Hillard Smith III never imagined once he left Winston County that he would ever return. He’s lived in both Louisville and Noxapater, and when he graduated, he began a journey at Mississippi State that would garner him a degree in Kinesiology.
He moved to Memphis, then later to Atlanta; however, home would call to him. He’s returned to Winston County as a Certified Personal Trainer. He’s set up at Wall 2 Wall Fitness in Louisville, and he keeps busy helping people get into shape.
During his time at MSU, Smith learned that he not only really enjoyed fitness, but he also enjoyed helping people.
“My love for fitness started in college. At the time, I really didn’t know what I was doing, but I noticed I was getting out of shape, and I had to do something about it.” Smith would eventually find himself working at the Memphis YMCA, and this spurred a professional interest in helping people attain physical fitness.
However, Smith’s first “gig” as a professional trainer came via a local church. “I got my first training gig by doing an ab class for elderly people at a local church. To continue the class, I had to get certified to be a personal trainer.” Smith’s journey took off from there. “After the classes ended, I grew a passion for helping people and decided to make it into a career by gaining clientele throughout the city.”
Smith grew his business in Memphis, but this time his journey would take him further east to Atlanta. “I got married and moved to Atlanta. This is where I took my personal training to the next level.” Smith recalls that he was blessed to train at one of the most popular Atlanta gyms, The Loft Athletic Club. Here, Smith grew his business exponentially as well as learned more about what it means to be a professional personal trainer.
Another personal event would strengthen the call of home for Smith. After a few years of married life, Hillard and his wife welcomed their first child. It was then the couple decided that moving back to Hillard’s hometown was the right move for their young family. “While being here, I have helped over hundreds of people open their eyes to the health benefits of fitness in a town I grew up in and plan to impact even more.” Smith noted that he was very happy to raise his family here, and he wants to give back to the community where he grew up.
It’s not unusual to step into Wall 2 Wall fitness and see Hillard helping multiple people at once. He has an easy yet demanding repertoire with his clients. He moves them through a variety of exercises and training stations all while keeping up a lively, joking banter with them. One client stated that she had lost thirty pounds since hiring Smith to be her personal trainer.
Hillard offers training sessions Monday through Thursday each week. Typically, these sessions are between 8 – 10 AM and 4:30 – 7:30 PM. Smith’s structured program currently focuses on weight loss, but, he’s never opposed to expanding his training offerings.
