App to help flex Disabled But Not Really reach beyond KC gyms, says Wesley Hamilton

A new fitness and wellness app is expected to help Disabled But Not Really go global with its impact, said Wesley Hamilton.

“This app is going to benefit those that cannot go through our program but are still determined to learn and change their physical well being,” said Hamilton, founder and executive director of the Disabled But Not Really Foundation (DBNR). “No matter if it means gaining more strength or losing weight — this app will help them.”

The app — available on both iOS and Android — is expected to launch during a Dec. 19 event at WeWork Corrigan Station, said Emmaniel Maxi, who serves on the foundation’s board as the director of platforms and social media.

Click here to register for the event.

“Being able to actually have a mobile app … This is the way we feel like we can be our next progression to actually touch people who may be in Africa, who may be in Asia, or even who may be down the road in Oklahoma,” Maxi said. “We want to make our stuff accessible to the globe.”

Wesley Hamilton

Click here to read more about Wesley Hamilton and the origins of Disabled But Not Really.

Features of the app are expected to include nutrition plans, informational resources, and fitness routines, said Maxi, noting the power of visuals used in the app and its messaging.

“Our main goal is to make sure that we are equipping our community to succeed — to have that limitless mindset to move past their disability,” he added.

Despite the global focus, the Kansas City-based foundation is interested in growing and maintaining relationships with like-minded individuals at home, he said.

To further that vision, Disabled But Not Really has grown its board and lined up several community partnerships to prep for expansion, Maxi said.

Emmaniel Maxi, Disabled But Not Really

“For 2019, we’re going to take our Help Me Fit Challenge and make it even better,” he said. “[Right now,] we have three challenges and our goal is to get it up to six to 10 bootcamps, and run seminars for individuals who may not have the time to commit eight weeks — just to get them out and give them the experience of what a workout would [look like].”

Sharing videos and photos of the challenge caught the attention of those outside Kansas City, said Hamilton, with numerous people expressing wishes for expansions into their particular city or town. The app is expected to help fill such needs, he added.

“The most inspiring thing I’ve seen over my time with DBNR is once a participant graduates, they often come back in and help the next class,” said Maxi. “It’s pretty powerful. It is a testament of what we’re doing here at DBNR and how others are believing in it.”

Click here to register for the 2019 courses.

Graduates from the challenge are expected to receive awards and provide testimonials at the app launch event, he added, noting the human element will add something special to the launch party.

“We just want people to see that our goal and our mission is just to give back to this community and empower [them], and let them know that they’re not disabled, but not really,” said Maxi.