Becoming Stronger, One Rep At A Time

Grace Bagadiong is a Bridge athlete who recently shared a personal reflection with us after attending the SOAR Expo earlier this year.

“Have you heard of Power Soccer?”

At the time, I didn’t know I was being introduced to the beginning of everything that came next. Before that moment, my connection to the disability community in Cincinnati was limited. Growing up, I attended overnight summer camps in Cleveland and southern Indiana where I could zip-line, canoe, swim, and climb towers alongside other kids with respiratory needs. Outside of those spaces and a best friend from Chicago, there wasn’t a strong sense of connection to the broader disability community. I often found myself distancing from spaces that glamorize advocacy or inspiration.

From my childhood on, my disabilities never registered as barriers. I quickly adapted to the changes that altered my ability to do daily tasks. Between the ages of three and eight, my health progressively worsened: profound deafness in both ears, optic nerve atrophy and low vision, scoliosis, limited mobility of hands and arms, walking imbalance, and chronic respiratory insuffiency. At eight years old, I nearly died from lack of oxygen and was hospitalized for over two months. I came home with a team of private-duty nurses, a trach, a ventilator, and a power wheelchair, still without a diagnosis. I already had cochlear implant surgery at age three, mastered the use of assistive technology on my computer with a stylus in my mouth, relied on fast-paced captioning for lectures, and confidently juggled the obstacles to be educated. My neurodegenerative genetic disorder was finally named at age twelve. 

Despite a demanding medical reality, my parents and older brother set a foundation to ensure that I was always connected to any form of activity and adventure. They themselves were involved in scuba diving, quilting retreats, Porsche rides, sporting events, and many trips that I cannot count. That environment instilled a mindset centered on saying yes without overthinking consequences. Even after my dad passed away in 2017, I continued embracing opportunities that challenged me, fostered my independence, and reinforced my belief that the best is yet to come. Competitive cheerleading for five years, hip hop dance, four years in high school drama club and literary magazine, sign language courses, traveling across the country, and sit-skiing in Winter Park, Colorado, all became part of that journey. 

An Introduction to Adaptive Sports

When I first attended college as a full-time commuter, my physical activity lessened due to a more rigorous social and academic life. That shift endured until Spring 2023, at the end of my first PigAbilities race, when Danny Meyer entered the picture. 

He mentioned a trial season of Power Soccer and introduced me to The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation. At first, I misunderstood what The Bridge was. I assumed it was a one-time or limited program and questioned how I fit into it. I identified as someone with complex medical needs but also as independent in my college and career paths. I didn’t know if those identities aligned. 

To say that assumption was a mistake is an understatement. 

After finishing Power Soccer, the desire to stay involved was clear, but the right fit still felt out of reach. My circulatory system was frequently compromised due to long-term sitting posture so I eventually joined a local gym, but did not develop the mentality of traditional strength-training workouts and machinery use.

Adaptive CrossFit Opens a Door to the Larger Disability Community

Further research led back to adaptive exercises, especially closer to home and not in a healthcare setting. The summer before my senior year at Xavier, I recollected how The Bridge was set on a mission to change the course of adapting sports, and that’s how I stumbled across Adaptive CrossFit. 

MeMe Earnest-Stanley, one of the co-founders, introduced me to this difficult and extraordinary routine that I had no experience with. Academic life and a high school theatre background offered little comparison. 

I didn’t love it. 

I would be lying if I said that I had stepped out of my comfort zone right away. But I kept coming back. MeMe and Coach Krebs carried a rare level of intention I had never witnessed. I soon quit my gym membership to devote time to an environment where coaching and encouragement were normalized. Over the next few months, MeMe continued showing me all the possible ways of curating mobility and sharing the space with many other volunteers and athletes. 

I’m not a fan of change. But this challenged me in the best way. 

As I entered my final semester of college, I was set to complete six courses, co-founded a social sciences club, serve on another student advisory board, remotely intern at two firms, and spend five months searching for a promising career. I wanted to become a licensed paralegal but did not want to take a job solely based on my disabilities. However, a mutual opportunity led to a highly demanding and competitive role as Grants Coordinator for residential and guest services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. This role, along with The Bridge, highlighted the scale of the disability community in Cincinnati and recognized its depth, potential, and remarkable impact. 

I then incorporated my drive from Xavier to the gym every Thursday, ending a 4-day schedule with zero free time. I was away from home for 21 hours weekly so CrossFit became the one place to step back from my priorities as a student leader and soon-to-be alumni. It gave me structure, purpose, reflection, and an outlet.

Finding A Home With The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation Upon graduation, the summer was spent traveling often with friends, starting a new job, and transitioning into post-college life. With a majority of friends leaving the area, my social network declined, and inclusion became a major struggle. I was also the youngest member of the administration staff at my current job. I verbalized to my incredible team of powerhouse nurses and caregivers that I would return to CrossFit consistently. Schedules were coordinated across multiple responsibilities, and my options were to either commit until someone else can’t or notify MeMe of my availability. I never imagined that I would become so drawn to an adaptive sports world where individuals had such drive and force to make anything possible and to simply have fun. 

From my very first time on the rower after three months of hesitation, to using no whiteboards for our activities, working out in 95 degrees, needing layers in freezing temperatures, reaching my 6-month breakthrough where my workouts had to be pushed further because my body had adapted, and finally, building my 21-week streak, these were moments I never anticipated. I still continuously found interest in it and finally fell in love with it when a regular group of both athletes and volunteers stayed over time in Spring 2026. 

Every person involved with The Bridge has poured their heart and soul into this program. They are such dedicated, grounded, optimistic, fun-loving individuals. Everyone shows up for one another and they’re always pursuing goals. We all have come a long way. Watching this group grow and bond has been my favorite part of the season. Although we're all going our separate ways and moving on with our lives, I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it. It really is worth it in the end. 

It is our calling to build an adaptive sports culture for posterity. It’s not the why that matters, but rather, how we all contribute to doing good in this world. 

It takes grit. It is hard work. Desire is key. But to perceive new opportunities is to redefine what’s possible. 

And sometimes, becoming stronger doesn’t happen all at once. 

Sometimes, it happens one rep at a time.

========

Thank you, Grace, for taking time to write down and share your experience with The Bridge and what it means to you. We're thrilled to have you in our community and look forward to watching you push yourself week over week in Crossfit. >> If you are interested in trying and adaptive sport, check our Sports & Event calendar for upcoming activities in Greater Cincinnati.