LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Inside the Branded One Crossfit gym on Windmill Avenue, retired Marine Ed Haines leads a class of students through a series of stretches.
Haines served for twenty years in the Marines Corps, having retired in 2015. He tells Channel 13 that the Crossfit workout philosophy has helped him recover from injuries suffered while serving our country.
He adds that it's more enjoyable than a gym environment, which can be focused on only lifting heavy weights.
"You're not necessarily competing with the guy or the gal next to you, you're competing with yourself and you're trying to understand what your capability is so that increases your fitness level overall," Haines said.
Nick McCombs founded Branded One in 2016 as a non-profit organization that gives free memberships to disabled servicemen and women. At the time of publication, the number of servicemen and women helped was around 50 to 60, according to McCombs.
"But it's not just them," McCombs says of the disabled military members, "it's the entire community, so anybody can join the gym."
He adds that another 50 to 60 paid memberships make up the gym's overall clientele.
"It's incredible to see the amount of people we've been able to have come through our doors, and help," says McCombs.
A focus on individual growth pervades Branded One.
"Whether you have a disability or not, you have some sort of physical limitation, you have a bum knee, or you had surgery, a missing limb, we're able to modify the workouts to whatever your current ability is," McCombs tells KTNV. "Not what it used to be, not when you were in your heyday in the military, but where you're at right now, so make sure that you're safe and we progress you into furthering your health."
For empowering disabled servicemen and women, Branded One is this month's Vegas Stronger Champion.
Jeff Giles of Findlay Automotive Group presented a donation check to the gym and said of the veterans they help, "It's such an important group to support, and we're so happy to hear what you're doing and the difference that it's making."
Branded One Crossfit is hosting a "Fitness for Heroes" 5k run in Sunset Park at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 29 to help fund the free memberships they give away.
Connect with Branded One Crossfit via their website, Instagram account, Facebook page, and Twitter profile.
