A trainer in California has dedicated his time and effort to help kind with special needs in the gym.
Fitness coach Chad Hooker is doing all he can to adapt training programs for those diagnosed with autism, wthr.com has reported. Hooker has been a fitness coach for nearly a decade, and soon after starting his career, he realized he enjoyed working with young people most. But it wasn’t until five years ago when he took on a challenge to work with kids with autism.
A woman asked him if he could work with a friend’s son, who had autism. Even with no experience training people on the spectrum, Hooker said he’d give it a try and it went over so well that the boy’s mom would tearfully thank him for the positive influence he had on her son’s life.
After that experience, Chad Hooker came up with the idea of Puzzle Piece Athletics where he now trains nearly 50 clients, some traveling hours for a single session with him and his team.
“With positive motivation, connection and a little bit of love, you can get them to do anything,” Hooker said of his clients. “They are very, very capable.”
Parents feel the same way about him.
“Chad really has a special ability to connect with kids,” one parent said.
