If you’re a fan of Baylor Track and Field, you know the name Willie Caldwell. During his freshman year, he posted a dazzling leg on the 1600-meter team that finished runner-up in the NCAA finals, an accomplishment that earned him an All-America citation. Setting school and conference records became a habit for Caldwell, who was a four-year track letterwinner (1982-1985), but his senior year was his most extraordinary as he won five more All-America citations. That year he won the NCAA Indoor championship in the 500 meters, with a world-record time of 1:01.24. It was Baylor’s first individual track championship in a NCAA meet. In both the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA meets, Caldwell ran legs on Baylor’s 1600-meter relay teams that were national champions. In the Southwest Conference meets, Caldwell won the 600 meters and ran legs on the first-place teams in the Indoor and Outdoor 1600-meter relays. He was inducted into the Baylor Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Following his stellar college track career, Caldwell joined the U.S. Army where he spent four years in the 4th Infantry division and served in Desert Storm. After serving his country, Caldwell began working as a personal trainer where he developed a program based on his athletic experience and began dedicating his time and effort into helping his clients change their lives.

Caldwell quickly realized there was something missing at the facilities where he was training. As he trained many able-bodied clients at various gyms, he saw individuals in wheelchairs who did not have the accessibility to train due to a lack of proper equipment.

Caldwell immediately took action and began designing his own workout equipment to accommodate individuals with disabilities. He was able to patent his first piece in 2010. Eventually, this idea developed into something larger, and Caldwell opened Mobility Fitness Institute, an entire gym full of equipment designed by him and specifically geared toward promoting recovery, health, and fitness for those with disabilities. The 10,000 square foot facility has two pools, a track, and at least a dozen pieces of equipment that Caldwell has designed. As a result of his unique vision, he and his staff are able to train anyone from able-bodied individuals to individuals in wheelchairs, scooters, or other mobile devices. Caldwell’s equipment is revolutionizing the health of the disabled community and greatly impacting the overall well-being of his clients. Caldwell currently resides in Tuscon, Arizona, where he operates Mobility Fitness Institute and changes the lives of many people each day.

For more information about Mobility Fitness Institute, check out their Facebook page here.

Witness the touching story of one of Willie’s recent clients by watching the video below:

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