Albany , New York ( CNN ) -- Ned Norton was working as a fitness trainer for Olympic athletes and bodybuilders when a young man with a spinal cord injury asked him for help . `` At first , I had no idea what to do with him , '' said Norton , who managed a health club in Albany , New York . Together they developed a workout program , and the young man made great strides . `` Even ( his ) doctors saw the physical and psychological improvements we were able to make , '' Norton said . It did n't take long for word to spread . Patients from a rehabilitation center sought out Norton 's help , and he began training them for free . After a newspaper published an article about Norton 's workouts with the disabled , his phone rang off the hook . `` So I opened a gym designed to fit their needs , '' he said . For the past 25 years , Norton has dedicated himself to providing free and low-cost strength and conditioning training for hundreds of people living with a variety of disabilities . `` They ca n't move , they ca n't be independent . They ca n't live their lives , '' said Norton , 55 . `` I 'm building them up , building them stronger , so they can go out and live life like they 're supposed to . '' Bodybuilder with a big heart . Norton trains more than 120 people every week through his nonprofit , Warriors on Wheels . His clients ' disabilities include spinal cord injuries , multiple sclerosis , cerebral palsy and Down syndrome . `` I never worry about what they ca n't do , '' said Norton . `` I worry about what they can do , and make them as independent and capable as possible . '' Participants come to the gym twice a week for one-hour sessions . Norton 's strength-training equipment is specially adapted to fit his clients ' needs . Most of the people he trains are in wheelchairs and rely on their upper body strength to get around . `` The world is more accessible now for people with wheelchairs , '' Norton said , `` but you 've got to be strong to be in a wheelchair . '' Tom Clement knows that first-hand . About 40 years ago , he fell off a roof and severed his spinal cord . He has been in a wheelchair ever since . `` When you lose ( the use of ) your legs , your arms become your legs . So upper body strength is key , '' said Clement , 65 . Clement has worked out at Norton 's gym several times a week for the past 15 years . He says it 's helped him live independently . `` My activities in the gym have increased my ability to maintain the stamina of everyday work , '' said Clement , who runs a frame shop and art gallery with his brother . `` Thanks to Ned , I 've been able to live a full life . '' For those who can afford to pay it , Norton charges $ 25 a month . Most of his clients are living on disability income and Social Security , and he says less than half can afford to pay the fee . He never turns away anyone who has a disability . Strength in numbers . Norton is the only trainer in the facility , which was donated to him by the city . Participants often form friendships and motivate one another . They also become resources for each other , providing advice and references . `` After an accident , people are devastated . Their family and friends have no clue what they are going through . They are out there on their own , '' Norton said . `` But when they come here , they get a network of people going through the same challenges . '' Kathleen Lane has been coming to the Warriors on Wheels gym for about 15 years to help with her multiple sclerosis . Lane , who is in a wheelchair , also benefits from the social aspect of the program . `` I come out of here feeling better than I do when I first come in , '' said Lane , 51 . `` It changed my life . ... Ned 's unbelievable . '' Norton says many of the people he has worked with have gone on to drive again , gain employment and pursue their interests without letting their disabilities get in the way . `` I 'm not a genius . I 'm not a miracle worker , '' Norton said . `` But I do know what I 'm doing in the gym , because that 's what I love doing and that 's what I have to offer to people . '' Want to get involved ? Learn more about Warriors on Wheels at www.profilesinpurpose.com/warriors_on_wheels and see how to help .
Ned Norton devised a workout program for a man with a spinal cord injury and word spread . Soon patients from a rehab center sought Norton 's help and he trained them for free . Norton is dedicated to providing low-cost or free strength training for the disabled . Voting for 'CNN Hero of the Year ' continues through Thursday , Nov. 16 .