Foundation helps formerly incarcerated people find sobriety through fitness
Through partnerships with gyms, like Undivided Fitness, the foundation sponsors CrossFit and yoga classes inside Suffolk County’s Yaphank Correctional Facility, providing inmates with a structured outlet that promotes focus and endorphin release to combat addiction.
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The James Pinka Foundation, founded by Lauren Pinka after losing her son to a fentanyl overdose, emphasizes fitness as a key pillar of sobriety, alongside faith and family.
Through partnerships with gyms, like Undivided Fitness, the foundation sponsors CrossFit and yoga classes inside Suffolk County’s Yaphank Correctional Facility, providing inmates with a structured outlet that promotes focus and endorphin release to combat addiction.
Upon release, participants receive free gym scholarships, helping them integrate into supportive communities and maintain long-term recovery.
John Murray, a CrossFit instructor for the foundation and nearly three years sober, shares a personal connection: he teaches the very classes he wished were available during his own incarceration.
As a sheet metal worker by day, Murray credits fitness with replacing the highs of drugs and alcohol, noting how it elevates heart rates and endorphins while fostering accountability.
Filmed alongside regular gym members at Undivided Fitness, he demonstrates how everyday patrons benefit from the same community that supports those in recovery.
Undivided Fitness co-owner Kristine Best highlights CrossFit’s inclusive nature—constantly varied functional movements at personalized intensities, suitable for anyone.
The gym will host the third annual “Holiday Havoc” competition this Saturday, Nov. 15, featuring 30 co-ed teams, four challenging workouts, 18 vendors and appearances by local officials including the Suffolk County Sheriff and police commissioner. All proceeds fund the foundation’s equipment, staff and scholarships to break the stigma of addiction and promote community-driven recovery.
To register, click here.
To donate, click here.
