Corps Fitness raises funds to buy adaptive equipment for the disabled
Chris is a disabled Marine (wheelchair bound) who started Corps Fitness, to raise funds to buy adaptive equipment for the disabled, many of them kids or young adults, that allows them to engage in an active lifestyle in spite of their disabilities.
You may hear Chris Kaag’s booming voice before you see him roll around the corner to greet you with a
huge smile and an even bigger handshake. Like many influencers in the community, Chris Kaag wears
numerous hats as the founder and Executive Director of the IM ABLE Foundation, founder of Corps
Fitness, adaptive athlete, public speaker, and relentless advocate for the adaptive community.
Shortly after graduating from Wyomissing High School, Kaag served his country in the United States
Marine Corps for almost five years. He still remembers the words of his Drill Instructor, “Don’t quit on me,
Kaag” which would serve as a beacon of hope and reassurance in the upcoming years. At the age of 21
and in the prime of his military career, Kaag was diagnosed with adrenomyeloneuropathy, a rare
degenerative condition affecting the myelin sheath of his nerve cells and was medically discharged from
the Marine Corps. He began to walk with a cane, then two canes. With new direction and a “don’t quit on
me” attitude, Kaag earned a business degree from Penn State Berks and began using his military-style
fitness regimen to train small and large groups. These training sessions and Kaag’s passion for improving
the quality of life for those around him through physical fitness, evolved into Corps Fitness,
headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, his condition continued to worsen, and he soon
transitioned to a wheelchair. Kaag persisted with strength and resiliency and began competing in races
and raising funds for medical research which gave way to the new-found pursuit to assist other veterans
and individuals with challenges.
In 2007, he launched the IM ABLE Foundation, with the mission to remove obstacles that prevent people
with physical, cognitive and behavioral challenges from being physically active by providing grants,
resources, fitness opportunities and motivation. His motto was simple; “Get Up and Move!”. He has
developed programs like IM FIT, a free weekly fitness class for children and young adults to practice the
fundamentals of exercise together in a supportive and motivational environment, Operation Lead From
the Front, a mentorship program that matches athletes with veterans in a relationship fostered around
physical fitness and fun, and Rally Point, an inclusive community program geared around sharing his
passion for riding the trails around Berks county and beyond. The IM ABLE Foundation has also awarded
hundreds of equipment grants to motivated and deserving recipients in the mid-Atlantic region.
He has been able to accomplish great things with the support of his resilient and ever-supportive wife and
fellow-trainer, Gretchen Kaag. Their rambunctious and lovable son, Carter, is a testament to the Kaag
culture.
Chris Kaag is an inspiration to everyone that he encounters as he encourages them to celebrate the
abilities they have, rather than focus on those they don’t. Chris, his family, his team, and his community
believe that an active lifestyle is achievable for all, regardless of their abilities.