[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 22 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING PATRICK FORD AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

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                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 5, 2021

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise before the House to honor Mr. 
Patrick Ford, Doctor of Physical Therapy and CoFounder and President of 
Project Onyx. Patrick, who lives in Bondurant with his family, is an 
example of how an individual can turn their words of wanting to make 
the world a better place into concrete actions that improve the lives 
of those in our communities. Through the work of Project Onyx, Patrick 
and fellow co-founder, Mr. Elijah Muhammad, owner of Unorthodox 
Fitness, work to ``envision a community full of healthy, active 
individuals who have equal access to health and fitness services 
provided by diverse and culturally competent professionals'' and 
currently work with a group of 20 young men from around Central Iowa.
  After the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, Patrick felt 
called to take action within his community. Reflecting on his own 
experiences as a biracial Black American, he wanted to work to create a 
world that would be more just for his daughter to grow up. In June of 
2020, he approached Elijah with the idea to address underrepresentation 
and disparities in health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and People of 
Color (BIPOC) and as a result, `Project Onyx' was created. He became 
determined to work toward increasing representation in the field of 
health and fitness and encouraging young BIPOC to enter or explore a 
career within the health field; having seen firsthand the racial 
disparities in access to healthcare, fitness, and wellness programs as 
a full-time physical therapist.
  The goal for 2021 is to expand programming beyond the current 
location in Grimes and allow young people from across Central Iowa to 
access Project Onyx and double the current participation. In addition 
to health and wellness services, Patrick's vision for a youth 
empowerment program came to fruition as a program that blends a 
physical workout with conversations and dialogue about community 
issues. Project Onyx's mentorship program provides a launching pad for 
BIPOC youth who are interested in careers in health and wellness by 
giving them hands-on experience and career guidance. In the future the 
partners would like to work towards funding for scholarship 
opportunities and additional ways to reduce barriers towards a career 
in health, whether this be a certificate program or four-year degree.
  Patrick is keenly aware of the importance of access to health and 
wellness programs and understands the negative impact of the absence of 
these programs in communities of color. Through Project Onyx, Patrick 
is using his education and experiences to help remedy this cultural 
inequity and serves as an example to all of us of how we can make a 
difference in our communities. Having never previously felt compelled 
to take action or be an activist he reevaluated his priorities and 
determined to make the world a better place for his daughter to live.
  I commend Patrick for beginning to address the important work of 
breaking barriers and creating an avenue for BIPOC to be brought into 
the field of health and wellness. By providing this service to the 
community and expanding the reach of Project Onyx many young people 
from across Central Iowa will be given the opportunity to make our 
State more inclusive and result in better outcomes for all regardless 
of race. I thank Patrick, for his service in our community.

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