MILES THAT MATTER

MILES THAT MATTER

THE ABILITY EXPERIENCE'S LASTING IMPACT ON TWO PI KAPPA PHI FATHERS RAISING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

By: Rachel Greene

Each summer, as Pi Kappa Phi brothers cycle across the country on the Journey of Hope or Gear Up Florida, they may not be focused on their future families. Their minds are on the road ahead, the challenges they face on the ride and the relationships they build with brothers and friends. But for some men, their time immersed in The Ability Experience is preparing them for the ride of a lifetime they never expected – fatherhood – and, more specifically, raising a child with a disability. 

When Adam Van Treese arrived at Miami University, he saw something different in Pi Kappa Phi. It wasn’t just another fraternity; the brothers were active and engaged on campus and seemed to really care about what they were doing and promoting. Specifically, he noticed the philanthropic work these men were doing with The Ability Experience, which was called Push America at the time. 

“I didn’t feel like I needed to join a fraternity,” Van Treese admits. “I saw something unique in what Pi Kappa Phi was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it.” 

The decision to become a Pi Kappa Phi brother in the spring of 2005 confirmed his interest in the Fraternity’s philanthropic efforts. He went on to serve as his chapter’s philanthropy chairman and participate in not one but three of The Ability Experience’s national events: Journey of Hope, Build America and Gear Up Florida. Through these events and countless Friendship Visits where he interacted with people with disabilities, Van Treese came to understand the importance of inclusion, adaptability and meeting people where they are. 

Years later, those lessons took on new meaning when Van Treese and his wife learned that their daughter, Ellie, would be born with a disability. 

“There’s always that initial fear,” Van Treese recalls. “You want your kid to be healthy and happy, and at first, you feel like that might be taken away. But very quickly, you shift to: ‘Okay, this is what it is, so how do we make sure she has every opportunity possible?’” 

For Van Treese, the biggest takeaway from participating in The Ability Experience events wasn’t the challenges people with disabilities face but how similar all people are. Now, that perspective has carried into his parenting. 

You come in with these preconceived notions, and then you realize that people are just people. One day in Chicago, I played basketball with a young man with Down Syndrome for hours. Neither of us wanted to stop. It was just two guys having fun together.

“Before anything, Ellie is a kid,” he says. “She’s an eight-year-old who loves sled hockey, going to Ohio State women’s hockey games, singing and doing arts and crafts. The wheelchair is just how she gets around. It’s part of her life, but it’s not the defining thing about her.”

Because of his experiences with The Ability Experience and people with disabilities, Van Treese has become an advocate not just for his daughter but for the broader disability community. Whether he’s ensuring that Ellie has access to adaptive sports or working with organizations that have never accommodated a child in a wheelchair before, Van Treese approaches every situation he encounters with the mindset that solutions exist, even if they require some creative thinking.

“We always ensure she has access to the same opportunities as any other kid,” says Van Treese. “Sometimes, that means we have to be the ones to educate others, but we’re happy to do that. Ellie was put here and with us for a reason; we’re here to help open doors for our daughter and others who will come after her.”

When Todd Gemmer arrived at Indiana University in 1990, joining a fraternity was the last thing on his mind. He was on the tennis team, and athletes were strongly discouraged from getting involved in Greek life. When he left the team his sophomore year, though, Gemmer found himself drawn to a group of guys who had recently rechartered a chapter of Pi Kappa Phi and put a significant emphasis on The Ability Experience.

“The Ability Experience is what really struck me,” Gemmer said. “They were different than other fraternities. It wasn’t just about Pi Kappa Phi; it was about something much bigger.

After joining the chapter, Gemmer signed up for the Journey of Hope in 1992, motivated by his love of cycling and the cause the ride supported. Throughout the summer, the people with disabilities he met left a lasting impression.

“You come in with these preconceived notions, and then you realize that people are just people,” he said. “One day in Chicago, I played basketball with a young man with Down Syndrome for hours. Neither of us wanted to stop. It was just two guys having fun together.”

That summer changed Gemmer, giving him a mindset rooted in inclusion and adaptability, but it wouldn’t be until years later that he would fully realize the impact. After graduating from college and getting married, he and his wife were thrilled to welcome their first child. During his wife’s pregnancy, though, a screening revealed a five percent chance that their son would be born with Down Syndrome.

“I took that five percent chance to mean zero. My wife took it to mean 100%,” Gemmer admits. “So, when Henry was born, and the doctor immediately recognized the markers for Down Syndrome, it was a complete shock to me. My wife had spent months mentally preparing for it. I hadn’t.”

The first weeks of Henry’s life were filled with challenges, as he was diagnosed with a heart condition requiring a three-week hospital stay and, eventually, surgery. But through it all, Gemmer and his wife consciously chose to celebrate their son’s arrival. After his heart surgery was successful, the Gemmers sent out a delayed birth announcement, aiming to finally express their joy around bringing a new life into the world.

“For some people, it was hard to celebrate with us. And that made it harder for us at first,” said Gemmer. “But we knew we had to set the tone. We were happy and wanted others to finally be happy with us.”

Looking back, Gemmer appreciates his journey with The Ability Experience, which laid the foundation for his approach to fatherhood.

“I was taught patience and to meet people where they are, which turns the empathy dial way up,” said Gemmer. “And that’s been so important, not just in raising Henry, but in how I see the world.

Like Van Treese, Gemmer has become an advocate for greater accessibility and inclusion. He acknowledges that he and his wife were privileged to make intentional choices about where to live, enabling Henry access to inclusive education in his early years. As Henry grew up, the Gemmers continued pushing for inclusion in his school, activities and community.

“The reality is, Henry and many kids like him are constantly underestimated,” Gemmer says. “These individuals are capable of so much more than people assume, and that’s why it’s so important for people to engage with organizations like The Ability Experience. The sooner you learn to see the world through a different lens, the better off you, and everyone around you, will be.”

For Van Treese and Gemmer, their summers with The Ability Experience gave them far more than they expected. They signed up to ride across the country, work on building accessible structures and fundraise. What they walked away with was something less tangible but even more impactful – a perspective that would prepare them for their most important journeys. While these brothers may not have known it then, these summers weren’t just about the miles ahead. They were preparing them, and many other Pi Kappa Phi brothers, for the ride of a lifetime.