Rock Hill trainer had to get his own life in shape first

Before Troy Harris was the owner of two fitness studios in the area, he struggled to overcome challenges, including addiction.

Seventeen years ago, Harris, 51, was stopped by police and arrested for possession of marijuana. During a year on probation, Harris attended Keystone Substance Abuse Services in Rock Hill.

That is where he began to hit the gym each night.

“I couldn’t get high anymore. I had to find something to do,” he said. “It became my passion.”

Harris, a Rock Hill resident with a gym in Fort Mill, began working at the Upper Palmetto YMCA part-time on the fitness staff. After two years, the fitness director encouraged him to get certified as a personal trainer.

Within six months of being certified, Harris left his job of 10 years as a chemical operator at Sentury Reagents in Rock Hill to share his passion with others.

He continued to work at the YMCA but also established his own cable-TV fitness show, “Get Fit with Troy,” which aired on CN2 for a year and WJZY for three years, he said.

Harris also ran the gyms at a few Rock Hill apartment complexes and spent time on his own as an in-home personal trainer.

Harris has been sober for 17 years and opened his first Get Fit with Troy studio in Rock Hill in January 2012.

He opened the Fort Mill location in April 2014, which he recently moved from Tom Hall Street to Fort Mill Highway.

The fitness guru attributes his success to his faith and an active, healthy lifestyle.

“I realized that God gave me a second chance,” he said. “I want to give the world the best I have.”

Harris works with clients of all health and activity levels, trains athletes, works with students in ROTC and offers fitness training for military personnel.

He is a one-on-one type of trainer, often seen pushing his clients to do their best and telling them to be “focused on today and tomorrow.”

“I try to make it fun,” Harris said.

He has helped clients Jennifer and Mike Oddo, both 40, work toward losing weight and being more active. The couple started attending Get Fit with Troy three weeks ago.

“We’ve always come up with an excuse,” Jennifer said. “A couple of weeks ago, we decided, ‘No more excuses.’”

Jennifer said it has been a challenge for them to even walk from the car in to work. She said they first met Harris at the 2014 Charlotte Walk to Cure Diabetes at Carowinds. She said Troy found them at the back of the pack and helped them finish the walk.

Jennifer said she enjoys the individual training Harris promotes.

“He pushes you,” she said.

Jennifer said the app My Fitness Pal, which Harris uses with his clients, has helped her track her daily calorie intake.

“Before, I didn’t realize how much I was eating,” she said.

Since starting with Harris, Jennifer said, she is able to walk a mile in 25 minutes, a feat that just three weeks ago would have taken her 10 minutes longer.

“We’re planning on it being a lifestyle change,” she said. “We’re not getting any younger, and we want to be able to extend our life and do more.”

Weddington, N.C., resident Bobby McDowell, who has been working with Harris for 11 months, said he wanted to feel better.

“Troy’s very dedicated,” he said. “Progress takes time, but it’s well worth it.”

Harris said he finds joy in seeing his clients start to meet their goals.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about forming relationships where the people trust and believe in you, and when they do go on their own, they know they will be OK,” he said.

Harris, who has three children and four grandchildren, is all about his clients.

“Having the opportunity to change people’s lives and have an impact on kids and young adults just affirms that this is what the good Lord wants me to do,” he said. “I thank God for giving me Get Fit with Troy.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Rock Hill trainer had to get his own life in shape first."