The IM ABLE Foundation and the Mayson Dixon Companies are partnering together to raise funds adaptive sports equipment. In IM ABLE's grant pipeline is a Baltimore man who lost both of his legs when he was four years old. Lionel has overcome so many obstacles in his life and found wheelchair basketball. He is currently borrowing a wheelchair with the goal of getting his own for the 2025 season.

Lionel "Pooh" Rogers, Jr

Lionel Rogers Jr was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 13, 1987. When he was four years old, he contracted bacterial meningitis resulting in amputations of both legs, above the knee, and keloids (scar tissue) covering half his face and body. He would go on to spend over a year and a half in Johns Hopkins Hospital’s ICU and another year at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. After nearly three years of countless surgeries, procedures, and physical therapy, Lionel was nearing his transition back home.

At home to family, friends and loved ones he was known as Pooh. This nickname was given to him by his grandmother. She loved Winnie the Pooh and her grandson was born weighing 10 pounds with chubby cheeks, and pot belly. All that was missing was the little red shirt and pot of honey.

Pooh is the eldest of three siblings. He was raised by his teenage mother that had him at the age of 15. Just a few months prior to Pooh’s exposure to the deadly meningitis, his father was brutally gunned down. His father was only 24 years of age at his untimely passing. His mother was now left alone to raise three children on her own with minimal support – and her son would be soon beginning his journey as an amputee.

Home life for Pooh was no different than any other child who grew up in the inner cities. Not having any legs never gave him a pass for anything, in or outside of his house. There were no holds barred with jokes, play fighting, and games amongst siblings. Many of his mother’s peers would question her unorthodox parenting style because he wasn’t exempt from discipline or chores due to his disability. This would go on be the foundation for his future self­-reliance.

In his adolescent years, getting around and doing things for himself would become just as easy as breathing. By never having the luxury of living in a wheelchair accessible home made him very resilient and resourceful.

Having a physical disability was never the challenge. Lionel’s true battle was psychological: secretly battling with what he saw in the mirror and worrying about how people view him. Properly communicating and expressing feelings at home was foreign.

Today, Pooh has been living fully independently for over 15 years, overcoming many health-related issues including obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, Renal failure, alcoholism, and tobacco use. Pooh has embraced who he is with a newfound positive self-image.

Pooh has dedicated himself to assisting others with motivational content across various platforms for all walks of life which gave birth to his own brand, P.O.O.H. which stands for “Positive Outlook On Hardship.”

P.O.O.H. is a mentality and a lifestyle.

Lionel chooses to maintain an optimistic mindset through adversity, choosing to view “negative” experiences as an opportunity for learning and self-development. Life doesn’t happen to you – it happens for you.

With this mindset, Lionel is dedicated to encouraging the unmotivated to focus on the positive and work with their God-given abilities.