SUPPORT.
>> NICE.
>> INSIDE INCLUSIVE FITNESS IN ROXBURY, YOU WILL NOT FIND THE
FANCY LIGHTS AND LOUD MUSIC COMMENTED BIG-NAME GYMS, NO
SLAMMING WEIGHTS EITHER.
YOU WILL FIND A COMMITMENT TO BUILDING CONFIDENCE.
>> WE DON’T HAVE MUSIC.
PUT FILMS IN THE WINDOWS SO LIGHT CAN COME IN, BUT THERE IS
NO STIMULUS.
WE CHOSE COLORS THAT ARE CALMING.
NICOLE: GREG AND CHRISTINA OPENED THE FACILITY LAST YEAR,
INSPIRED BY THEIR LOVE FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS.
>> WE MET AT A GYM.
NICOLE: THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR SON, LUCAS.
HE IS THRIVING AS HE LIVES WITH AUTISM.
THEY NOTICED THAT STAYING ACTIVE HELP HIS EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL
WELL-BEING AND AFTER HIS FIRST TRIATHLON --
>> HE WAS PACKING UP HIS THINGS AND HE SAID, I CAN DO ANYTHING.
IT IS A MOTTO THAT WE HAVE CARRIED FORWARD THAT REPRESENTS
THE SENSE OF PRIDE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT HE FELT IN
COMPLETING THAT WITH US, HAS CARRIED FORWARD TO THIS DAY.
NICOLE: THEY TELL US THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP
NARROW DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS BUT FEW GYMS DESIGNED WITH
SENSITIVITIES IN MIND.
>> THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, BUT THEY ARE USUALLY SHORT-LIVED
OR THEY ARE SPECIFIC TO A SPORT.
THAT IS NOT ALWAYS APPROPRIATE.
>> I’M ALWAYS REALLY EXCITED.
NICOLE: FAMILIES HERE WORK TOGETHER.
CHERYL ENROLLED HER DAUGHTER AFTER SEEING A SIMPLE WORD WITH
SO MUCH MEETING.
>> I HEAR INCLUSIVE AND MY EARS POP UP.
NICOLE: SHE WAS NOT QUITE SURE IT WAS A FIT.
JORDAN HAS DOWN SYNDROME.
IT TURNS OUT, IT WAS MORE THAN A MATCH.
>> IT WAS BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD IMAGINE.
I EXPECTED HER TO DO SOME THINGS, BUT HE GOT HER TO DO
THINGS -- AND THEY WERE REGULAR EXERCISES.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE INSTILLED INTO THE BUSINESS IS
GIVING PEOPLE THEIR OWN VOICE.
ONCE AN ATHLETE FINDS THEY ARE CAPABLE, THEN THEY CAN
ACCELERATE ON THEIR FITNESS LEVEL, THEY CAN FIND OUT HOW TO
APPLY STRENGTH TRAINING TO OTHER MODALITIES.
NICOLE: CONFIDENCE ALLOWS THESE ATHLETES TO --
>> RAISE THE BAR.
NICOLE: FINDING THEIR VOICE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN
GROW IS NOT JUST ABOUT FITNESS.
>> WE ARE NOT HERE JUST TO RUN FASTER.
WE WANT TO TRANSLATE INTO REAL LIFE, FUNCTIONAL SKILLS LIKE
WORKING IN A GARDEN, GOING TO THE WORKPLACE.
NICOLE: LUCAS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPRESSING HIS ABILITIES
THROUGH SPORT.
>> I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT.
NICOLE: IT IS A GAME OF STRATEGIC CONTEMPLATION THAT HAS
BROUGHT TOGETHER PLAYERS FOR MORE THAN 1500 YEARS, THOUGH THE
ORIGINS OF CHESS ARE UNKNOWN, MORE PEOPLE COMPETE THAN ANY
OTHER SPORT IN THE WORLD.
SHE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS GAME THAN MOST.
SHE IS ONE OF NEW ENGLAND’S TOP PLAYERS, CURRENTLY THE HIGHEST
RATED FEMALE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
SHE HAS AN EXPERT LEVEL RATING FROM THE UNITED STATES CHESS
FEDERATION.
>> I WAS AROUND 6, 6 .5, I SAW MY MOM PLAYING WITH MY ON.
-- WITH MY AUNT.
NICOLE: FROM THE BASICS TO WINNING COMPETITIONS IN INDIA,
WHEN SHE FOUND HERSELF IN THE STATES WORKING AS A SOFTWARE
ENGINEER, POLL WORKERS MYSTIFIED BY THE GAME OF STRATEGY ASKED
FOR LESSONS.
THAT SET HER ON A PATH FROM STUDENT OF THE GAME TO TEACHER.
>> THAT IS HOW EVERY GAME IS UNIQUE.
CHESS IS A COMBINATION OF SCIENCE, ART AND SPORTS.
NICOLE: A SPORT?
>> WE HAVE A WIN, A LOSS, WE HAVE DRAWN.
WHEN PEOPLE THINK IT IS A SLOGAN, THEY ARE WRONG.
EVERY SECOND MONTH CONSTANTLY THE MIND IS AT WORK.
NICOLE: SHE TEACHES CHILDREN AND ADULTS BECAME VIRTUALLY AND IN
PERSON.
SHE SAYS IT HELPS TO DEVELOP CONCENTRATION, DECISION-MAKING
SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE.
IT WAS A MOMENT IN INDIA WHEN SHE SAW A PLAYER WITH CEREBRAL
PALSY BEING CARRIED INTO A TOURNAMENT, THAT INSPIRED HER TO
FORM ORGANIZATION, CELESTIAL MAYANS AND A PROGRAM CALLED,
EXPRESSED THROUGH CHESS.
>> WE SPONSOR CHILDREN WHO ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND PLAY MORE
TOURNAMENTS.
NICOLE: THE IDEA IS TO BUILD A BRIDGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT
NATURALLY DEVELOPS WHEN TWO PEOPLE SIT DOWN IN COMPETITION
AND REACH THOSE WHO OTHERWISE STRUGGLE TO FIND WAYS TO
COMMUNICATE.
SHE FUNDS AND RUNS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN INDIA WHO HAVE VERY
LITTLE SOCIALIZATION OUT RIGHT OF THE SCREEN.
>> THEY ARE FROM A TOUGH BACKGROUND, A STRUGGLING
BACKGROUND AND THEY ARE ALL HEARING-IMPAIRED, NO ONE CAN
TALK.
THEY JUST WATCH TV, NO.
THEY HAVE THIS GAME.
WE INITIATED CHESS CLASSES FOR THEM.
THEY PLAY AND THEY FOUND THEM MUCH STRONGER.
NICOLE: CHESS IS A GAME THAT ENHANCES THE MIND AND GIVES
PLAYERS OF ALL ABILITIES A PLACE OF BELONGING.
>> AND THAT IS CHECKMATE.
ERIKA: BACK TO INCLUSIVE FITNESS, THE AUSTINS HAVE PLANS
TO EXPAND THEIR GYM BUSINESS.
THEY HOPE TO OPEN LOCATIONS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE
BOSTON.
IN ADDITION TO SERVING MORE CLIENTS, AN EXPANSION WOULD
ALLOW THEM TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO NEURO-DIVERSE
INDIVIDUALS.
FINALLY TONIGHT, STR