‘Needing for a long time’ | Warner Robins man hopes to open inclusive gym for people of all abilities

A Warner Robins man who uses a wheelchair hopes to open Weights on Wheels, an inclusive gym with adaptive equipment for people of all abilities.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — For people with physical disabilities, finding a gym with equipment designed to meet their needs can be a challenge.

Tyrone Johnson of Warner Robins hopes to change that by opening Weights on Wheels, an inclusive gym designed for people of all abilities.

Johnson knows the challenges firsthand. A spinal cord injury 33 years ago left him using a wheelchair, making it difficult to exercise in gyms that were not designed with his needs in mind.

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“None of these gyms are set up for people with disabilities,” Johnson said.

He said many people with disabilities are left trying to use equipment designed for people without physical limitations.

“We just got to struggle on able-bodied equipment when we can have a gym set up with adaptive equipment so that people in wheelchairs and people with disabilities and the veterans and the community could come in and feel free to work out as well,” Johnson said.

His personal experience inspired the idea for Weights on Wheels, a gym that would feature adaptive exercise equipment to make working out more accessible.

Johnson described equipment that would allow wheelchair users to position their chairs and use their upper-body strength to lift weights.

“You can back your wheelchair in, put the weights on the back, and you push down on it,” he said. “So, you know, you’re constantly using your upper body strength.”

But Johnson envisions more than a place to exercise. He wants the gym to serve as a gathering place where people can connect, find support and feel included.

“They can come to this facility and just be themselves. If they wanna work out, they can work out,” Johnson said.

Johnson first came up with the idea about 15 years ago. Now, he is searching for a building in Warner Robins or Centerville to bring the vision to life.

He hopes the gym will help address a need for greater connection and support in Middle Georgia.

“And, you know, love on one another, hug on one another to let them know that everything’s gonna be OK,” Johnson said. “And that’s something that Middle Georgia has been lacking and been really needing for a long time.”

Johnson hopes to open Weights on Wheels within the next year, once he finds a suitable building.