Local personal trainer made his way home after learning from bigger cities

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Home is where the heart is and where a local fitness trainer wanted to help encourage healthy habits.

Hillard Smith III was born and raised in Louisville. He always knew he wanted to help make a difference in some small way in his hometown. After graduating from Mississippi State University with a degree in Kinesiology, he made the move to Memphis to start his career.

After becoming a licensed trainer, he landed in Atlanta where he got valuable experience with dozens of clients. He soon realized he could use his expertise in the fitness field to help back home.

“Coming back here this is my foundation with my family and I wanted to I wanted to find a way to give back to my community and the only way that I could think of was fitness and that’s what I’ve been doing so I feel like everything I learned in Memphis and everything I learned in Atlanta I just basically wanted to bring it back here,” said Smith.

Smith has been training clients at Wall to Wall Fitness in Louisville. He said he came in not knowing how things would pan out but he had someone who believed in him.

“I did have some friends and one of my good friends signed up with me first and he told me. I’m overweight I want to lose some weight and we are going to get you there,” said Smith.

That friend was Broam Burnside; Burnside and gym owner Wendy Wall both saw a difference when Smith came in the door just in two different aspects.

“I lost 50 pounds within maybe four months. My health is probably like I’m in my 20s now and I haven’t felt like this in a long time maybe since high school, but he’s the greatest I’ve seen come through and made everybody want to train,” said Burnside.

Smith said he’s had up to 70 clients since his return home and it has been gratifying to help transform people’s lives, but he doesn’t plan on stopping there.

“Get as many people healthy as I can I know everybody isn’t going to want to work out or sign up with me but my ultimate goal is to touch and get as many people as I can,” said Smith.

Smith not only trains his clients in the gym, but he also coaches them on making healthy food choices.

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