Fulshear fitness studio owner, Jason Harley was a seasoned athlete when he came to Abilene Christian University in 2004. He landed a spot on the football team, and spent the next three years being physically active on a regular basis.
But, when he decided not to play football during his senior year to focus on his degree in Exercise and Sports Science, Harley noticed that he was gaining weight.
“The weight just packed on,” he said. “I was falling prey to the college lifestyle, eating at all times of the day and looking to the dollar menu for my meals.”
Harley soon found himself at 265 pounds with a 40-inch waist, and he knew he had to make a change.
“I started cutting things out of my diet and going to the gym again,” he said. “I went from 265 pounds to 210 pounds over the course of five or six months.”
With his own transformation story, a degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a passion for helping others achieve their goals, Harley planned to one day open his own fitness studio.
His first professional job out of college was with a medical-based fitness center, where he worked with clients with an array of medical conditions and previous injuries.
“My niche was weight loss clients and rehab-type clients,” he said. “I did some sports training, and I also started my own PE class for homeschooled children.”
Harley said he especially enjoyed working with kids because he believes that if you get them in shape when they’re young, then they will grow up to be healthier adults.
After five years with the medical-based fitness studio, the fitness expert followed one of his clients to another studio in Fulshear. Two years into his new position, the owners of the studio decided to sell the business. The sale was a dream come true for Harley, who was ready to run his own fitness center.
“That’s kind of how The Summit was birthed,” he said. “The name represents the journey you take to reach a goal that you want to accomplish. It’s going to get tougher, the air’s going to get thinner, and it’s going to get harder to breathe. But it’s worth it when you get to the top.”
Harley said The Summit also pays tribute to Jesus going to the mountaintop to pray.
“There’s a lot of victory that comes out of someone’s mountaintop experience,” he said. “Once they reach their mountaintop, they have the skills to help someone else reach their mountaintop.”
The personal trainers at The Summit help their clients reach their goals with one-on-one, buddy or couple’s training, some small group classes, and sports training.
But even though the focus of Harley’s business is health and fitness, he doesn’t forget the higher purpose God has given him.
“I do this for my vision and for the people that He has placed in front of me,” he said. “Everyone who walks through the door is a blessing from God.”
The fitness studio owner said he has had numerous opportunities to pray with his clients and do a lot of things that you wouldn’t see in a corporate setting.
“Hopefully, when people come in they have a great time, meet some people, and get the results that they want,” Harley said. “We try to create a positive atmosphere where clients enjoy coming to work out.”