Functional Performance

Fundraising Goal:  $5000

At Functional Performance, we are committed to improving access to fitness for individuals with disabilities across Northwestern Pennsylvania and beyond. For the 2025 Erie Gives event, our goal is to raise $5,000 to help sustain and grow our adapted fitness program. Funds raised will support the continued delivery of inclusive group fitness classes, contribute to our adapted athlete scholarship fund, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent participation, and help us maintain low, affordable membership rates. Your support also ensures our program can continue operating three days a week throughout the year. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference in building a stronger, more inclusive community where all individuals can thrive through movement.

Mission

Improve access to exercise opportunities for individuals
living with a disability using two evidence-based approaches: Deliver
multi-disciplinary adapted group fitness classes tailored to each individual’s
needs and foster future fitness professionals' knowledge and comfort working
with adapted populations through education, exposure, and hands-on experiences.

About Us

Functional Performance provides accessible exercise
opportunities for individuals of different abilities living with a physical
and/or intellectual diagnosis in the Erie community. Our adapted fitness group
fitness classes promote improved physical health, helping to enhance strength,
flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. In addition, adapted fitness can
increase independence with mobility and self-care tasks while also fostering a
sense of inclusion and social interaction, leading to improved mental
well-being and overall quality of life. To improve accessibility and to train future fitness
providers in adapted fitness methods, Functional Performance collaborates with
local allied health faculty and students from Gannon University and PennWest
Edinboro University Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Health and Physical
Education, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy graduate and
undergraduate programs.