Get Up and Move

IM ABLE Founder Chris Kaag, State Representative Bernie O'Neill, Dan Webb (Grant Recipient) and Jake Chalfin, Dan's friend and 2011 IM ABLE Grant Recipient

IM ABLE is proud to announce our first grant recipient of 2012, Dan Webb! On January 28th, IM ABLE presented Dan with his new Intrepid Estrada handcycle during a gathering of Dan’s family and friends in Warminster, PA.  A special guest, State Representative Bernie O’Neill, was also on hand during the event to lend the community’s support to Dan and his close-knit family.  And Jake Chalfin, Dan’s good friend and a December 2011 IM ABLE grant recipient, also joined us during the presentation.

Dan grew up with several brothers and a large extended family.  They are an active family, taking part in any competition available.  He and his brothers even formed a team and participated in the Tough Mudder at Bear Creek in May 2010, the spring before his injury.  With such a tight-knit family so close together, family gatherings are nothing new, but this one was something special!

The extended Webb family and many friends came out to celebrate Dan's new wheels!

Dan was paralyzed just over one year ago when he fell from a tree stand while hunting.  Before his injury, he and his daughters routinely rode their bicycles to a local park, where they could spend time playing games or riding the trails around the park.  While he was in the hospital, the thought that he might not get to ride to that park with his girls again crossed Dan’s mind more than once.  But then Dan met Jake while both men were progressing through their post-injury rehabilitation at Magee Rehab in Philadelphia.  The next spring, Dan and Jake visited an abilities expo in Philadelphia where the duo was able to ‘test drive’ handcycles and try out other adaptive sports equipment.  Dan enjoyed the basketball and rugby chairs, but the handcycle was what really drew his attention. He thought this could be his opportunity to return to the trails with his young daughters, who had already been so strong through his ordeal and recovery.  His wife Missy, a spin instructor at a local fitness center, was very supportive of the idea, and she and Dan contacted the IM ABLE Foundation with his story.

The Webb Family: Dan, Missy and their daughters

After talking with IM ABLE founder Chris Kaag, Dan and Missy made the trip from Warminster, PA to the IM ABLE Foundation headquarters in Wyomissing, PA to meet and work out with Chris, who was immediately impressed by the couple!  Chris recognizes motivation when he sees it, and Dan was upbeat, motivated, and ready to work hard when he got to IM ABLE’s facility.  After an hour-long workout, Dan said it was the most he had sweat in the last year, and how much he loved and missed the feeling of working hard.  Rehab was one thing, but his body was ready for more, and this was just what he needed!

The immediate and extended Webb family opened their arms to the IM ABLE Foundation as soon as they heard about our mission to get everyone, regardless of their disabilities, up and moving again.   Their commitment to family is what impressed IM ABLE the most, and their support of Dan, Missy and the girls has been unwavering since Dan’s accident.  The Webb family embodies the true spirit of IM ABLE by accepting no excuses and continuing to move forward despite challenges and setbacks.

The IM ABLE Foundation is proud of our newest grant recipient, and we look forward to working with Dan and the Webb family for many years to come!

Dan Webb Bio: 42, from Warminster, PA, suffered a fall from a tree stand while hunting and was immediately paralyzed from the waist down.  He fractured the T9-T10 vertebrae and had surgery to repair his spine, but is unable to use his legs.  Prior to his accident, Dan participated in many sports including, golf, softball, baseball and football and loved being outdoors.  He is also a father to two young, active girls.  Dan tested a handcycle at a recreation festival and found it to be a liberating experience!  He is motivated to find a way to participate in sports and outdoor activity with his wife and daughters.  He would eventually like to continue coaching his girls and would consider entering competitions in the future.

This Saturday Jan 28th we will help Dan take the next step to becoming more active when we present him with his new Intrepid Estrada handcycle!!

Details for the presentation if you want to join IM ABLE and be a part of our presentation are as follows:

Where: Community Center Complex 901 Willow Street, Southampton, PA 18966
Time: 12:30PM until about 3:30
Phone number 215.357.7596.

Light snacks & refreshments and special guest who will help to present Dan is State Representative Bernie O’Neill. We’re excited about our start to 2012 and be on the lookout for many more great things to come from Dan Webb joining our IM ABLE Family!!

Christmas Eve had another special meaning this year for everyone involved with IM ABLE. We drew a tremendous crowd with some special guests, Rep. Dante Santoni and Senator Judy Schwank who came out to support us while we presented 11 year old Meaghan Eppenstein and 33 year old Jake Chalfin with their new handcycles. Helping to present these two deserving recipients was our friend, supporter and Got the Nerve? 2012 Title Sponsor, Eric Schippers from Penn National Gaming who presented a check for $8,000 to IM ABLE before the presentation.

Everyone we present an adaptive piece of equipment to comes with their own unique story and creates a special experience for us at IM ABLE to see the reaction of those we are helping. 11 year old Meaghan’s mother Lori, kept the grant approval a secret so Meaghan was unaware she would be getting a brand new handcycle when she cane into IM ABLE on Christmas Eve. This was apparent when we introduced her and let her know the blue Intrepid handcycle that was sitting behind us was hers! She was emotional and her smile lit up the room. She along with our other grant recipient Jake immediately got to work getting outside and taking their new rides for a spin despite the chilly morning. These two recipients represent exactly what IM ABLE wants to promote and will be great role models for others with disabilities to show what IS possible.

Meghan’s mom summed up the excitement that we are so fortunate to experience - “…she had no idea she was getting her handcycle…after she was told she was stunned and went over to her cycle and I knelt beside her and said Merry Christmas Babygirl and she wrapped her arms around me and cried and said thank you mommy…geez never thought I’d have the bike kind of moment as a parent with her condition BUT thanks to IM ABLE Foundation, Chris Kaag and all the wonderful people involved it became a reality ….”

Click here to see news clip on presentation

Please join us in welcoming Meaghan and Jake into our IM ABLE family as we demonstrate our mission to get people Up and Moving through adaptive equipment grants.

Eric Schippers from Penn National Gaming, our title sponsor for Got the Nerve? Triathlon & RU ABLE? Duathlon in 2012, friend and supporter, will be presenting our recipients with their new handcycles.

IM ABLE Is proud to award these two dynamic and deserving individuals the ability to Get Up and Move!

Date: December 24, 2011

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: IM ABLE / Corps Fitness

220 Park Road North

Building 7

Wyomissing, PA 19610

Directions

Meaghan on an IM ABLE handcycle during the RU ABLE? Duathlon

Meaghan Eppenstein, 11 years old, was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that leaves the spinal cord susceptible to damage. Meaghan is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheel chair for mobility. Her mother, Lori, is concerned about her sedentary condition and the effects it will have on her emotional well-being and physical health. A handcycle grant will allow Meaghan to participate in activities with her peers and also offer her some freedom and independence.

“When I found Chris Kaag’s website and was able to get her onto a hand cycle for the first time, it was scary for Meaghan and me. You could see the hesitation as she first began to ride the hand cycle, but as she continued you could see the delight and thrill in her face.”

-Quote from Lori Eppenstein

Jake before his injury

Jake Chalfin: (from his grant request) Twelve months ago I was paralyzed in a horse racing accident. I am a C-7 quad blessed with the functional level of T-1,T-2. I have full use of my arms, hands and 2/3s of my core. Before my accident I was an extremely active person. I raced steeplechase horses as an amateur jockey on the weekends during the spring and fall seasons. I also galloped and trained horses 7 days a week year round. In the winter I always made time for at least one big ski trip out west, which always included hiking above the tree line in pursuit of the most extreme terrain and the best powder. To keep fit and cross train for these two sports, I would run 3-4 miles and do pushups 6 days a week. I live in a beautiful, calm country setting, and I eagerly looked forward to my runs every day so that I could clear my head and clean out my lungs.

I plan to use this cycle to exercise and get out of my house on a daily basis. This will improve my health both physically and mentally. Using a hand cycle will put me back in the outdoor environment, which I love so much and could also lead to competitive pursuits in the future.

Learn more about Jake and his foundation Chasin’ for Chalfin

We had a great crew today for our weekly workout with the folks from Acadia Rehab in Lancaster, PA who were joined by students from Lancaster Bible College for their Adaptive PE Course. These students along with Vicki Byler, their instructor and Mike King came to observe the class and the way in which IM ABLE and Corps Fitness have incorporated adaptive workouts for those with disabilities. The students were a great bunch and jumped right in to help facilitate the workout that was laid out for 5 clients. They encouraged, directed and ensured they were utilizing proper techniques as well as giving them a little “push” to motivate them.

This was hopefully a good hands on experience for these students who are already ahead of the game by learning about adaptive fitness techniques before they even get to the job market. Things are looking good with students like this coming into play!

Motivation…Enthusiasm…Excitement. Three words that sometimes don’t accompany a workout or therapy session for someone with a disability but three words that IM ABLE wants to introduce to get people Up and Moving! IM ABLE is housed in the same facility as Corps Fitness, specializing in military-style fitness and operates by motivating participants to push beyond their preconceived limits.

Four months ago we started with a group of individuals from Acadia Rehab in Lancaster, PA. They all suffered from various sorts of head trauma that resulted in some physical and mental impairment. They were not excited about doing therapy and not motivated about being more active in their current environment. I wanted to get them out of their normal environment and bring them to our facility to see if we could give them another perspective on working out and being active. I took the approach that I do with every one of my workouts, and that is to push people at their ability level and modify to accommodate their limitations. After the first day they were sweating but more importantly smiling! They were treated like anyone who walks through our door and expected to push themselves. The Inclusive nature of fitness is amazing and what it can do for the self esteem, confidence and attitude of anyone who has a disability.

We will continue to monitor their progress to see how it affects their outlook in areas outside of the gym environment but their attitude about fitness thus far has been motivating!

We met Jessica when her mom, brothers and sisters came to Mt Gretna, PA during our Got the Nerve? Triathlon in May 2010. She came to be awarded her new racing wheelchair donated by IM ABLE that had to be custom built for her stature so she could be better equipped for her track competitions. Meeting her you could immediately feel the determination that this young girl had inside. She took every opportunity to push herself and realize what she could do despite her obstacles. She embodied everything we believe in at IM ABLE and it was an easy decision to grant her a new racing chair to take her competition to the next level.

Jessica was recently awarded the Junior Athlete of the Year by Sports ‘n Spokes and now has dreams to make the US Paralympic Team so she can compete in swimming in London next year (Read the full story in The Sun). We at IM ABLE know with the determination she so this will be a dream that will become a reality and we wish her the very best in her quest! She continues to redefine what someone with a disability is able to accomplish!

John Pellegrino

Mike Slotwinski

Eric and his biggest fan

IM ABLE had a great day on Sunday at the Philadelphia marathon with three people completing the entire distance in the handcycle division. Grant recipient Mike Slotwinski, grant recipient Eric Kaag and IM ABLE supporter John Pellegrino. Sunday was a beautiful day in Philly and the hard work and determination of our three racers made it a great day to watch what IS possible for disabled athletes. Thank you for being a great representative of IM ABLE and our philosophy to inspire all to GET UP AND MOVE!

Erika working with Brian

Wednesday night Beginners class at Corps Fitness was introduced to the 1st night of Inclusive Fitness. IM ABLE partnered with Corps Fitness and brought three people in with varying degrees of disability to be a part of the class working with Occupational Therapy students from Alvernia University in Reading, PA.

Our goal is to create an environment where someone with a disability can workout together in the same motivating classes utilizing workouts that will accommodate their ABILITIES. This was our first attempt at making this work and with a huge Wed night turnout and many things going on at once, we made it work! Big thanks to Brian, Roxie, Mary & Erin from Alvernia for volunteering their time to make this a reality and good work Erika, Eric and Amber for showing us what you CAN do! Big THANKS to all the AB’s from Corps Fitness for your continued support and encouragement for people of ALL abilities.

Mary leading Amber on the Krank for 1 minute!

What a tremendous day and accomplishment for all of the IM ABLE Team running the NYC Marathon on Nov 6th. We were able to bring together a great group that stepped up to the challenge and completed 26.2 miles! The team was made up of two disabled athletes, Mike King 2:31 and Chris Kaag 3:07, who did it in the racing chair or the disabled equivalent of running and four able bodies athletes, Eric Birnbaum 3:29, Nick Jekogian: 3:38, Steve Wissack 4:58 and Sandra Tango 4:59. (Click on names for race pics)

All of the team members had done NYC before except for Mike and Chris. Mike is an accomplished wheelchair athlete and has competed in races all over the world. This was the first race in a racing chair for Chris and despite some initial hesitation due to the short timeframe to train he made it to the start line. This was a learning experience and one that will hopefully help make the next marathon better.

The day was filled with issues like getting to the starting corral late and then realizing there were 2 left gloves. After quickly improvising, he was able to take the pads off one glove and tape them to another donated glove. This allowed him to race but not easily. He made it to the finish line exhausted, hands bloody from the improper gloves and the rubber pushrim falling off at the end. While this wasn’t the most desired way to race he finished and the satisfaction of completing the race without making an excuse to stop made the accomplishment that much sweeter!

We have to thank Nick, who was able to secure the charitable slots and due to the overwhelming support of our runners we raised over $14,000 for IM ABLE! A special thanks goes to Steve who raised $8000 on his own!!!

The entire weekend was special, to be able to participate in such a prestigious event and have all of our supporters wear IM ABLE gear and help us along the way was memorable and inspirational. See PICTURE GALLERY

Pre race dinner with L-R Nick, Steve and Gretchen