Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Goodwin.
Hi Tracy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My mother needed help raising a kid in the ghetto with anger issues, so she found Grand Master Shelton R. Moreland. After meeting him and watching a class, I knew I belonged. Grand Master Moreland took me under his wing around age 11. He groomed me to be an entrepreneur and all-around leader! I took over my mentor/father figure’s Martial Arts School at age 20. I realized that I wasn’t supposed to work for any corporation, so I jumped when the opportunity to own a business presented itself. I turned down a $ 50k-a-year career as a buyer for J.B.WHites to take over the Taekwondo School. I had big shoes to fill because Grand Master Moreland was a pillar in this community. While filling those shoes, I wanted to reach more children, so I got into districts one, two, and five. Through the years under my reign, we have produced multiple AAU National and Jr. Olympians and USA Olympians. I’ve had the school for 32 years, and we still positively impact our community. Our personal training and nutrition program has saved many lives over the years.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has sometimes been rocky sailing. When I first took over the school, I was still a full-time student at The University of South Carolina and working a job. The school was financially in the “red,” and I was only 20 years old. I had to make some hard decisions early on, and I quit my job and dropped out of college to bring this school to a point where it could sustain itself and me.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I had to recreate how to conduct a Martial Arts business. I formed alliances that someone other than our industry didn’t use and took the lead from my mentor/father figure. Grand Master Moreland was the first school to have a class at a public school, Spring Valley High School. So, when I took over, I got into multiple schools and districts. Later, I was the first school to teach at our city’s Parks and Recreation Centers. Then, I ran a pilot program at one of the low-income apartments to prepare our youths for free. We also specialize in fitness for all. I’ve reinvented how fitness is done, where we help stroke and heart attack victims get back to being self-sufficient. Our Sportsology fitness department has trained some of the best athletes in the Midlands. I’m known for being a lot to many people. What sets me apart from others is my passion for my people!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a kid growing up in Willow Runs projects, I had anger issues due to my environment. My fuse was short, so I was fighting regularly. My biological father was not present. It was a blessing when Grand Master Moreland took over that fatherly job. He saved my life. I was a quiet kid. Some would call me a loner. My interests were sports, playing the bass guitar, and taekwondo.
Pricing:
- Taekwondo $35 per week
- Personal Training $35
- Summer Camp $150 per week
- Afterschool $95 per week
- Home School Hub $200 per week
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Mastergoodwin
- Facebook: University Of Personal Fitness
- Youtube: University Of Personal Fitness
Image Credits
My sons, Shelton Goodwin and Bryce Goodwin
