Chris Kaag

You may hear Chris Kaag’s booming voice before you see him roll around the corner, always ready with a huge smile and an even bigger handshake. A true force in the adaptive community, Chris wears many hats: Founder and CEO of the IM ABLE Foundation, founder of Corps Fitness, adaptive athlete, motivational speaker, and relentless advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Shortly after graduating high school, Chris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served for nearly five years. He still recalls the words of his Drill Instructor—“Don’t quit on me, Kaag”—a phrase that would guide him through the toughest battles ahead. At just 21 years old, in the prime of his military career, Chris was diagnosed with adrenomyeloneuropathy, a rare degenerative condition affecting the myelin sheath of his nerve cells, and was medically discharged from the Marine Corps.

Determined to keep moving forward, Chris adapted with grit and resilience, first walking with a cane, then two, before transitioning to a wheelchair. Refusing to let his diagnosis define him, he earned a business degree from Penn State Berks and began channeling his Marine Corps discipline into fitness training. In 2004, he founded Corps Fitness in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, creating a community built on accountability, perseverance, and teamwork.

As his condition progressed, Chris expanded his mission, competing in races, raising funds for medical research, and ultimately founding the IM ABLE Foundation to empower other veterans and individuals with disabilities. Today, he continues to live by the mantra instilled during his time in the Corps: Don’t quit on me. His life’s work is a testament to strength, service, and the power of resilience.