Help build a more inclusive fitness industry! Call for entries

June 25, 2021

We have a fantastic opportunity for US-based coaches and trainers of all ages with a disability! One of our partners is advocating for the inclusion (and hiring) of athletes with physical and/or intellectual disabilities for a new campaign that will spotlight the incredible talent currently being overlooked by the fitness industry.

If you are, or know of, a US-based coach or trainer with a disability, we want to hear from you by July 2!

Movement, and the invaluable physical, mental and social benefits it brings, has a representation problem. For people who don’t fit society’s conventional ability standards, finding trainers and sources of inspiration that look like them can be a major issue. An issue that is reinforcing stereotypes around who can and can’t enjoy the benefits of movement.

As one gym member told the Boston Globe, “I had tried other CrossFit gyms but felt that people were made uncomfortable by my presence. There is so much to be said for an environment that accepts you.”

Time and time again athletes with disabilities lack the access afforded to movers without disabilities. For example, out of 700 YouTube fitness videos posted between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020, only 0.04% featured keywords related to the differently-abled community. And people with disabilities accounted for just 2% of advertising in 2019. Through the campaign, the brand is changing that, by advocating for more diverse champions of movement to inspire the next generation of movers.

In the upcoming campaign, our partner is looking to champion a selection of incredible coaches and trainers with disabilities (both physical and intellectual) on its digital channels. Interested applicants must be willing to be profiled on the brand’s channels (social media and website) and in the media, sharing their personal experiences and reflections. Ideally (but not mandatory!), they will also have a desire to be hired by one of the major US fitness brands – and most importantly, be an avid advocate for diversity in movement and willing to use their personal story to inspire others.

The campaign will go live in late July ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and you must be based in the US to apply.

For more information and to submit an application, please email Peter Hughes at [email protected]. Applications are due by 5pm ET on July 2, 2021.