A mother’s determination to see her son realize his potential of enriching the lives of others through exercise was the subject of the March 20 Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant meeting.
Guest speaker Cynthia Lett introduced her Rotary audience at the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church to her son, Cameron, 27, who as the founder of Beach Cowboy Fitness Foundation leads a team of coaches who train with special needs individuals of all ages.
Since opening its doors at 1200 Queensborough Blvd., the Mount Pleasant-based studio has gone beyond filling a void in the lives of those afflicted with Down Syndrome, autism and other neurodivergent conditions — it has sparked life-changing results.
By raising money year-round for its special-needs scholarship program, the local non-profit is able to provide free fitness training for its client base.
But while the demand for services is quite robust, according to Lett — who serves as the Executive Director and CEO — Cameron’s mission of improving the lives of the special needs population was off to a rocky start shortly after graduating from the College of Charleston.
Lett recounted Cameron’s first signs of being a natural-born fitness enthusiast as an active child, who despite being diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder, went on to join multiple scout branches (cub, boy and eagle) and later earn a black belt in karate.
“Cameron was always athletic and loved to work out,” recounted Lett, who went on to reveal her son’s epiphany at the age of 15. “He said: ‘Mom, I know what I want to do with my career.’”
That professional goal involved transforming the lives of people for the better by instilling in them the love of movement through fitness.
After wrapping up his undergraduate studies at CofC, which included completing six gym internships, Cameron proceeded to secure six of seven available certifications.
The exercise aficionado came away from his professional development as a new personal trainer, youth fitness trainer, rehabilitative fitness trainer, kettlebell trainer and an adaptive special needs trainer — of which there are only eight in the entire Palmetto State.
But despite those qualifications, every gym that Cameron interviewed with required him to not only train, but also sell memberships, which he admittedly wasn’t comfortable with nor suited for.
That’s when Lett leaned on her 40 years of experience as an entrepreneur and researched the two most underserved areas in the fitness industry. She discovered that the two groups most lacking in that area were homeschooled children and the special needs community.
After finding a workout studio in the Queensborough Shopping Center, Lett made it a rule to exclusively hire coaches who had the credentials to provide adaptive fitness for special needs individuals.
Presently, Beach Cowboy Fitness Foundations features the following offerings for residents of the entire Tri-county area:
• Personal training for more severe cases that require focused attention
• An occupational therapist on-site
• Group classes up to 10 participants with two coaches
• Parent gatherings
• Yoga, unified fitness and dance
• Sports clinics (football, volleyball and basketball)
• Summer camp
“We’re unusual in the fact that we have absolutely no equipment that plugs in. Plug-in equipment can hurt people. And when we’re dealing with the severity of some of our clients, they could easily fall off, they could get pinched. We don’t need that. So, we decided to use equipment that is portable, bright-colored and is easy to pick up,” mentioned Lett.
And with the latest census numbers indicating that 37 percent of the US population is considered special needs, per Lett, the call for studios like Beach Cowboy Fitness Foundation will only grow in future years.
The one-time business owner and author also shared a few of the heartwarming success stories with attendees by relaying the journey of 7-year-old David, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and refused to wait in line or participate in group activities.
Through the studio’s movement training, along with lessons in cooperation, socialization, teamwork and following directions, the irascible boy is now the ultimate team player who willingly takes turns and congratulates peers when they win games.
Similarly, a 29-year-old adult, Rob, came in as a mostly non-verbal, strength-deficient mid-level autistic patient, who after four weeks was able to count on his own during repetitious workouts and sustain attention for up to 20 minutes. In addition, the young man who was initially overdependent on his father can now complete fitness sessions on his own.
“What I really wanted to come and share with you are all the small miracles, and I call them miracles, because these are not things that would have happened if we had not gotten involved,” she concluded.
For more information on the Beach Cowboy Fitness Foundation, email info@beachcowboyfitness.com or call 843-438-4833.
The Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant invites community members to attend their weekly Wednesday meetings at the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, starting at noon.
