Inclusive gym in Lancaster expanding into new location, opening Rick Hoyt Research Lab
Photo | Courtesy Unified Health and Performance
Unified Health and Performance's new location as of September
Unified Health and Performance of Lancaster, a fitness center serving athletes with and without disabilities, will be moving to a larger space in September, which includes opening a new Rick Hoyt Research Lab, named after the famous Boston Marathon athlete with cerebral palsy.
The new location at 417 Bolton Road in Lancaster will offer 6,600 square feet, compared with 2,200 at its current location on Mill Street. The grand opening will be Sept. 10. Moving to the location with Unified Health will be its Central Massachusetts Physical Therapy and AdaptX, which trains fitness professionals on inclusive and adaptive fitness.
Brendan Aylward founded Unified Health and Performance in 2016 and AdaptX in 2020.
AdaptX will launch and run The Rick Hoyt Research Lab at the location to continue its work on cerebral palsy and improving health outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Rick and Dick Hoyt were a father-son team who ran 32 marathons where father Dick pushed his son Rick in a wheelchair. Dick passed away in 2021.
“I’ve run for Team Hoyt for the last seven years, and Dick and Rick have been a huge influence in my life. The Hoyt Foundation is supporting some of our efforts to outfit the research lab and improve accessibility features of the building,” said Aylward via email on Monday.
The organization partners with Worcester’s MCPHS University, Fitchburg State University, UMass Lowell, Tufts University in Medford, and other schools for capstone projects and research.
Aylward is the director of the Central Massachusetts Special Olympics program and is involved with the Miami-based organization Best Buddies International, which works to improve the lives of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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