STERLING HEIGHTS — What began with a student wanting to “fit in,” led to a fitness center that aims to include everyone.

Back in 2010, Mark Ralko was teaching a special needs class in the Birmingham Public Schools district when some parents approached him with a request. Their child was autistic and cognitively impaired, but he wanted to run track.

“And their mindset was they wanted their kid to be on the actual high school team. It wasn’t a separate team for kids with special needs. He wanted to be part of the main track team,” Ralko said. “It was a desire to integrate. The parents wanted him to be part of everyday inclusion — not just people with disabilities.”

Ralko, who holds a degree in special education — cognitively impaired, as well as a minor in adaptive fitness, saw an opportunity. He volunteered to train the student one on one after school, attending track meets with him, and even running alongside him.

“It’s about being able to adapt and modify the exercises but also showing them how to socially integrate so they feel like they’re part of the team,” Ralko said. “It’s not just exercise but socializing and working together.”

That first season was a huge success. Soon, the parents of other special needs students were approaching Ralko with their own requests. One student wanted to play basketball, for example. Another wanted to run with the cross-country team.

Ralko started working with each of them after hours, visiting their homes or meeting them at a local gym where the families had memberships. And the parents, in turn, saw improvements to their children’s self-esteem, sleep habits, attention spans, and overall health and happiness.

In 2012, Ralko’s mother suggested taking it further, collaborating with the local YMCA. A deal with the Birmingham branch followed, with Ralko’s students meeting at that location. But demand continued to grow. So, in the summer of 2016, Ralko resigned from his teaching position and decided to focus full time on his training program.

The result was the Inclusively Fit Foundation — a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides individually tailored, one-on-one adaptive fitness programming for people who have disabilities and special needs, all at an affordable rate.

The group’s centerpiece is a fitness center, Inclusively Fit, located at 37980 Commerce Drive, Suite 1002 in Sterling Heights. The 5,000-square-foot facility is loaded with professional-grade equipment for every type of workout and staffed by 10 licensed trainers.

Currently, they serve about 125 clients, ranging in age from 6 to 60, averaging about 5,000 one-on-one training sessions each year. In addition, there are weekly field trips that include another 150 individuals from group homes and local school districts.

Their needs run the gamut. Some clients struggle with weight, while others have autism, attention deficit disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or other conditions. The trainers work with each family to properly understand the situation, as well as the client as a person.

“We always do a walkthrough assessment with a series of questions, like what is their communication level and behavioral level, how are they in a group setting rather than at home, and how do they handle changing routines. We want to know how to appropriately instruct the child,” Ralko said. “Parents get these questions all the time from teachers and therapists, so when they hear it from us, their comfort level increases. They see we’re taking the time to get to know their child. Parents can even watch the workouts or work out themselves at the same time. We can be training their child while they’re over on the treadmill.”

Donations to the group are tax deductible and allow the gym to keep its rates low. Even in the current economy, personal training sessions at Inclusively Fit are just $45 an hour — roughly half the rate typically found elsewhere. And the trainers at Inclusively Fit specialize in special needs.

“A lot of our clients already go to other therapies that are not covered by their insurance — psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, things like that. We understand their need, and we try to help them by keeping our rates low,” Ralko said. “And we’re able to keep our rates low because of grants and the donors who support us.”

He explained that his clients have long been underserved by the health and wellness industry, in part because many physical trainers focus on able-bodied clients, and don’t learn about the more specialized needs of others.

Ralko also feels that the mental aspect is just as important, helping clients to feel good about themselves and to overcome any self-doubt. The goal is to help them realize they’re capable of setting and meeting goals and being part of their community.

In a series of email interviews, clients shared their experiences with the gym.

“My son Dylan has been coming to Inclusively Fit for the last four months, and we have seen incredible progress and achievement,” said Klaudeta Goskolli.

She described how her son was initially shy about trying new exercises. At first, he couldn’t do the chest press machine with added weight, but now he can handle 40 pounds on the machine.

“Dylan’s strength has improved … (and his) confidence has also improved. He looks forward to coming to the gym now, and has increased the number of days coming in,” Goskolli said.

Stacy Duncan teaches special needs students at Warren Woods Tower High School. She has been bringing them to Inclusively Fit once a week for more than a year now.

“Our students are physically impaired, so this is such a meaningful experience for them,” she said. “It’s nice that they have this opportunity to strengthen and stretch their bodies. The trainers have all been amazing and accommodate tasks so that all students can participate in activities. It’s so wonderful to see the joy and happiness on their faces when they can play sports and work out.”

Ralko said that he hopes to open a second location later this year, possibly in Canton or Farmington Hills.

“The need is not only in Sterling Heights — it’s all around the metro Detroit area,” Ralko said. “I’ve seen clients become more outgoing, wanting to do activities instead of just wanting to go home all the time. I see them putting forth the effort trying to change their eating habits, and I hear from parents telling me their kids can now walk down the aisles at the grocery store because they have better endurance. To some, that may seem like a small change, but for others, it’s massive. We are making them blossom.”

Inclusively Fit is located at 37980 Commerce Drive, Suite 1002, in Sterling Heights. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and closed on Sunday. For more information, call (586) 850-5004, or visit inclusivelyfit.org.