NuStep, Inc. is the proud sponsor of LAPD veteran Kristina Ripatti’s featured presentation at this year’s IHRSA conference, being held in San Diego, California March 11-13. Ripatti’s focus is encouraging health and fitness clubs to provide inclusive and handicap-accessible products and programming for its members.
“We are honored to be able to support Kristina in her mission to not only advocate, but also educate the health club owners and operators of this growing market and unfulfilled need,” says Steve Sarns, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at NuStep, Inc.
Ripatti has been a spokesperson for NuStep since 2006 and credits the company’s recumbent stepping unit for playing a key role in her ability to maintain her physical fitness and achieve a total body workout despite her paralysis from the chest down.
“I’ve always been passionate about exercise and fitness. They are vital not only to my physical, but also my mental and emotional health and in many ways helped save my life after my injury,” says Ripatti.
“NuStep’s products have been instrumental in helping me stay active and healthy. My goal is to encourage all health and fitness clubs to be aware of the impact and vitality such equipment can provide – having an entrance ramp is not enough if you don’t have equipment that is wheelchair accessible. The feeling of accomplishment, drive and independence you are offering is priceless, not to mention contagious.”
Ripatti was left paralyzed in 2006 after a robbery suspect shot her twice, missing her bulletproof vest. Shortly thereafter, she was the recipient of a home makeover from NBC’s show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which included a brand new NuStep.
During the IHRSA conference, Ripatti will be demonstrating NuStep’s T5XR, which earned the 2009 Gold Medical Design Excellence Award for rehabilitative and assisted technology products and was designed to provide safe, adaptive and effective exercise for users of virtually all function levels.
