(WXYZ) — Almost two years ago, Khari Dickey of Detroit began her fitness company called Konnected Fitness. Her goal was to bring community-based fitness to Detroit's east side
"I was in corporate fitness prior to and I had just reached a point where I wanted to do more with people in the community," Khari said.
So she packed up some dumbells, resistance bands, and workout blocks and set up shop at Erma Henderson Park.
Tracey Clark was one of her early participants.
“When I first started with her there were things that I couldn’t do and now I'm able to. It feels great. I’ve been loving her,” she said.
But as Michigan's winter rolled around, outdoor fitness became a challenge for Khari and her gym members.
"It became a barrier so having a place to serve it really became the biggest thing," Khari said.
Khari wanted to stay on Detroit's east side because it's an area that has been neglected by big gym corporations for years.
“To go where I want to go I would have to go at least 10 miles and now I can walk so I love it,” Konnected Fitness member Judge Craig Strong said.
By February of 2022, Khari was finally able to do just that securing a permanent indoor location at 8001 Kercheval Ave.
“Accessibility is key. One of the reasons I wanted to start Konnected Fitness was to make the type of training and myself more accessible,” Khari said.
For many of her clients, Konnected Fitness is just a walk away.
"It's convenient for me," Judge Strong said.
By being on Detroit’s east side, Khari can directly target Michigan’s urban population. She is also able to instill confidence in those who haven’t hit the gym in a while.
“I think that it's very important for places to exist like this in every neighborhood," Khari said. "As one of my clients said health is wealth. Having that opportunity is to have a place to work on your health and fitness helps you to connect with your best self and perform higher in other aspects of life as well."
Konnected fitness offers 20 one-hour plus group trainings a month.
The price tag on that is $185 a month for senior citizens, the price reduces to $90 a month.
Khari also offers one on one training.
For more information on Konnected Fitness or to sign up for classes, click here.
