Exercise for Everyone: Specialty Athletic Training
We are proud and honored to announce that Specialty Athletic Training has moved into our pad!
Owner of Specialty Athletic Training, Ryan Lockard, and his team will be holding their classes at Stephen’s Place.
Ryan and his team work with our residents throughout the week, tailoring exercises to each person’s specific needs and favorite moves. It all began with Ryan playing football at Lewis & Clark. In 2006, during a long recovery from a torn ACL, he became interested in personal training. He then responded to an ad for one-on-one training for a boy with Autism. During this time, Ryan realized that the expectations set for autistic people were much lower (about half) than those for neurotypical people. Inspired by the experience, he decided to create a program specifically designed for those with special needs. Specialty Athletic Training was founded in 2012. Their clients can choose programs that they want to do with activities they enjoy doing, while trainers make sure they also have targeted workouts for different muscle groups. Combining cardio and weight training, they make working out fun while also educating clients on the importance of exercise.“[My] favorite part of my job is that I am privileged to wake up every day excited,” Ryan said. “I am passionate about serving our clients and making fitness a part of their everyday lives.” On top of running SAT in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, Ryan volunteers with the Autism Society of Oregon on the board of directors, Lewis & Clark College Strength and Conditioning as an assistant coach and for Athletes Without Limits as a volunteer coach. Moving forward, he hopes to continue to grow SAT and help as many people as possible. Challenging and inspiring other trainers to help individuals with special needs is where he sees the organization heading next.“There’s currently nothing like it,” Ryan said. “Do what you love and you won’t work another day in your life.”For more information on Specialty Athletic Training, visit their website at http://www.specialtyathletictraining.com/ to join us for a day program, a calendar of events can be found here: https://stephensplace.org/events/