Josh Lewis moved from Minneapolis, MN to Bluefield, WV in the fall of 2000 to work for WVVA TV as a sports anchor/reporter. After two years he was able to get a job at WCHS TV in Charleston. Nearly two decades later he now calls West Virginia his home. He has always had a passion for fitness and it makes him feel good to help others so he decided he would work towards a certification as a personal trainer while continuing his work as a sports broadcaster. In 2016 he created Grind Time Training from scratch as a creative way to continue his work at WCHS, continue growing as a trainer, and spend time with his 2-year-old son, Brady. It became clear that his busy schedule was going to stand in the way of being a present father, so he had to think outside the box. If he was training at someone else's gym he couldn't bring his son with him... so it was either: quit his passion as a trainer and focus on his TV job alone or continue working as a trainer and a TV person but miss out on quality time with his son. He didn't really care for either of those options so he decided to just open up his own small gym. In 2018 he was approached about an empty building that he could purchase to use as my gym. It was a very unique situation as the building sits across the street from the building where WCHS TV is located. To add a layer to the story, he also built a loft apartment above the gym for him and his son to live in. It was absolutely perfect. His home and his gym were only 110 steps from his work. Again, it was perfect. Until it wasn't. In March of 2021, he was one of nearly 500 Sinclair Broadcast Group employees from across the country to lose his job. After nearly 20 years of reporting sports in Charleston--more than 20 years of experience overall--he was out of a job. However, Josh is all about turning setbacks into comebacks, so he has taken this situation on as a challenge. For the first time in his life, Josh feels he has the opportunity to fully devote himself to training and growing his business. What was once a passion--some might even call it a hobby--is now a business.
Josh says, "We live in a state that is always getting kicked around nationwide. A punchline for those who aren't from this great state and don't understand how special this place is. I would like to do something to help. My goal is to help reverse the stereotypes and fighting the obesity epidemic in West Virginia is a good place to start. Fitness has meant so much to me in my life- I feel inclined to share it with the world. I love it when the light 'goes off' for someone else about fitness and they begin to implement life changes that help them transform both their body and their mind. Fitness isn't just about aesthetics. Yes, working out makes you look more appealing but- to me at least- what fitness does for your mind is far greater!"
Find out more about Josh's gym, Grind Time Training, LLC. at the links below:
Instagram: @grindtimewv
Facebook: GrindTimeWV
Website: https://www.grindtimetrainingllc.com/
