Inside Waco Adapt one Wednesday in April, music blared, rowing machines whined, barbells clanged, and athletes cheered each other on. The gym looks and feels like any other cross-fit facility, but everything inside is tailored for people with disabilities.
Co-founder Antonia Silva, a Waco-area physical therapist, says the idea for the gym came from one question she kept hearing from her patients.
"All of these people that are here today have at some point looked at me from the hospital bed and said, ‘What do I do after this?’," Silva said. "And I didn’t have a good answer."
That question stayed with her. She said after patients finished physical therapy, many had nowhere to continue building strength, confidence or connection.
"In Waco, we couldn’t find a place for people with disabilities to work out in an adaptive way, in an inclusive way," she said.
Overtime, Silva built relationships with adaptive athletes – people with disabilities who still participate in sports and fitness activities.
One of those athletes was Waco Adapt co-owner Edwin Munoz. The former gym owner and exercise physiologist was paralyzed in a 2018 diving accident. After his accident, Munoz remembered doctors telling him all the things he wouldn’t be able to do, like skiing and biking.
"So the first thing I wanted to do was prove that we can still do that stuff," Munoz said.
So he created Fearless Ventures, a nonprofit that helps adaptive athletes pursue outdoor recreation. But he still felt like something was missing, so he and Silva teamed up to create Waco Adapt.
"Now we have a hub where we can train everybody," he said.
For the athletes here, that need was easy to understand.
"I went to a couple of gyms before, but everybody stared and just the equipment – you look around and you can’t use it," said Nick Salazar, a wheelchair bound adaptive athlete.
At one of the first group work out sessions in April, most of the athletes were wheelchair users and worked together to adapt common exercises.
"Walking into a gym that I can use every machine means very much [to me]," Salazar said.
But for many athletes, the biggest benefit is simply being surrounded by others who understand what they’re going through.
"I was so isolated. I didn't know any other disabled people before [my injury]," Blahnik said. "I needed a community. I needed to find people who were like me."
Ryan Lambert was paralyzed 17 years ago. He said having a space like Waco Adapt would have probably sped up his own recovery.
"Having those people around that have been there and have learned and have done the exact same things that you’re having to go through – it’s super valuable," Lambert said.
For Victor Lopez, that community means supporting each other in every step of the recovery process.
" I don’t think we’re going to let you fall," Lopez said. " But if you want to be down in the dumps, hey, I’ll sit right next to you."
The gym held its soft opening April 4. They haven’t figured out a set schedule yet, but Munoz says they try to organize a couple group workouts each week.
Eventually, he hopes the gym will be fully donor-funded so that adaptive athletes don’t have to pay any membership fees.
