As many who follow the Wall may know, over the past two years, I have developed a professional and friendly relationship with D'Shawn Wright, the owner of Body By D Gym in Yorktown. It started when D'Shawn contacted the Daily Press with information about the growth of his gym. The e-mail transmission found its way to Lynn Burke, the community sports editor and webmaster for HRVarsity.com, and he forwarded the information to me for a piece which was published in the York County/Poquoson Town Square section of the paper.
At our first meeting, I had the opportunity to view the gym and talk with D'Shawn and Peter Castaldo, the vice-president of BBD. As they talked about the five principles of the gym and their plans for the future, it became abundantly clear that these guys were on to something that transcended far beyond the world of barbells and free weights. There were plans for expansion, a Community Day, college signings for gym members, and something about the dynamic duo hosting a weekly radio show called "Man in the Mirror."
As I left the gym on that first day, my thought was, "Wow, if they can get half of these goals accomplished, it would be an amazing feat.
Fast forward to 2014. BBD has quadrupled in size, and was recently named the top gym in Hampton Roads by a local magazine. The radio show attracted the Governor, Congressmen, Miss Virginia, entertainers, and other notable guests. Over two dozen high schoolers have signed Division I scholarships. In the meantime, D'Shawn worked his way to become the Virginia NPC Bodybuilding champion, as well as a motivational speaker and true community leader. My first article led to five or six more simply because so many things are always happening.
And now, D'Shawn is ready to tell his story. To my surprise, and absolute delight, he has asked me to collect the details and serve as the scribe.
"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It - Motivation the BBD Way" is the working title, and we are aiming to have the book ready for Christmas shoppers. For now, I am busy transcribing hours of tape and getting more ideas together. But one thing is already becoming obvious. This will not just be D's story. It will also show personal accounts of successful people who have overcome adversity, individuals who refused to listen to the words "You can't."
Since this will be the first book writing venture for me, I guess it's time to join the club. Stay tuned for more details.
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| Standing outside of Body By D Gym with D'Shawn Wright after our first book meeting. The book will be ready for the holiday season. |
At our first meeting, I had the opportunity to view the gym and talk with D'Shawn and Peter Castaldo, the vice-president of BBD. As they talked about the five principles of the gym and their plans for the future, it became abundantly clear that these guys were on to something that transcended far beyond the world of barbells and free weights. There were plans for expansion, a Community Day, college signings for gym members, and something about the dynamic duo hosting a weekly radio show called "Man in the Mirror."
As I left the gym on that first day, my thought was, "Wow, if they can get half of these goals accomplished, it would be an amazing feat.
Fast forward to 2014. BBD has quadrupled in size, and was recently named the top gym in Hampton Roads by a local magazine. The radio show attracted the Governor, Congressmen, Miss Virginia, entertainers, and other notable guests. Over two dozen high schoolers have signed Division I scholarships. In the meantime, D'Shawn worked his way to become the Virginia NPC Bodybuilding champion, as well as a motivational speaker and true community leader. My first article led to five or six more simply because so many things are always happening.
And now, D'Shawn is ready to tell his story. To my surprise, and absolute delight, he has asked me to collect the details and serve as the scribe.
"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It - Motivation the BBD Way" is the working title, and we are aiming to have the book ready for Christmas shoppers. For now, I am busy transcribing hours of tape and getting more ideas together. But one thing is already becoming obvious. This will not just be D's story. It will also show personal accounts of successful people who have overcome adversity, individuals who refused to listen to the words "You can't."
Since this will be the first book writing venture for me, I guess it's time to join the club. Stay tuned for more details.
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