BEAVERTON, Ore. — For many, it’s a tough task to get out of bed for that morning to work out. For J.D. Duran, it’s a little bit tougher.
The 24-year-old has Charcot Marie Tooth disease, a degenerative neurological condition that affects the nerves and muscles in the body.
"When I was younger I was able to walk, but as I got older my legs got weaker, so I had to start using a wheelchair," Duran said.
For the last few weeks, J.D. has been attending a wheelchair fitness camp put on by ADAPT Training in Beaverton.
Trainer Jerod Warf and his team lead the group of about 10. The class may be small, but the students are strong. Warf has 13 years of experience training people with different forms of paralysis.
"Their mindset, their relentless spirit to say, 'In spite of this traumatic injury or what I was born with, I'm going to maximize my life,'" Warf said.
The camp is free and open to everyone, from people trying to rehab a shoulder injury to strengthening shoulders to be more efficient in daily life activities.
“Back in 2015, I just decided that I wanted to start a more healthier lifestyle and be more active,” J.D. said.
In addition to the fitness camp, J.D. plays adaptive rugby and once a week he handcycles at Portland International Raceway. Adaptive Sports Northwest allots an hour of track time on Tuesdays to anyone who wants to circle the two-mile loop.
“I try to run my own race through life, as well as I can. I'm not the fastest guy but I try to make the best of it,” J.D. said.
Adapt Training and Adaptive Sports Northwest want people to know that there are services out there for them to keep moving and to keep pushing. J.D. and many others are taking full advantage.
"It's just a good sense of community and accountability," he said. "You can't really make progress if you're not moving, so it doesn't matter how fast you're moving forward. Just as long as you're moving forward, you're going somewhere."
Adapt Training’s free fitness camp ends Thursday, Sept. 5.
The Adaptive Sports Northwest schedule for handcycling at Portland International Raceway can be found here.