We were lucky to catch up with Dwyanetta Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dwyanetta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When you’ve been a professional in an industry for long enough, you’ll experience moments when the entire field takes a U-Turn, an instance where the consensus completely flips upside down or where the “best practices” completely change. If you’ve experienced such a U-Turn over the course of your professional career, we’d love to hear about it.

This is such a great question!! I have finished up my 18th year in the group fitness industry in 2022, which is absolutely exceptional. When I first began my journey in Mobile, Alabama fitness was more of a luxury and very surface level when it came to overall health. It was more accessible to people who had money and was very focused on the aesthetic of a person. There was a lot of narrative about “skinny” being healthy, a lot of comparison and toxic diet culture. It was tough to get people to exercise for some other reason outside of looking a certain way. I would say, in the last 5 years, the industry has made a huge pivot in exercising for overall health and mental health. I never thought I would see that day come. To see large companies like Peloton, and even large clothing brands use full figure models has welcomed people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds to be active in the health journey. I love to see the freedom of choice that is being birthed, and hope that it continues to evolve to include all bodies!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I got my first exposure to fitness with my mom in a step class at a gym when I was just 5 years old. I remember sitting in the corner, waiting for the class to start with her when we finally got the cue. When the instructor told the class to get their steps, I did too! Because obviously, she was talking to the only five year old in the class! As the class was starting, she came over to me and said, “You can’t do class, you’re too little.” You would have thought she told me I would be NOTHING in life. It impacted me that day so very deeply, to the point where the little me, told the future me, ” When you grow up, you will create a revolutionary program and space to include women and children. You’re going to be really really good at it” It stuck with me, and became my life mission. To provide an inclusive space for women and children to grow in their wellness journey. My mission is to advocate for women and children in underserved communities and zip codes through group fitness classes, nutrition education and accountability.

During my journey as a trainer, I have been treated in a very judgmental way because of my size, which naturally made me want to advocate more for people who don’t look “fit”. My passion is working with ladies who have a goal to lose 50+ pounds to help the love what they see in the mirror and become more confidence on their journey of health. Since 2014 I’ve had the pleasure of helping 5+ ladies lose over 100 pounds; some have become trainers and some of have become fitness enthusiasts on their own journey. So far I have trained and taught communities in Alabama, Texas, Florida and California!

My biggest accomplishment, isn’t my own, it was built on the backs of the community. In 2014, I opened a group fitness gym in Mobile, Alabama that was literally a movement. It broke through fitness stigmas in the brown & black community and was so much fun! We were cycling, dancing, pole dancing, lifting weight…I mean what didn’t we do?! It was a dream. I have to take the time to thank everyone who invested and who was apart to the growth in the City. It was absolutely exceptional!!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to learn was to give people what they wanted, allow them to trust you, then offer them what you believe is best for the direction they want to go. When I was a newer trainer, I was so focused on the knowledge I obtained with my degree and certifications. It was all about the macros, the sets, the reps and working hard. While I understood the people are different, I didn’t fully get it. But you know, life teaches you lessons better than any education. Through physical injuries, time constraints and mental healthy challenges I realized that healthy aging and fitness look different at 36 than 26. I’ve become more kind, patient and realistic with my clients. It has made me a much better trainer.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I believe the most thing in 2023 to be successful in the fitness field is the ability to pivot quickly as the market changes. I’m not saying become someone you aren’t, but become present where you clients are present. I have found that fitness trainers had a hard time during the pandemic to have a virtual aspect of their business. It required us to innovate and learn new technologies to grow our brands. You MUST become an expert at pivoting and unlearning things that don’t serve your customer and business goals. Otherwise your brand can literally become obsolete overnight. The great part is that there are people and platforms that can support in delegation of tasks.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theblackfitlanthropist
• Facebook: Dee Thomas – The Black Fitlanthropist
• Youtube: @theblackfitlanthropist