Individuals with special needs hold a special place in Roger Wessel’s heart.
His brother, Eric, was born with special needs. He died nine years ago at age 45.
On Monday night, Wessel had an opportunity to support a local organization that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for people with intellectual disabilities and also be around one of his passions — fitness.
This year, Anytime Fitness in Seymour has chosen to support Special Olympics Indiana Jackson County through its annual Train Your Trainer fundraiser.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryAt the beginning of this month, club members began raising money to have a chance to turn the tables on their trainers.
During Monday’s event, they called the shots on the exercises their trainers had to complete in 10-minute increments. The nine trainers were given short breaks in between the 10-minute sessions of the hourlong event.
For Wessel, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“Knowing what it went for, that they are working hard to raise money, it meant a lot,” he said. “Physically watching them do it, they are good sports with what they went through for the last hour. We don’t get workouts like that, trust me. The 10 minutes I gave them was nothing compared to what they did for the whole hour.”
Wessel couldn’t help but think about his brother Monday night.
“Growing up, it was a lot different back then. There wasn’t a lot of stuff out there back in the ’70s and ’80s. They were just starting to get some programs, but he was always left out of everything,” he said. “We got to go out and have fun and play sports and do whatever. He always got left out, and it kind of gets to me.”
Now seeing his daughter, Gracie, and son-in-law, Steffen, both teach special education in Seymour, Wessel beams with pride.
“When my daughter chose that career, she doesn’t know what that did for me,” he said.
He also likes how involved Anytime Fitness is with Special Olympics and everything the program offers for people with special needs.
“It’s just awesome the stuff that they do now,” he said. “I appreciate all of these athletes. They are amazing at everything they accomplish.”
Special Olympics Indiana is a not-for-profit organization, and state and local fundraisers are conducted throughout the year to keep the program free for athletes to participate.
In the summer of 2018, Anytime Fitness joined athletes and unified partners at a unified fitness club meeting at the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour. Since then, trainers have visited once a month to lead a workout. Now, the group meets at Girls Inc. of Jackson County in Seymour.
That partnership and Anytime Fitness being a global sponsor of Special Olympics led to the local club choosing that cause for Train Your Trainer.
“Putting stuff on like this, going out in the community, making wellness more than just a workout, it’s a huge part of what we are,” said Alex Cazares, personal training manager at Anytime Fitness in Seymour.
Seeing the trainers, members and Special Olympics representatives enjoy the experience, Cazares said that’s why he does what he does.
“I feel very confident that what I’m supposed to do is give back and giving back in health,” he said. “If you’re happy, you’re healthy. If you’re healthy, you’re happy. That’s what we have today. If you create more of it, you get more of it.”
Club manager Drew Carpenter said the company is matching 15% of any amount raised over $400.
“We already hit that Day 1,” he said.
Anytime Fitness employees also are giving money out of their paycheck to support Special Olympics, and trainers will participate in a pie-in-the-face fundraiser soon.
Members and the public are invited to contribute as the fundraiser continues for a couple more weeks, and then a check will be presented to Special Olympics. The initial goal was $2,600, but around $4,000 has been collected so far.
The local club also will have a Christmas tree up soon with tags for members to take, buy the gift listed, wrap it and put under the tree. Those will be given to a couple of families at Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry in Seymour.
The giving spirit is what makes personal trainer Michael Powell proud to work for Anytime Fitness.
“We’re just passionate about exercise, and I feel like one of the areas we can really give back to the community is for Special Olympics because through all different types of special needs and services, we can help with exercise,” he said. “If we can give back a service to help them and also just allow them to have a new passion … I feel like that’s helping the community quite a bit.”
Working out for an hour Monday based on the members’ demands, Powell was all about it.
“It’s always nice because all year long, we preach and we ask them to do exercises they might not like,” he said. “I want them to do a scientific workout, so I encourage them to do what we do, these patterns, and just to see them do that is awesome.”
He maintained excitement throughout the event.
“Before, incredibly excited. During, it’s always just endorphin rush because it feels like you’re playing for IU and all of your biggest fans are around. Then it’s just rewarding afterward,” he said. “It’s cool to see it all come together. Culture is everything here. We preach family, so just to see people that are already paying for our services donate their own money toward something that we support is just amazing.”
Club member Wanda Campbell said Powell regularly puts her through pain and agony during workouts, so it was fun to put him through it.
“Oh, it was fun,” she said, smiling. “For Special Olympics, No. 1, and then it is just such fun to watch them do this for an hour. I have noticed when the coaches go to help with (the Special Olympics athletes), they love it.”
Personal trainer Madison Criminger said she had a good time participating in her first Train Your Trainer.
“Before, my adrenaline was like at 112 because this is my first Train Your Trainer, so the adrenaline was going, I was feeling real good, and during it, a little less good,” she said, smiling. “Now that I’m done, I’m at like 100 million percent good.”
Criminger has led Special Olympics athletes and partners through monthly workouts, so she was happy to help in another way.
“I have been volunteering with Special Olympics since I was in high school, so every year, my heart for this organization just keeps growing,” she said.
“When Alex presented me the opportunity to come see (the athletes and partners), my heart just exploded because I thought when my high school career ended that I was going to be done with it, so it just makes my heart so happy,” she said. “Then being able to do it at my job makes it even better. Seeing some of the athletes here tonight, again my heart just burst. It makes all those burpees 100% worth it.”
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To contribute to the Train Your Trainer fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics Indiana Jackson County, stop by Anytime Fitness, 840 E. Tipton St., Seymour, or call 812-680-4639.
For information about Anytime Fitness’ global partnership with Special Olympics, visit anytimefitness.com/special-olympics-partnership.
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