PORT WASHINGTON — At StarrFit Gym in Port Washington, everyone is welcome to lift weights and work out, thanks to a new inclusive fitness class called "ABLE" designed specifically for people with intellectual disabilities.
"They learn that they can bench press, they can dead lift, they can do certain exercises that they might not have thought they could do before," owner of StarrFit, Matt Starr said.
Starr has been a fitness coach for quite some time, but this year he felt compelled to do something more meaningful for his community.
"It means a lot," Starr said. "To see people move, people who have never really moved before and then are realizing that they are able to do something that they didn't think was possible is probably the most rewarding ever."
TMJ4 found out about Starr's class when he came to our Let's Talk Port Washington event. He wants more people to join the free workout sessions held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
"And I thought Let's Talk would be a great start and hopefully it keeps going and keeps the program going," Starr said.
Watch: Port Washington gym offers inclusive fitness class for people with intellectual disabilities
After our event, Megan Lee stopped by the gym and met Joe Samuel, one of the participants who's not only having fun but being pushed to new limits.
"You feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that you did better than you thought you would before if you didn't try it," Samuel said.
Samuel says StarrFit is a safe place for him to workout and meet new friends.
"I wouldn't be knowing what to do if I went to a public gym. I wouldn't know what the heck to do myself and I would be nervous there," Samuel said.
For Starr, the program is about making a difference in people's lives.
"Oh yeah, big time. And that's mainly what I am trying to do. Just make big differences. Make them healthier, make them happier, making more confidence is a huge one and just being able to know that they can do hard things," Starr said.
And he's doing that one dead lift at a time.
You can learn more about the class at the StarrFit website.
This story was reported on-air by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
