When he was a junior at the University of Southern Mississippi, Anthony Payton created a binder labeled “Champion’s Way.” Contained within it were the exercise physiology major’s dreams for his own gym and the healthy lifestyle he wants to promote.
On Monday, the 29-year-old will celebrate the culmination of that vision with a grand opening and ribbon cutting at the facility on Mississippi 13. It opened last April in part of the former Orleans Furniture warehouse, but this will be an opportunity for the public to tour the facility.
Payton’s sister, Rachel Payton, is working with him as marketing director and said the support from clients has been amazing. They pitched in to help set up equipment when the gym was opening and brought out their carpet cleaners when a water leak soaked the facility.
“The love and the support that these people show? Absolutely phenomenal,” Rachel Payton said.
Anthony Payton’s interest in exercise started when he participated in basketball, football and powerlifting at Oak Grove High School in Lamar County. He went on to USM and spent his senior year doing an internship helping train student-athletes in Huntsville, Ala. Rachel Payton said her brother wasn’t 100 percent keen on returning home from that growing city but prayed about it and a position came open at Southern Miss, and he believed he was supposed to come back. But when the job fell through, he kept the faith that the Lord didn’t bring him back by accident.
Anthony Payton worked as a trainer at several Hattiesburg gyms, eventually splitting time between Body FX in Columbia and Hattiesburg, Rachel Payton said. She said it was long hours, waking up at 2 a.m. to drive to Columbia for morning workouts and staying until after work. Money was tight at times, she said, but he continued to develop the concept of Champion’s Way, which includes a mission for people to fulfill their God-given purpose, group workouts, dietary guidance and a motivational creed recited at the end of each session.
Rachel Payton said her brother parted ways with Body FX over what she called a misunderstanding on a Friday. He was down, but their mother told him to “get somewhere and praise the Lord.” She said he got a phone call from a client that same day about getting his own place and by Monday “Champion’s Way” was up and running. Clients volunteered to get things together on short notice, and Rachel Payton said that kind of response is a testament to her brother and the God-given gift he has to reach people and make them believe in his message about having a healthy mind, body and spirit.
Champion’s Way has grown from about 100 visits during their first week in May 2018 to more than 1,000 per month. The goal is 500 per week.
Rachel Payton, who has a marketing degree from Jackson State University, was getting ready for law school and would drive from Hattiesburg to Columbia sometimes to help her brother watch clients’ babies while their mothers exercised. She came on board officially in August and said she’s not regretted it.
Her ultimate goal? To run a Champion’s Way franchise. She said she hopes one day Columbia will have a marker on the map as where Champion’s Way was born.
Pictured Above: Champion’s Way staff pose inside the Columbia workout facility Wednesday. From left are General Manager Jake Burnham, Marketing Director Rachel Payton and Owner Anthony Payton. After a year in operation, the gym will celebrate with a ribbon cutting and grand opening at 10 a.m. Monday. | Photo by Charlie Smith
