Billy Blanks Jr.'s New Fitness Platform Offers Accessible Workouts for People with Disabilities (Exclusive)

The son of fitness icon Billy Blanks tells PEOPLE why he believes in making the wellness space more inclusive for people with disabilities

Billy Blanks Jr. is continuing his family's fitness legacy — for a good cause.

The 45-year-old son of iconic fitness personality and Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks, Billy Jr. spent years as a professional dancer, working with artists such as Paula Abdul, Celine Dion and Madonna.

Now, he's stepping into a new, meaningful project. As the president of Kibu, he oversees the live and on-demand fitness platform that offers people with disabilities adaptive fitness classes including cardio, strength, yoga, dance and martial arts.

For Billy Jr., paying it forward has a special significance after his own journey of highs and lows. Billy, his wife and their adopted son fell into near homelessness and were living out of a motel in 2011. He decided to go on Shark Tank in 2012 to pitch his new dance fitness program and received $100K from Mark Cuban and Daymond John to launch Dance It Out. 

"When I was at my lowest trying to build my Dance It Out program, I was also teaching the most popular class at the gym with 100+ attendees per class. I was only paid $35-45 per class, which is not enough to raise a family on. I was living in the motel connected to the gym and sneaking through the garage so none of my students would know I was homeless," he tells PEOPLE.

"I decided to quit in search of a more stable job, and on one of my last days teaching one of the attendees said, 'Please never stop teaching this program. It helps me feel so much better.'"

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Related: Kourtney Kardashian Used to Do Back-to-Back Billy Blanks Workouts with Kim: 'We Were Obsessed!'

Those words inspired him to continue looking for his greater purpose.

"Wellness and fitness is emotional, mental and physical health — and inclusion and support are the most important thing," he notes.

"It means a lot to have overcome so much and to be at this very meaningful moment in my life with Kibu. Overcoming homelessness, divorce, and so much more, I have learned to never give up," Billy Jr. shares. "We all go through things, we all need each other, and time and life experiences have taught me that and that timing is everything."

Billy Jr. is proud of how Kibu helps put an end to how "the fitness industry has catered to one demographic."

"It has never been inclusive to people with disabilities," he explains. "I remember people asking me if I had a class for those in wheelchairs or for people with autism. I started incorporating that directly into my classes and saw how it made a difference for the better for everyone."

Billy Jr. has the support of many influential people in the fitness community as he grows Kibu and extends its reach.

"Everyone I meet in the wellness industry instantly signs on to get involved. They know the fitness industry has not been as inclusive as it could be and are excited about the opportunity," Billy Jr. tells PEOPLE.

Among his supporters are his dad, as well as boxing champion Mike Tyson. "It means the world to me to have both legends — my dad, Mike Tyson — as well as all of the amazing instructors and coaches on the platform. We want participants to have fun experiencing content with coaches from all walks of life: celebrities, dancers, instructors and more."

He also has the support of longtime friend and collaborator Paula Abdul, who has been "my mentor, my big sis, and my champion, since I was 12 years old."

"I give her as much credit as I give anyone because she supported me and guided me and always told me to do the work, be kind, and to never give up, because success will come," he says.

As Billy Jr. looks back on the path that led him to create a name for himself in fitness, he notes that everything is rooted in his dad's legacy.

"I loved dance and fitness but didn't want to ride my father's coattails, so I took time figuring out how to make something my own — how to honor and respect what he did but to do it in a way that's unique to who I am," he shares with PEOPLE.

"It feels pretty amazing to be part of my family's fitness legacy. It's incredible to hear one of my students say, 'My mom used to workout with your dad on TV and now I work out with you!'"

But most meaningful to Billy Jr. is the feedback he's gotten from Kibu users.

"It touches my heart when I meet people from the disabled community who use Kibu and tell me how it's changed their lives," he says. "I constantly hear from parents about how grateful they are that Kibu gives their children a place online to take care of their health, do fun activities, and learn actual life skills."

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Read the original article on People.