Set apart from CIA Headquarters and surrounded by trees, Langley Field House offers a serene setting for Agency officers to prioritize their fitness and wellbeing.
CIA unveiled the Langley Field House earlier this year, the Agency’s first-ever standalone fitness, health, and wellbeing facility, to better support officers who carry out an often stressful mission. At the official opening, CIA Director William Burns remarked, “From my first day as Director, taking care of our people has been my top priority, and I know Langley Field House will play a key role in the Agency’s overall wellness strategy. The physical and mental health of our officers is critical to the long-term strength of CIA.”
Langley Field House is committed to creating an inclusive environment in which all officers can access fitness and wellbeing program resources. The building incorporates features that address fitness-related barriers faced by those with varying abilities. Some of the highlights include cardiovascular equipment with larger and safer seats for wheelchair transfers or coordination challenges, Braille on resistance machines, and space for service animals while handlers exercise.
Langley Field House also offers an adaptive fitness program, Bodies without Barriers, supporting the needs of individuals with physical challenges or health limitations. This new program extends health and wellbeing benefits at the Agency to a population that had been previously unable to access these services. Inspiration comes from many places. One CIA officer—an aspiring Olympian who enjoys triathlons and hand-cycling—has been just that for everyone he encounters.
Wheelchair accessible, multifunctioning cable machine for upper body.
As a fitness guru and wheelchair user, he regularly trains in the facility and assists the Bodies without Barriers team. “I was so impressed by the level of diligence that was put into creating the Field House facility,” he noted. “Every bit of equipment used in the adaptive CrossFit games, which took place recently, is all included at the Langley Field House.”
The officer’s engagement with the program a little more than a year after a life-altering motorcycle accident, as well as his perseverance and sheer positivity, epitomizes CIA’s can-do ethos. He underscored that, “by creating inclusion and accessibility, we are much more poised to focus on the mission and do what the Agency does best.”
A wheelchair trainer, developed by wheelchair users, improves cardio and can be used during spin classes.
A closer view of spaces dedicated for service animals.