Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEDERLAND — Chad Gary didn’t intend to be a professional weight lifter. He intended to go to medical school. But while the Mid County resident born in Port Arthur was playing football for Texas A&M, he suffered a debilitating injury — one so bad it required back surgery that could only be done in Europe.

“I was 19 and elected not to have major back surgery,” he said. “Fast forward to my 30s and I started having chronic back pain every day.”

Gary’s doctors felt he was still too young for back surgery, so he sought out to help himself in anyway he could.

He joined a gym.

“I trained for three months,” he said. “One day I woke up and my chronic pain was gone and thought, “this is amazing.’” I kept going. I got stronger than I was as a college athlete. And I was just amazed by how much better I felt.”

But it was through the help of professional trainers that he was able to reach that point.

So with a degree in Biomedical Science, the A&M graduate wanted to apply his knowledge and experience in a way that would help others and keep them from getting injured in the process.

That’s what led him to opening Ternion Athletics in Nederland.

But it was a conversation with a friend that brought up a brand new adventure.

A female friend had called asking for advice and suggested he host a free clinic for women.

“With weight lifting, there are a lot of men. And a lot of women are intimidated by open weight-lifting environments like this,” he said this week while inside a gym on Twin City Highway in Nederland. “And I love introducing people to this and helping them see it’s not as complicated or complex as it seems. I try to get people to a point of confidence as quickly as possible.”

But Gary also expanded on the idea and decided to also host a free clinic for children, noting he enjoys introducing them to fitness at an early age so they can grow from that foundation.

Starting this Saturday, Gary will begin the once-a-month free clinics for women and children. The first, devoted to women, is from 10 a.m. to noon, with the children’s clinic following after.

Because space is limited to 12 people per class, every month will feature a new set of participants.

“We’ll talk about the different exercises that most women would do in a gym and improve their general strength. I’m not going to be creating any experts in one session,” he said. “It’ll be more of introducing movements and showing the fundamentals. Weight lifting is a science. Everyone will get a solid introduction on everything they can do and how to generally approach the basic fundamentals.”

The class, Gary said, should help those interested feel more comfortable with free weighs in a gym environment.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends regular physical activity to not only improve health but lower the rate of obesity. Currently more than 40 percent of people in the U.S. are overweight, the department reports; which can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers.

To register for Saturday’s clinics, click here.

The next clinic will take place Feb. 26.