'Capable of so much more': People with disabilities taking up and redefining CrossFit

SINGAPORE: Janessa Yu was working up a sweat at the gym as usual, this time powering the assault bike with her arms. For the 24-year-old, this was not just a workout, but a path to empowerment and self-discovery. Yu has a neurological condition that impacts her balance and muscle tissues. But at this CrossFit class specially designed for people with disabilities, Janessa has learnt she could push her body to do things that she didn’t think were possible.

“The perceived intensity of the sport excited rather than scared me – I like challenging myself as it’s these kinds of experiences that help me to grow,” she said.

Yu is one of the “adaptive athletes” at CrossFit gym Innervate Fitness, which it said is the only one in Singapore that has a programme specially tailored for people with disabilities.

Since the programme was launched in 2017, about 35 people with disabilities have joined. Six of them are currently active in the Adaptive Athletes Programme.

When CNA visited the adaptive class on a weekday, Yu was one of three people with disabilities present, along with a few other senior participants.

“They are regular members and most have been doing so for close to four to five years now,” said Lionel Choong, owner of Innervate Fitness.

Their disabilities range from visual impairment to hearing impairment to muscular dystrophy.

CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness programme that includes a wide variety of exercises and movements, such as Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, cardiovascular, plyometric, strongman, and kettlebell exercises.

The workouts are designed to improve overall fitness and physical performance by combining multiple exercises.

For people with disabilities, CrossFit has to be scaled and adapted