NorCal SCI grant program brings the gym to Ruben's apartment

Ruben exercising on his F9 fold-away functional trainer

We met the 23-year-old Ruben Casas in April of 2019 during our SCI Mobile Clinic in Modesto and right away, we were very impressed with how fit and healthy he looked. He was barely five years removed from a diving accident at a pool that left him with a C6-7 Complete spinal cord injury at the tender age of 18. Ruben was a big believer in staying fit and had continuously been attending a gym. But since COVID-19 had shuttered many of the gyms, his ability to exercise became more limited. And that’s where NorCal SCI’s Road To Recovery grant program was able to support his goal of continuing his exercise program at home.

While studying Managerial Economics with an emphasis in Business and Agribusiness at UC Davis, Ruben developed a plan to set up a home gym that allowed him to maintain the integrity of his body. His goal was to acquire a F9 fold-away functional trainer made by Torque Fitness. And so, together with a grant from NorCal SCI, Ruben was able to set up his own home gym without the need to depend on the outside gyms.

There are many individuals with SCI, just like Ruben, who have aspirations to maintain and improve the physical integrity of their body and NorCal SCI stands to support such motivated individuals. If you think that our Road To Recovery program can help support your goals, apply for a grant today. We seek to support highly-motivated individuals, so what have you got to lose? Apply HERE.