Summerton has a new gym downtown. Shermica Stukes-Session and Shakira Smith have opened Get Right Training, LLC, at 2 N. Cantey Street and their business is growing rapidly.
Stukes-Session is a Summerton native. She graduated from Scott’s Branch in 1998 and earned a degree in organizational management from Morris College. She began a personal fitness journey and found her second career.
Certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise, Stukes-Sessions is also a Certified Nutritional Specialist. She has a strong desire to help the community.
“Last year, we lost a lot of young people to illnesses I believe were preventable by being active or changing up nutrition. I can help,” said Stukes-Session.
Smith, an Illinois native, met Stukes-Session three years ago through a mutual friend. Stukes-Session became her personal trainer, and Smith lost over 100 pounds during her first two years. Finding her passion, Smith began to pursue her own personal trainer certification, and she will take the certification test in July.
The two began holding class sessions at Taw Caw Community Center in November of 2017 and were limited to one class per day, four days per week. With a desire to expand the number of classes and also begin to offer personal training services, they sought a private space to set up shop. They contacted Clarendon County Magistrate Marcia N. Frye, who owns the property where Get Right Training is currently located.
“She’s a very sweet lady. We reached out to her, and she said, ‘Of course.’ We asked could we make certain changes, and she said, ‘Yes, go right ahead,’” said Smith.
The doors opened on the new Get Right Training facility the first week of April, where they continued the original time slots they’d used at Taw Caw Community Center. Soon they added classes and personal training hours.
With a focus on becoming healthy in a more holistic manner through improved life choices rather than simply on weight loss, they hope their clients will look more at overall health. Eschewing traditional aerobics classes, they offer interval weight training and training through functional movements with bodyweight exercises.
These include functional training exercises, which are movements that help you throughout daily living. “Sitting down and getting up are squats,” said Stukes-Session. “Overhead presses could help you put that laundry basket on a higher shelf.” They also focus on balance and coordination, hoping to help clients get through daily tasks without injury.
Stukes-Session is happy to work with clients who have injuries or other issues which prevent certain exercises, although she prefers a medical note explaining what can and cannot be done if an injury is severe.
Currently, there are 30-40 clients between the fitness classes and the personal training sessions. Although mostly women, the exercises and sessions are meant to include both men and women.
Monday-Thursday at 5:30 a.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., they offer fitness camp sessions. Personal training slots are available from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Friday is primarily personal training sessions. On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, they offer a Coach’s White Board event. During these events, all of the session is laid out on a large white board, and participants go through it at their own pace with Stukes-Sessions available to ensure movements are done properly to reduce chance of injury.
There are no contracts to sign, and each course is pay-as-you-come. Fitness camps are $5 per session, Coach’s White Boards are $10 per session, and personal training sessions are $15 per session or $55 for four sessions used in a two-week window. One Friday per month, they offer a “Free Friday” to give residents the opportunity to come in and try out their services.
“We work with all types of people,” said Stukes-Session. “We want to be able to educate them, so they’ll carry that throughout and motivate them to continue.”
Get Right Training is already outgrowing its space. However, as they look at new spaces, they are staying within downtown Summerton.
“Summerton is awesome,” said Smith, as she spoke of the support received from the local residents as well as other local business and government officials.
“The community has been mind-blowing in their support,” said Stukes-Session. “We are not leaving Summerton. I’ve been in Summerton all my life. I just never thought I would be here eventually having my own business and being able to help my community.”
While the business is working toward an online portal for clients to sign up for and pay for classes and personal training sessions, it’s not available quite yet. For more information on personal training or class availability, call (803) 410-1666.
