In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day (on 21st March 2024), GiGi’s Playhouse, an international network of Down syndrome Achievement Centers that offer free therapeutic and educational programming to individuals with Down syndrome, has partnered with HYROX America, the world’s fastest-growing fitness race combining both running & functional workout stations.
As the Official National Charity Partner of HYROX America, GiGi’s Playhouse and HYROX America will aim to meaningfully increase awareness and acceptance of people with Down syndrome in the wider gym and fitness community through engaging year-round activations and ultimately encourage the HYROX community and HYROX’s Affiliate Gyms to embed themselves in their local GiGi’s Playhouse.
This symbiotic partnership is the realization of the commitment HYROX America and GiGi’s Playhouse has to empower participants to be more independent and confident in their abilities while improving their overall health and wellness. The HYROX and GiGi’s communities will come together at both national and local events over the course of the year, culminating in a month-long series of HYROX + GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenges at HYROX partner gyms nationwide around Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.
Part of the burgeoning growth of HYROX is due to the sport’s unwavering openness to competitors of all ages and abilities. HYROX believes that sport and fitness is a privilege that should be accessible to all. At the heart of the HYROX and GiGi’s Playhouse ethos is acceptance and inclusion for all within the fitness community, no matter the individual’s ability. This is already mirrored by GiGi’s Playhouse through its GiGiFIT program, created by skilled physical therapists who work specifically with individuals with Down syndrome to address common challenges within their community. The program helps participants build strength, endurance, power, joint stability, balance, and movement control.
Douglas Gremmen, Managing Director, HYROX North America comments;“We are very excited to partner with GiGi’s Playhouse. This partnership is a natural fit because of our shared belief that everyone deserves to have access to healthy fitness and provide a safe and inclusive gym environment for all. HYROX racers span ages, genders, and athletic abilities, making GiGi’s Playhouse a natural choice because of the charity’s approach to making the world more aware and accessible to people with Down syndrome.”
Dan Vosnos,Director of Development & Advocacy, GiGi’s Playhouse adds; “We are grateful to partner with HYROX North America as their official charity partner. There is tremendous synergy between our two communities in promoting acceptance and inclusion in all aspects of life. We look forward to sharing our #GenerationG mission by encouraging every member of the HYROX family to take the“I Accept You Pledge”and develop new meaningful relationships along the way.”
About GiGi’s Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse is changing the way the world sees Down syndrome and sending a global message of acceptance for all. Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the organization directly serves 30,000 families in 88 countries, providing free, life-changing educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs through its growing network of 58 Down Syndrome Achievement Centers and
Virtual Playhouse. To learn more about GiGi’s Playhouse’s message of hope and acceptance for all, visit www.gigisplayhouse.org.
About HYROX:
HYROX is the Global Sport of Fitness Racing, inspiring people worldwide to engage in the healthiest form of training and competition on earth. HYROX connects the world’s training communities with a sport, a training methodology and a lifestyle that is accessible to all and conveys the transformative benefits of training and competition to a globally connected audience.
– HYROX is a worldwide fitness race for everybody: with 4 different racing categories to choose from, HYROX is accessible for everyone no matter what level. Take part as a team and split the work, or test yourself as an individual.
– Athletes compete in the exact same race all around the world: starting with a 1km run, followed by 1 functional movement, repeated 8 times*
– Participants can compare Global Rankings: all participants wear a timing chip and receive official finishing times, with comparable results through HYROX’s global rankings across all events
– This 23/24 season HYROX will host events in 24 countries and will culminate at the end of the season with the World Championships
– 52% of gym members now cite Fitness as their sport(1) : Fitness is the largest sport in the world and HYROX is the first mass participation event that gives everyday gym-goers their own race to train for
– HYROX fills an untapped gap: the first event to bridge the gap between traditional endurance races with functional fitness, to create a race format for everybody with a unique repeatable, measurable and trainable concept
– HYROX has affiliated 3.000 gyms worldwide who implement HYROX group training and built a community of HYROX athletes
– Born from world-class industry veterans: created by one of the most experienced and successful mass participation race event organizers in the world, Christian Toetzke, together with x3 Olympic Medallist and World Champion, Moritz Furste.
Check out our Beginners Guide to HYROX for more information.
