The strange looks he received when he trained at other commercial gyms prompted Jayden Dennis to create his own, more welcoming environment.
Dennis, who lost his hand when he was 16 in an accident on the ranch where he worked, accomplished that over the weekend when Flex-Abled opened in Seguin, Texas. KENS5 TV, a CBS affiliate, published a story by Alan Kozeluh on Jan. 7 about the event.
The goal is to help people who need special adaptations feel at home in their gym.
“I hope they see us as a welcoming place,” Dennis says. “I want them to feel comfortable and that they have a chance to be a little bit more themselves.”
Dennis competes as a powerlifter and is a certified personal trainer as well.
“It feels silly, but I’m grateful I did lose my hand,” he says, “because I don’t know where I would be. But, you know, my calling is to help people in need, and it feels good to be able to know that and give and help other people.”