CECIL COUNTY, Md. — While pushing you to pump it up and smiling from ear to ear, Bernie Cevis' mild mannered message of fitness hasn’t changed, but his location has.
"The way that we were ingratiated into the community so quickly was beyond my expectations," said Cevis.
Cevis is not new to fitness, but he is new to the fitness scene in Elkton. He lives in Cecil County and last year moved his business closer to home.
"I trained in the White Marsh, Nottingham, Middle River area and leaving that and coming to the unknown, that was definitely a step of faith," Cevis explained.
And he named it accordingly, Faithful Fitness.
"Faithful Fitness is just saying I'm gonna go when I want to and when I don't want to. I've made a commitment to myself and my family to get better and this is the way I'm going to do it," Cevis said.
The boxing gym offers all around fitness and has been up and running officially since September.
He is one of only a few Black business owners in the area.
"The stereotype for this area has been one thing, but I've experienced the opposite," Cevis said.
The stereotype of problems with racism and discrimination are based on decades old history of the KKK once being very present in the county.
"Is the KKK still active here? Not to my knowledge, and have not been in decades," said Mike Dixon.
Dixon, a Historian who was born and raised in Cecil County, says they've made progress.
"The times have changed. The nature of the community, more people have moved here that brings a different time, laws and norms have changed. As Maryland changed, the county just kind of advanced right along," Dixon said.
And Cevis agrees. At Faithful Fitness they’ll take one step at a time and will continue to move forward.
"I would say step out into a place that's uncomfortable and be your authentic self and see what kind of response you get. I believe you'll get the same kind of response that I did. It's been beyond my wildest expectations," Cevis said.
