OMNI HEALTH AND FITNESS
Walk in Strong, Walk out Stronger
story by JENNIFER BROWN CARPENTER photos by SUSAN DELOACH
January 1st is right around the corner, and we all know what that means: New Year’s resolutions that we will make and most likely break. If one of your resolutions each year is to start working out, getting into shape, or just moving your body more, set yourself up for success by joining Omni Health and Fitness.
Conveniently located in the Beaufort Town Center, Omni Health and Fitness has been open to the public since 2001. For almost 25 years, Omni has been providing something to the Lowcountry that is often found lacking in other gyms: a community-focused environment. The gym, previously owned by Sully Sullivan, has been owned and operated by Andrew and Katie Godowns for the past 12 years.
Andrew and Katie are no strangers to community-focused work. Andrew, born and raised in Beaufort, has worked for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for almost two decades. Serving Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper Counties, Lieutenant Godowns not only enforces the law through his work, but he is also continually providing education to the people he makes connections with daily. Katie, who moved to Beaufort when she was in the first grade, has worked for Beaufort County as a Drug and Alcohol Prevention specialist for 13 years now. “I teach life skills, everything from anger management, stress management, self-esteem work, communication skills, and more. Anything that would help a person be less likely to turn toward drugs and alcohol to cope — that’s my focus.” Not only do their jobs put them in positions of giving back to the community, but they also continue to invest in volunteering with organizations such as CAPA, and organizing toy and food drives, coaching sports teams, collecting items for a Detention Center Christmas, and more. Andrew and Katie also enjoy hosting events around the holidays, so kids can take pictures with the Grinch or the Easter Bunny. “We’re trying to always keep the community at the forefront, whether it is the individual coming to work out or a family coming to see the Grinch. Serving people is who we are. It is our job, yes, but it is also just how we were raised. We try to incorporate that into everything we do.”
Back in August 2014, Andrew came home and told Katie that Omni Health and Fitness was for sale, and after much thought, they took the leap of faith and made the purchase. After 12 years and many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Katie and Andrew continue to be the owners and operators trying to keep this legacy gym alive.
Both Andrew and Katie have always been active participants when it came to sports and movement. Weightlifting was always a passion for Andrew and a huge part of his life. He had won three state championships and held a SC state record, so the opportunity to own a fitness center seemed like a great next step for them.
It is no secret that there are many options when it comes to joining a gym in Beaufort. What sets Omni Health and Fitness apart from the rest of the options? Katie shares that their mission and vision create an environment that is completely different than what you would experience anywhere else. “Our motto is ‘Building community one rep at a time.’ Since we bought the gym 12 years ago, that has been our mission: to meet people where they are and offer them options to help them pursue their own personal goals.”
One of the ways that Omni is meeting people where they are is by providing the option to work out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “We had people who needed to come very early in the mornings before work, or needed to come really late at night after finishing the rest of their day. We wanted to be able to provide that option.” The 24-hr option is only available to those 18 and older, but if you have a younger person who wants to work out, that is not a problem. During staffed hours, you can bring your teenager in to work out with you, or even get them working with one of Omni’s personal trainers.
Omni has some of the best trainers and instructors in the area and even beyond, including Kipp Richardson, who has been working at Omni since the very beginning when it first opened. “Honestly, I don’t know if there’s an Omni without a ‘Kipp.’ They just go together,” said Katie. “He keeps the coffee brewing, keeps us on our toes, and knows almost every member by name.” One of Kipp’s regulars says, “My workout with Kipp is something I look forward to every week. Even though I am recovering from an injury, he’s able to challenge me. Every week, there’s a new element and that’s part of the accountability. I’m always excited to see what I can learn to do next.”
The Omni approach is meeting individuals where they are. Whether that means working one-on-one with a trainer, working out on your own, or joining a group class. There really is something for every person, regardless of where they find themselves on their fitness journey. “We do try to have a conversation with every person that comes into the gym and find out what their needs are, so that we can best meet those needs.”
With the 24/7 open gym, you can get in some light cardio or power lifting. Omni has something for everyone: treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, stationary bikes and spin bikes, power climbers, and all the weights you could imagine. Along with this, they have all the machines you would find in any other gym, giving you the option to pull down, push out, or press up. Along with working out in the open gym, you also have the option of doing personal or group training, or joining a group fitness class. You can take spin, aerobics, TRX, or a 30/30 mixture.
There are currently five trainers working at Omni, three fitness instructors, and four front desk staff. You may come into Omni and see a high schooler working the front desk, which is another thing that Andrew and Katie do to give back to the community. “We try to hire high schoolers, especially for evenings and weekends. We know that is a way that they will learn sales experience, basic cleaning of a space, and discipline when it comes to working a job. We want them to leave Omni feeling like they not only got work experience but some life skills that will help them in other areas of life.”
Coming to Omni Health and Fitnes to work out does not have to be a solo experience. “We are like a family,” Katie says. One of their group fitness classes switched to Zoom during the pandemic, and they still meet up over Zoom to have coffee and check on each other’s college kids. “One time I came into the gym and there were a bunch of vegetables behind the front desk. One of our ladies had picked them out of her garden and brought them to all the front desk staff.” Depending on the time of day, you’ll find a good age range of people coming in and using the gym. Some utilize the trainers as they can help them work around previous injuries or help them prevent future injuries from occurring. Some just simply want and need the accountability.
Andrew and Katie have two young children, Auston and Hampton. Not only are they both active in sports, but they also help out when it comes to the gym. It is not uncommon for them to be making late-night runs to Sam’s Club with their parents to stock up on what the gym needs, gathering towels to wash, or cleaning bathrooms. “There are always little eyes watching and so even on days when we are both exhausted, the kids see us showing up to do what we have to do to make things happen. They see us taking care of the gym, but also they see me going to work out early in the mornings even when I don’t want to,” Katie says. Even though Katie owns the gym, she still pays a personal trainer to work with her multiple times a week. “I believe in our trainers so much because they are so good at what they do, and I need accountability.”
It takes hard work to get into the gym, whether that work is scheduling childcare, fitting it into an already busy work week, or driving down busy Boundary Street to get there. At Omni Health and Fitness, there is a sign that says, “Walk in strong. Walk out stronger.” It’s an acknowledgement that you had to be strong to get through the door in the first place, and a hope that you’ll be leaving even stronger and a part of a community — one rep at a time.
To learn more about Omni, you can visit their website at www.omnibeaufortsc.com or by calling (843) 379-2424.
