Those Who
Bloom
Every week, more than 3,000 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities show up, push hard, and prove what's possible. This is their story.
400 classes strong.
These athletes have each completed 400 or more Bloom classes. Every one of them earns a place on our awards board, and on this wall.
Adults with IDD are nearly twice as likely to be inactive. Bloom exists to change that number.
The gap in fitness access for the IDD community isn't just a quality-of-life issue. It's a health crisis. Bloom was built to close that gap — class by class, athlete by athlete, one community at a time.
Representing Bloom with heart.
Bloom Fitness is a program for our athletes, led by our athletes. These athletes have earned the Coach designation, which means they will lead, encourage and support their fellow athletes, as well as shape the program as Bloom expands its impact across the country.
Michele
Michele from The Brookwood Community is Bloom Fitness’ very first Bloom Coach! She inspires others through her love of movement and encourages Athletes to feel confident in what they can accomplish.
“Bloom makes me feel like I am a person and that I can do things, too.”
Matt
Matt is a dedicated Bloom Coach with more than 700 Bloom classes completed! He leads by example, encouraging his friends to join in and bringing enthusiasm and a positive attitude to every class.
Thusa
Thusa is a dedicated Bloom Coach with nearly 400 classes completed. She loves encouraging her friends, helping prepare for class, and sharing her love of dance with the Bloom community.
Trevor and Melissa
Trevor & Melissa from Cartman and Hampton are dedicated Bloom Coaches who bring enthusiasm, empathy, and teamwork to every class. Melissa encourages her friends to join in and do their best, while Trevor loves helping lead classes and supporting his friends and staff.
Latessa
Latessa loves doing Bloom Fitness every day because it makes her feel happy! She enjoys encouraging her friends, and her favorite class is dancing to Michael Jackson.
Anna
Anna says Bloom makes her feel good! She loves Celebrations and earning awards, and brings great energy while leading by example. Her favorite Bloom move is “Picking Oranges”!
Emilee
Emilee loves doing Bloom classes with her friends and encouraging them to join in. Bloom helps her get stronger, and her favorite part is celebrating her accomplishments at Bloom Celebrations!
Gavin
Gavin does Bloom Fitness every day and never stops smiling or moving! Bloom makes him feel happy and strong, and he is always ready to help and encourage his friends during class.
Hillary
Hillary is always prepared and loves speaking in front of others and recording Bloom videos. She enjoys helping Athletes stay healthy and happy, and is a wonderful role model and support to her friends and the Brookwood staff.
Angel and David
Angel and David are fun, energetic Bloom Coaches who love encouraging their friends to join in. Angel leads by example through his love of dance, while David helps log in his friends and motivates them to participate and have fun!
Joe P.
“Exercising to music and using weights to make my body more muscular”
Michael M.
“Being able to exercise with my friends and lose weight”
Vickie B.
“I love being able to exercise and get healthy”
Amy C.
“To be strong. To be healthy. To be powerful”
Drew R.
“The classes are fun!”
Every body. Every ability.
More than 3,000 athletes come from our 53 partner locations across Texas, Florida, North Carolina and multiple other states. They are the reason Bloom exists.
Amy
Amy has always made an effort to be healthy. When a cycling class was offered she was the first to sign up, and she nudged others to join her. She struggled at first — it was the first time she had truly tried aerobic exercise — but she was determined, and never missed a day. When she earned her Bloom towel, water bottle and shirt, her eyes beamed with a pride that has only grown since.
Ashley
Ashley came to her first cycle class in flip flops and struggled to climb onto the bike, not saying a word and not looking at anyone. To our surprise she came back the very next week, and again, and again. Today she arrives in tennis shoes, in full Bloom gear, with cycling gloves. A year in, at a party for the riders at Texana Learning Center, her name was announced as Most Improved — and the whole room began chanting it.
James
Those who know James would describe him as quiet, reserved and very cautious about trying anything new. He attended his first Bloom class with a lot of hesitancy and did not participate — he just watched. At his fifth class, James gently took the instructor’s arm and asked to go up on the stage. He wanted to lead a move. He has been an enthusiastic participant ever since.
Kenny
Kenny lives in an all-male home. When his home teacher recognised his Bloom shirt and asked him about it, Kenny immediately lit up with great pride — and then began showing the whole house the exercises, leading them through the movements himself.
Michelle
Michelle is in her mid-50s. At the start of a recent class she approached the instructor to let him know that she did not like to exercise. He accepted that. She immediately followed it with, “But Bloom is fun. Can we make class last longer?”
Dez
Dez lives with Down syndrome and had never attended a fitness class. She entered her first Bloom class almost scared, and getting onto the stationary bike was difficult. The instructor checked on her several times; she was not about to get off. She came back time after time, which surprised her parents and the staff. Years later she is still here — and never misses a BloomLive! class.
Anwar
Anwar is one of our superstar athletes at The Harris Center. During quarantine his family struggled to motivate him to move, until they had the idea to set out his Bloom shirt and shorts. Something sparked, and he has been on his bike every day since. His mother says the only problem is that she now has to wash the shirt daily. What a great problem, we say.
Xavier
Xavi’s smile is brighter than sunshine! He is CAMP University’s athlete with the most classes under his belt — an impressive 194 completed — and he keeps his fitness journey going at home with the Bloom app. He loves exercising alongside his friends, and beyond traditional workouts he has a special passion for dancing, particularly to Michael Jackson, where he encourages others to join in. His leadership and joyful spirit make him a true star of the Bloom community.
What Bloom sounds like.
Bloom helps me because I used to feel sluggish and out of shape, and now I feel more active and more energized — it actually helped my mood too. I feel more happy and outgoing.
I enjoy being in the Bloom classes because I love doing the exercises and helping other people. If they need help with something, I am always there.
Thanks again for bringing Bloom to T&L. Philip and his friends love it and always look forward to it. It seems to have helped Philip’s mobility and he seems happier.
Thank you, sponsors
The organizations that make $1-per-class possible.
Constellation ABLE ERG
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.
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Bloom class.
Your donation directly funds programming for adults with IDD who wouldn't otherwise have access to fitness.
Every story starts with someone choosing to give.
$1 gives one adult with IDD access to one Bloom class. Your gift makes every one of these stories possible.