Chris Kaag served in the United States Marine Corps for almost five years. At the age of 21, Chris was diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition affecting his nerve cells and was discharged from the Marine Corps. He began to walk with a cane, then two canes. His condition continued to worsen, and he soon transitioned to a wheelchair.

With new direction and a “don’t quit on me” attitude, Chris founded Corps Fitness in 2004. He has developed programs like IM FIT, a free fitness class for all adaptive children and young adults to practice the fundamentals of exercising together as well as a mentorship program for adaptive athletes and a program geared around his passion for trails. In 2007, he launched the IM ABLE Foundation, with the mission to remove obstacles that prevent people with disabilities from being physically active. In July, Chris was inducted into the Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to the adaptive sports community.