integraFIT

What Is integraFIT?

The potential of inclusion in gyms is frequently overlooked. IntegraFIT wants to enable people with disabilities to exercise and participate in individual sport. We offer gyms and social care agencies a specialized model to achieve this goal. Opportunities for genuine integration, participation in a health-boosting leisure time activity, and prevention of secondary diseases are among the positive effects. Our team helps sport facilities to open up to a new group of clients and to become more socially responsible. Maybe you want to support us – we are always looking for new sponsors!

Who Is integraFIT?

We are Franz and Tizian – friends who are very passionate about fitness training and the joy of working with people. “To combine fitness training and social care work makes sense for us. It’s as simple as that!”
Franz is a fitness trainer with a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Bamberg, and Tizian owns a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy and sports science.

How Did integraFIT Start?

Franz’s sister was a major inspiration to him. Notwithstanding an intellectual disability she has been heavily involved in sports for many years. Due to his own passion for strength training, Franz spent long hours in gyms. However, he never met his sister or other people with disabilities there. As part of his university training, he helped people with disabilities as well as people with a refugee background to try out various sports (such as… which sports?). It quickly became clear to him that this kind of inclusion should happen on a regular basis, because sport activities and exercise do not only connect people, they also effectively foster inclusion. Although Franz identified differences in performance levels and communication problems as potential barriers in many sports, these issues are no obstacles in strength training.

What is the connection to the University of Bamberg?

Franz studied education at the University of Bamberg. The concrete plan to realise integraFIT emerged during a seminar with Prof. Dr. Stefan Voll (Chair of Sports Didactics), who still promotes the project and advises and supports the team.

Why Self-Employment?

Running our own enterprise means working on a project to which we are completely committed. Calling it a day in the evening we can be sure to have done something meaningful and that we are making progress.

Our Advice to Start-Up Founders and Potential Entrepreneurs?

Think ahead and plan for the long term, put your heart and soul into your project, set yourself realistic goals, and make sure you always know why.