Rise Fitness Builds Inclusive Community for Athletes of All Abilities
Every week, a found family of Louisvillians comes together for what seems like a workout, but is really so much more. Rise Fitness is a nonprofit dedicated to those with disabilities, providing a gym environment — complete with training and social activities — that is usually inaccessible to such an important part of the population.
Co-Founder Jason Morrison describes it as “an adaptive and inclusive fitness program where, primarily, we focus on youth and adults with disabilities. We work on developing exercise [programs], but we’re wanting to develop a little bit more than that. There’s a lot of social aspects to what we do, and we’re hoping to develop long-term, healthy habits using a variety of exercises that will translate over to activities of daily living. [We’re] trying to instill good habits through movement so that people can be healthier and move longer.”
A few years back, both Morrison and co-founder Sarah Gillespie, had begun researching fitness programs for people with disabilities, but neither knew the other was considering it.
“I saw a need in our community for an adaptive gym that would be for all individuals no matter what their disability,” Gillespie says.
“I just felt a pull,” Morrison reflects. He had previous experience working with people with disabilities, particularly through the Shine Ministry at Southeast Christian Church.
“I’d much rather be around this group of people,” he says. “I felt more at home. I felt more connected. I felt less judged. So I thought, ‘I love fitness. And I love hanging out with my friends at church. So can we combine those two things?’”
After discovering that Gillespie had the same interest, they began work on what would eventually become Rise Fitness — but it took a steep learning curve. With no other program like it in the area, there was no model to follow.
“We had to learn everything on the fly,” Morrison says. “They say if you want to learn how to swim, they’re gonna throw you into the deep end. And that’s what we did.
“We started with one class. It was just an hour, and we had seven athletes.”
That first class was in 2022, and in no time, Rise had expanded to four different classes with more than 30 athletes — and even more waiting to get involved.
As Rise grew, so did the need for its own space. This summer, the program moved into its first dedicated facility, giving it the freedom to expand the schedule, add classes and create a new social space.
“It’s grown from filling a need in the community with seven people, to now a full calendar of classes where we can integrate not just training, like physical training, but some social activities,” Morrison adds.
When discussing the transition, Morrison is quick to mention Gillespie’s essential role in the process. “We absolutely would not have the building that we have, and we wouldn’t be where we are, without her,” he says.
“With having our own gym space, we hope to reach more individuals in our community — providing a space for functional movement and a community where they know they belong,” Gillespie says.
Someone coming to Rise for the first time can expect an assessment lasting about 45 minutes. This allows a coach to get an idea of where the athlete is starting, as well as to show the athlete what Rise Fitness truly is.
“It’s not pass or fail,” Morrison says. “It’s not acceptance or rejection. It just gives us an idea of where they’re starting, so that when they come to a class, we know how to adjust the programming.”
He recalls one athlete in particular: “We have one guy—we were going to program bear crawls—and we’re like, ‘Well, he can’t do bear crawl, so we’re just going to put him over here and he’s going to do something else, and everybody else will do bear crawls.’ And we’re like, ‘Wait a minute, that’s what their life looks like — being told, ‘You can’t do this with everybody else, we’re going to put you to the side.’
“So what we did was reverse that. We had everybody do what he could do, because it’s still functional. And then if somebody was a little bit more advanced, we could work with them right there. But that brought everybody into the fold. His mom said it’s the only place for him in his life where he’s doing what everybody else is doing, where he’s not separated.”
Rise is not only a place for physical and social growth.
“We’ve also empowered athletes to become coaches,” Morrison adds. “It’s not just fitness, it’s leadership, it’s involvement, it’s mentoring and empowering this population that is widely ignored.”
Athletes who attend Rise and are interested in becoming a coach can pursue a coaching pathway to become certified and begin shadowing a current coach, eventually becoming a paid member of the staff.
“This is really important for us as reaching this community, to also show that we have somebody with a disability in a very important leadership role,” Morrison says.
Gillespie, whose son is not only one of the coaches but an integral and irreplaceable part of the program, highlights the significance of the program.
“Our Rise coaches want every athlete to feel proud and strong when they are at the gym working out, but also feel like they belong there,” she says. “We have created a special community that feels like a family, and we are so proud of that.”
The Rise family is open to everyone, regardless of ability.
“We are able to modify movements for each athlete, so our program is individualized,” Gillespie says. “We want all of our athletes to feel a sense of accomplishment when they leave the gym.”
Morrison agrees.
“We haven’t turned anybody down,” he says. “We feel like, if you can get to our building, we can work with you. Everybody’s on their own timeline. Some people are super shy when they come in, and they don’t want to do anything. We get all kinds, but that just shows it’s no different than any other gym.”
Anything is OK at Rise — and the best thing anyone can do is to show up and try.
Ultimately, Rise is about so much more than the physical — it is about changing lives.
“Our athletes are so inspiring,” Gillespie says. “They are up for any challenge. There is nothing better than seeing an athlete’s face when they accomplish something they didn’t think they could do. Whether that’s lifting a certain weight, jumping on a box or running from cone to cone. To be able to see this as a coach is really something special. Rise wants all of our athletes to live healthy, full and abundant lives.”
Morrison is ready to keep the vision of Rise going.
“We just want more opportunities for this population, because they’re too isolated,” he says. “It makes me feel so good when they come in the door and they’re happy to be there and they work hard. Gosh, they work hard.”
These athletes are the group that works the hardest of all — and through Rise, there’s a whole new way for them to show it.
Rise Fitness is located at 13050 Eastgate Park Way, Suite 108. To get involved or to volunteer, visit risefitnesskentucky.com.
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