."
