TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Special Olympics Indiana has announced it will be expanding its Train 4 Life initiative, a fitness program intended for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), to seven communities across the state of Indiana.

Train 4 Life is a 12-week program focuses on fitness, nutrition and mental health for Special Olympics athletes ages 13 and older. The program will also include pre- and post-program fitness testing, group workouts, weekly nutrition and healthy lifestyle education.

Special Olympics Indiana said the program is molded to meet individuals where they are and set achievable goals as they take on physical challenges. Participants will also work out alongside individuals without intellectual disabilities to build a sense of mentorship, friendship and community.

“This program is an incredible opportunity for our athletes to get health and fitness
training outside of their chosen sports seasons,” Special Olympics Indiana President
and CEO Jeff Mohler said. “By improving their physical fitness and well-being, we are
helping to set them up for longer, more fit lives.”

The program’s 2025 sites include:

• THIRST, Terre Haute
• Unbreakable Athletics Academy, Plainfield
• Reclaim, Greensburg
• Three Cord Fitness, Greenwood
• Purdue University Recreation, West Lafayette
• Mad Apple CrossFit, Fort Wayne
• CrossFit HSE, Noblesville

By developing these healthy choices within individuals, the program hopes to allow athletes to see measured outcomes and continue good habits throughout their lives.

“Studies have shown that nearly three-quarters of adults with ID and half of youth
with ID are overweight or obese. People with ID are four times more likely to acquire
Type 2 diabetes and a quarter of them have low bone density,” according to a press release from Special Olympics Indiana.

Special Olympics Indiana also said preliminary results from five pilot programs in 2024 included:

• 76.6% improvement in upper body strength.
• 406.% improvement in lower body strength.
• 14.5% improvement in endurance.
• 2% improvement in blood pressure.

“Through the Train 4 Life, we are helping athletes improve their performance on the
field while also making a measurable impact on their long-term health,” Special
Olympics Indiana Manager of Health and Fitness Kyle Moran said. “By partnering with
gyms that hold the same values as Special Olympics Indiana, we build up both our
athletes and our communities – one rep at a time.”