2019 PBN Innovative Companies: Nonprofits
The Gary Balletto Foundation
A BOXER SINCE childhood, Gary “Tiger” Balletto knows a thing or two about fighting. But, perhaps, his biggest battle has taken place after he left the ring.
Following a successful career in which he captured three world titles, Balletto retired from the sport in 2006, turning his attention to his real estate and construction businesses.
In 2013, while training to compete on “American Ninja Warrior,” everything changed. Balletto sustained massive injuries after falling from a training bar in his backyard. The injuries, which nearly killed him, left him a quadriplegic.
“After going to rehab and being discharged, I learned that I didn’t have a place to go to exercise with my new disabilities,” Balletto said. “I knew very quickly I wanted to change that. Learning that there are approximately 20,000 people in our state living with some form of paralysis, I wanted to help others get healthier, stronger, and to live and maintain their best life.”
That dream became a reality in 2017 when The Gary Balletto Foundation was created with a mission to help those with spinal cord injuries. Balletto had a vision of opening an affordable fitness facility for those with paralysis.
That new facility, located at the Cranston YMCA, has expanded greatly in the past two years adding more equipment and transforming into a comprehensive adaptive fitness space. In July, the facility opened to the public and today already has 40 members who pay just the cost of a YMCA membership.
“My eyes are constantly watering as members tell me this is the first time they have stood up in years, or that this is the first time they have moved certain muscles in their body they haven’t been able to before,” said Balletto, who would like to create facilities across the country. “The members tell me how strong they feel, how empowered it makes them feel to have use of this adaptive equipment that allows their paralyzed muscles to be awakened, stimulated, vibrated, in ways that weren’t possible without this gym. That, to me, makes everything worth it.”
