Team USA powerlifter Garrison Redd set to launch NYC’s first adaptive strength training program

Garrison Redd, a Team USA Paralympic powerlifter and nationally recognized advocate for disability inclusion, is set to launch New York City’s first adaptive strength training program. The initiative aims to provide people with disabilities access to certified coaching, inclusive equipment, and a supportive fitness community.

Powerlifter Garrison Redd launches adaptive strength training program

Redd’s journey began with tragedy. At just 17, he was shot in the back outside his Brooklyn home, an act of violence that left him paralyzed from the waist down. But instead of letting that moment define him, Redd transformed it into purpose—emerging as a Team USA para powerlifter, motivational speaker, and tireless advocate for disability inclusion in fitness.

Through The Garrison Redd Project, the nonprofit he founded to empower people with disabilities, Redd has already introduced adaptive yoga, climbing, and virtual fitness programs that have reshaped what inclusive wellness can look like. Now, he’s building on that impact by launching New York City’s first adaptive strength training program.

Set to launch this fall, the initiative will offer personalized coaching, accessible equipment, and a welcoming gym environment for individuals across the mobility spectrum. From wheelchair users to those with limited movement, the goal is simple: to eliminate the barriers that too often shut people with disabilities out of traditional fitness spaces.

GoFundMe created

To bring the vision to fruition, Redd has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover essential costs, including gym space rental, adaptive equipment, transportation assistance, and scholarships for participants who can’t afford to pay. The campaign has already begun drawing support from across the country.

Redd’s initiative comes at a time when inclusivity in fitness remains limited nationwide. By creating a blueprint for adaptive training in one of the country’s largest cities, he hopes to inspire similar programs across the U.S.