About Train to Inspire

At Train to Inspire, our mission is to make the seemingly impossible a reality for people with disabilities. We give them opportunities and life experiences many of them have been told—and have thought—they would never be able to do. We focus mostly on physical activities, so whether it’s rock climbing, go-kart racing, Tae Kwon Do, nerf gun battles, biking, kickball, dodgeball, field games, weight lifting, or our premier annual accessible obstacle course, we make sure everyone has a chance to participate and do things that many individuals with disabilities have never had the opportunity to do before. Discovering they CAN do these activities helps boost their self-confidence and independence. We offer free personal training and group fitness for people with disabilities, as well as several monthly group events. Check out the success stories below to see how Train to Inspire is positively impacting the lives of people with disabilities!

We're excited to announce our upcoming event, where you can go 'Over The Edge' to support our cause. Are you looking for a new way to challenge yourself? An adrenaline junkie hoping to make the world a better place? Do you need an excuse to do something out of the ordinary? Want to face your fear of heights head on? We're hosting the perfect event for you. With the support of Over The Edge, you can have the opportunity to rappel down an 18 story building in Des Moines and have the experience of a lifetime—all while raising money for Train to Inspire. What better way to show your friends and family your dedication to the cause than by strapping up and going over the edge! We will also have a Sky Race at the end of the day—10 people will have the opportunity to CLIMB UP the 18 story building! See the Sky Race Information section below for important details. Over The Edge is an adventure experience company with a passion for positive impact. Learn more about them below! How do I participate? Register and create your fundraising page (it's easy!) Fundraise $750 by sharing your fundraising page with everyone you know. (Check out these fundraising resources: https://ttiiowa.org/over-the-edge-participant-information/.) Show up and experience this amazing opportunity.

Registration fee: $75 (If you don't see a popup to pay the registration fee, please turn off your popups for the Fundrazr site OR donate the $75 to your own campaign.) Your registration fee goes towards your fundraising goal. Want to make it even more fun? Challenge coworkers, rival businesses, friends, your gym, your boss, your professor—anyone you would love to see go over the edge—to a rivalry! Choose a fun "consequence" for the person who gets the least amount of donations, like going over the edge wearing a Spiderman suit or going down blindfolded. Be creative with it!

Event Details DATE: Saturday, October 2 TIME: 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.  LOCATION: Elsie Mason Manor, 430 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA Register Now! CLICK HERE for fitness tips to get ready to go over the edge! Watch for updates here, as well as on our Facebook page and website!

IMPORTANT SKY RACE INFORMATION Since climbing up an 18 story building requires a certain level of physical stamina, those interested in doing the Sky Race MUST contact Joe Hogan before signing up for the Sky Race team. If you don't, there's no guarantee that you will be able to do the Sky Race. Call or text Joe at 515.802.8998 to find out if you qualify for doing the Sky Race!

Your Support Matters

When you support Train to Inspire and go over the edge, you make a lasting impression on the lives of people with disabilities. Even if it seems impossible for a participant to do something, we aren’t afraid to push the envelope to make it happen safely. Our events are always free for individuals with disabilities, and we want to keep it that way. By going over the edge, you help us ensure we have enough funds to continue changing lives and never have to turn away people with disabilities from our events. 

100% of your donations will be used to push these athletes to overcome their own challenges, whether that be life's obstacles or obstacles we place in front of them. 

Train to Inspire Success Stories:

Chelsea

"Chelsea has been involved with Train to Inspire for almost six years now. During this time she has been actively involved in all three of their monthly events. These events provide many benefits, including physical activities as well as social skills activities that are beneficial to everyone—participants and volunteers alike! Chelsea has made many lifelong friends over the years who have become like family. She has become very dedicated to one of their activities, Tae Kwon Do, where she has earned her yellow striped belt! This organization has greatly impacted her life in more ways than you can even imagine!"

- Angie Sloan, Chelsea’s mom and Train to Inspire volunteer

Sarah

"When Sarah first came to Train to Inspire, she had never ridden a bike. No hand cycles, nothing. Her first time trying a three wheeled hand cycle, she needed us to transfer her from her wheelchair onto the bike seat and when she was done, she needed us to transfer her back to her chair. She couldn’t peddle up low grade inclines and needed to be pushed up most hills. One thing I hadn’t realized before her first-time biking was she didn’t know when to shift up and down or understand how shifting would help her as she was riding. It was a completely new concept to her. As someone who has taken bike riding for granted, that honestly was a surprise to me. So, she not only had to learn to ride her first bike, she also had to learn to shift gears.

Fast forward 18 months—Sarah is transferring in and out of her chair to the bike on her own with no assistance. She only needs a partner to strap her feet onto the footrests. Sarah has learned the basic concepts of shifting gears and has become strong enough to make it up hills on her own. She has learned to stop at crosswalks and cross on her own. Before we knew it, she was riding two miles at a time, three times a week. Because of this, she was able to lose weight and increase her mobility. Now during the summer, she’ll often go on bike rides with friends. Not only has she learned to ride a bike independently, her overall life has been improved by the mobility and strength she has gained."

- Joe Hogan, Train to Inspire Founder

Go Over The Edge

When you participate in Over The Edge, you'll have to overcome fear, anxiety, and self doubt. This is exactly how our special needs athletes feel when we push them to do things they once thought would be impossible. Not only will you get the thrilling experience of going over the edge, countless lives will be changed by you doing so—including your own. Once you get a taste of what Train to Inspire is and the happy, loving, inspiring community of participants and volunteers, you might not be able to resist becoming involved in the future. (You can't say we didn't warn you!)

Now is the time for you to go 'Over The Edge'.

REGISTER

Additional ways to support Train to Inspire 

Maybe going over the edge isn’t your thing, but you want to help. Share our Over The Edge event page to get the word out! Contact us to see how you can volunteer. Any support you can offer is greatly appreciated. If you are not in a position to support financially please, reach out to Joe to see how you can get involved: joehogan6262@gmail.com. We always have spots for people who want to help out!

 What is Over The Edge?

 An adventure experience company with a passion for positive impact.

Their Vision To have Over The Edge Global continue to be a socially innovative company that provides unique and powerful experiences for our clients and staff, while bringing about positive change in the communities where we work and live.

Their Mission Raising millions for non-profit partners around the globe and shaping how organizations and people think about themselves and the community they engage in.

DONATE TO A CAMPAIGN BELOW TO SUPPORT TRAIN TO INSPIRE!

OR

REGISTER TO GO OVER THE EDGE FOR TRAIN TO INSPIRE!