About the Nonprofit
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Every year 50,000 teens with autism become adults and lose school-based autism services. This means they lose a place to help them grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. They lose the support they need to help them navigate life as an adult living with limitations. They lose their outlets that help them manage emotions and anxiety that they might not be able to verbalize. In New England, there is currently no solution to this growing problem. There are no dedicated gyms or fitness studios that are trained, skilled, and adaptable to accommodate physical and mental disabilities.
My name is Tessa Eichelberger, and I am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer specializing in Special Needs Training. When I met my friend Jonathan Cubeta in 2007, we shared the passion for bringing fitness into people’s lives no matter what the limitations might be. When he was diagnosed with cancer and was confined to a wheelchair it became apparent to us that the special needs community needed our help. From that point on we made it our goal to open a special needs training studio for those within the community to provide an outlet to those deserving and in need. My passion to offer individual training to those in the special needs community continues to this day. Having lost Jonathan to cancer in 2020, I have continued to dedicate myself to making his dream, and mine, a reality: provide physical fitness training to children, young adults, and adults to prepare for events such as “The Special Olympics” or to simply coach these individuals to help improve upon their overall physical fitness.
At Strong Poss-Abilities, our mission is to provide regulated physical fitness programs that are personalized to the needs of these individuals. In doing so, this community of people will have a safe space—a home--in which to exercise and improve their physical condition under the watchful eye of a certified personal trainer.
Currently, in-home, one-on-one, training sessions are being offered to special needs individuals while we continue to search for the perfect studio. A studio enables us to have group training sessions, which will help these young adults to interact with others.
