Chris Kaag, a Berks County resident and Wyomissing business owner will compete in the ING NYC Marathon on November 6, 2011 in New York City. Kaag, 34, is a disabled former Marine who owns Corps Fitness in Wyomissing, PA and is the founder and executive director for the IM ABLE Foundation. Although Kaag has been a handcyclist for over a decade, he will use a pushrim racing chair for his first marathon competition. He has been training and familiarizing himself with the racing chair since June 2011. Kaag will be the first male from Pennsylvania to compete in the NYC Marathon Pushrim Division since it was formed in 2000. The NYC Marathon is one of the most competitive pushrim marathons in the world and boasts over 200 wheelchair and handcycle athletes.
Kaag first suffered the effects of his degenerative nerve disorder at age 21 while he was serving as an active Marine. Initially, Kaag used canes to walk but gradually his wheelchair became his mode of mobility. In regards to his condition, Kaag says, “After my diagnosis, I had a decision to make: I could give up and let my condition control my life or I could dig deep and push on. I chose the latter.” Kaag has since become the owner of a successful fitness facility, Corps Fitness and has founded the IM ABLE Foundation.
The IM ABLE Foundation was created to provide opportunities for disabled individuals to adopt active lifestyles and experience adaptive sports. Through generous support and sponsorships, the Foundation achieves this mission through adaptive equipment grants, programming and awareness events. They encourage everyone to, “Get Up and Move!”
IM ABLE was brought to the attention of Signature Community, a New York City-based company, who purchased charitable spots in the sold-out marathon. Signature then offered a spot to Kaag; a proposition he could not turn down. Kaag says, “Because my philosophy has always been to encourage individuals of all abilities to get up and move, I knew I would accept the challenge set before me.”
Kaag’s training began under the instruction of another disabled athlete, Mike King, 52, a veteran of marathons and the racing chair. King is most well-known for his “Challenge of a Lifetime,” a wheelchair trek from Fairbanks, Alaska to Washington, D.C. King participated in the Pan American Games and was the 1992 Gold Medalist in the Pentathlon Event in Caracas, Venezuela and finished 5th in the World Games in Asun, Holland.
The Foundation is currently accepting applications for eligible disabled athletes looking to be motivated to develop an active lifestyle. Visit www.getupandmove.org for more information.
