Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Gray.
Robyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My business started as a dream that followed my purpose to work with youth and sports. About four years ago, I was laid off from my six-figure paying corporate job, and I was disheartened. Through my heartache and disappointment, I decided to go into business for myself and create my own destiny. I had saved enough money to live off of for a year. After finding the Oliver Media Group to help me create my logo and design a website, I was full steam ahead. I registered my business through the state, got all my licenses, branding, social media tags, and marketing materials and then just went out on a limb to begin a Sports Performance Training company who specialized in girls sports performance. I started out with maybe 3-4 loyal clients that has morphed into being able to train hundreds of clients in the DFW and surrounding areas. The mission of Gray Fit Training is to positively impact as many youth possible by physically enhancing their body and mentally prepare student-athletes for championship level performance.
We provide every student-athlete with the very best evidence based exercise programs. We strength program is committed to developing athletes into champions in their respective sport. Gray Fit is a family business dedicated to improving our community by helping athletes learn about team bonding. Leadership, mental toughness and discipline though physical and mental test.
Today, Gray Fit Training has morphed into a mentorship and safe haven for youth throughout the nation. I have had the honor of training clients from the East coast to the West coast. Notable local clients are McDonald’s ALL American and USA 16u Olympic Gold Medalist Jordyn Oliver (Baylor University), Macie Lynch (Holy Names, CA), Alex Crane & Tavy Diggs (TCU), Camryn Brown (UCLA), Taylor Hutchins (Vanderbilt) to name a few. Global clients include working The fifteen Event in Maryland where GrayFit and Tripple Threat combine our efforts to put on one of the top invite only week-long camp every August. Notable attendees are Liz Martino ( Rutgers Commit), Sydney Parish (Oregon Commit), Diamond Johnson (WSLAM MVP, Rutgers Commit), Celeste Taylor (USA 3x Gold Medalist, University of Texas) Kiki Rice (Olympic Gold Medalist ,Sidwell Friends HS Washington DC), Angel Reese (Maryland University), Eniya Russell (South Carolina) and local sensations Deja Kelly Duncanville HS, Gatorade Player of the Year, (North Carolina Commit) and Myra Gordon, LD Bell, (Alabama Commit). Being able to train The Russel Basketball program from London and working local Elite invite camps with Tony Swindle , Full Throttle and Pass Tha Ball only speak to the Blessings and plans God has in store for Gray Fit.
Although 85 % of my clients are girl basketball players, I do have several athletes that are volleyball, track, baseball, hockey and figure skating and include boys. Gray Fit’s destiny has just begun.
Has it been a smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road. As Dallas Mavs Owner Marc Cuban once said, “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” Everyone who knows me understands that I love youth and fitness. I have this crazy faith that God has destined me to do this. Some of my struggles have been consistency in clients and revenue streams. The Fitness industry can be volatile at times. However, when you provide more than just a service but a lifestyle beyond the weight room for families, you’re able to sustain. I’ve faced struggles with everything from back-office operations, accounting, manpower, and brand messaging. Even when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s always a new wrinkle out there. My biggest struggle has been building a consistent, trustworthy support system that values your brand as much as you do. I believe as I continue to grow and create partnerships, my company will thrive with a team that I can share innovative ideas with. I recommend all entrepreneurs to invest in a mastermind class that can help you stay accountable and tell you whether or not your ideas are far left or on target.
We’d love to hear more about the company.
My company is known for helping young girls prepare to compete at the collegiate and pro level. We build a safe foundation using the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) principles for training youth. Those principles are stabilization, strength, hypertrophy, maximum strength and power. I have groups as early as 5th grade and our primary focus is basic body movement patterns and how your hips & knees function in sport as a girl. Gray Fit also has an incredible early return to play percentage from Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury at a 99% rate. Girls are tearing their ACL at an alarming rate. Sports Day survey found that 28 girls in the DFW area tore their ACL’s this year alone. The majority of these are season-ending injuries. The Dallas Wings team doctor Jit Mookerjee says not enough teams are using injury prevention training. The unfortunate thing, there is NO guarantee that a girl will or will not tear her ACL but we can be a catalyst for change in how we train girls and why. What sets me apart is I am fortunate to have great relationships with several Physical Therapist in the area and it works best when you can program design your athletes training based on what phase they are in PT and what they did the day before. I’m one of the few personal trainers in the area that uses Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training. It allows me to restrict blood flow into and out of target muscle areas in a big pump called “cell swelling” in scientific literature, which is associates with muscle gain. In layman terms I can build strength without loading the knees, joints or ligament. What also sets me apart is I’m always in the community supporting my clients at their events even if it’s not a sporting event. It could be a recital or an awards banquet. I’m their “Auntie.” I think we’ve lost the old way of raising youth when our whole community got behind them to ensure they were onto the right path. So, I love going out to be there to support, and it also gives me a chance to see where their deficiencies are on the field, ice or court so I can address it in the weight room.
The the thing I’m most proud of with Gray Fit is the success rate of my clients after college sports and in the classroom. Yes, I have a lot of clients who are All-Americans, Ranked in the top 100 for ESPN, National Player of the Year, and have set multiple titles with leading scores, assist and rebounds, but I’m most grateful for my global leaders. I have Chesney Brown who is now a Dr. of Physical Therapy for youth, Kendra Stone, Special Education Teacher who has a masters degree in Microbiology, Dawn King graduate of FAMU Owner of DK’s, Bakez , Addison Ryan, US Coast Guard ,Sune Agbuke, Baylor Graduate and is a Lawyer with Blanchard & Thomas, LLP, Corey Lewis, Owner of 1AND1 Fitness & is on the NY Business Council for FORBES, Candice Drakeford, Brand Creative for Snapchat and Kiara Johnson , 1st in her family to attend college and graduated from Baruch College, NY one of the top business schools in the country and is now the Director for recruiting in Washington, DC. I’m MOST proud of DJ Garvin, whom when I first started to train him, he had a 5th-grade reading level while he was in the 10th grade. He graduated Cum Laude from St, Augustines with a Law Degree. He’s now the Founder of Humility clothing and a brand strategist in North Carolina. This is WHY I wake up every day to do what I do. Whether I have one client or 20, whether my bank account is negative or positive, my motivation is how I can impact the world while reaching the one.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I firmly believe Dallas has a hotbed of athletes. The City of Dallas and the Dallas metropolitan area is the home of six major sports teams and at least 14 colleges. We also have the top volleyball and girls basketball EYBL teams garnering 4 in the metroplex alone. That’s major! We are indeed a thriving city with exceptional opportunities for entrepreneurs. We have excellent resources like the Dallas Entrepreneur Center, Score, EO Dallas, We workspaces,The Connection Coach, Jonathan Sprinkles, and Wellness Expo’s.
Pricing:
- Training Package Options Daily-Drop In $45
- Bronze 1x week $160
- Silver 2x week $280
- Gold 3+days a week $425
- Team Training (10 athletes) $250 per hour
- Team Training Multi-Team Discount $175 2+teams
- Recovery: Game Ready, Theragun, Compression Boots, $50 Monthly
Contact Info:
- Address: 2800 N IH35E Carrollton, TX 75007
- Website: www.grayfittraining.
com - Phone: 703-586-2988
- Email: robyn@grayfittraining.
com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/stories/ grayfittraining/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/robyn.gray.503 - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
grayfittraining
Image Credit:
Photo Cred: Roslyn Garner
Graphic Cred: Roderick Turner
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