ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Desi Charley says she was given a wakeup call that inspired her to take control of her health and help others by offering free fitness classes.
“My mom took really ill. Her health was deteriorating over the years," she said, "In 2013 we lost her due to diabetes, blood pressure, kidney failure, all those things.”
Charley says doctors told her she was headed down the same path, so she started being more intentional about her nutrition and overall wellness. She wanted to share what she learned with others.
In October, she and her husband Jabari started offering free weekly group fitness classes every Monday at the downtown Orangeburg Pavilion.
“We just kinda fell into this role of hey this is amazing for us. We need to help somebody else," said Charley.
She says this is what also inspired her to open a smoothie shop in Orangeburg called Prime Nutrition. Charley says through her business and the classes, she has been able to help make a difference in people's lives.
“Literally I had someone call me crying on the phone because she could tie aher own shoe. You know it’s been years since she tied her own shoe," she said.
Usually around 10 to 15 people take the class every week and are taken through bodyweight training. They say the classes are being offered to all fitness levels.
“We’re not really big on the numbers, trying to get everybody. We just wanna help one person at a time," said Jabari.
Classes are every Monday at 6:15 p.m. at the downtown Orangeburg Pavilion.