We lead adults with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) to choose a lifetime of community-driven health and wellness. We provide holistic wellness classes in-person, on-demand and through our Bloom Live! virtual classes.
Everyone with an intellectual or developmental disability has an Athlete within. Bloom is here to help each person find it.
Seven bikes
and a dream.
John and Jill Watson have a daughter, Emma, who lives with an intellectual and developmental disability diagnosis. As Emma grew up, the Watsons found ways to support her physical and emotional health through movement. But as she entered adulthood, options that met her needs seemed few and far between.
That landed John at Texana Center, a large IDD service provider in Rosenberg, Texas. There he found a room of unused fitness equipment. According to staff, fitness programming had not worked — clients became uninterested over time. John left knowing what he needed to build: a program that would lead adults with IDD to choose a lifetime of fitness.
Bloom began in 2016, in partnership with a day habilitation provider, with seven stationary bikes. Since then Bloom has invested nearly $500,000 in leading every person with IDD to a lifetime of wellness.
“If a person will take the time to make an authentic connection with people living with an IDD diagnosis, they will tell you what motivates them and how to best serve them.”
John Watson, President & Founder
People stay.
Bloom’s own numbers, and the reason the program keeps growing: almost nobody who joins it leaves.
A team in Bloom.
As we grow our program, we grow our team. Regardless of how big we get, the goal is always the same: lead with heart so that fitness can follow.
John Watson
President / Founder
Tami Lorch
Executive Director
Beryl Bailey
Program Director
Jamie MacDonald
Program Manager
Mynette Murtagh
Culture Ambassador
Fourteen people
who show up.
Hisham “Ahkee” McIntosh
Bloom Athlete
Charity English
Autism Service Program Provider, University of Houston–Clear Lake
David Baldwin
Co-President, SCF Partners
Dr. Evanthe Collins
VP, IDD Services Division
Ellen Fremion, MD, FAAP, FACP
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Jourdan McNair
Longtime Bloom Supporter
Kate Ball
Attorney · Secretary
Keith Perry
CIO, St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Kevin Kern
Chief Operating Officer, Avondale House
Kevin Murphy
Area President, Gallagher · Treasurer
Dr. Kirk English
Professor, Milligan University
Daniel Feavel
CEO, Bloom Kidz
Pete Guarraia
Partner, Blackstone
Karen Rezai
Longtime Champion for People with IDD
Bring Bloom
to your org.
Partner with us to give your athletes access to adaptive fitness. Setup is simple, costs are low, and the impact is immediate.
Give $1, give a
Bloom class.
Your donation directly funds programming for adults with IDD who wouldn't otherwise have access to fitness.