She was unhappy and didn’t own her own career, so Tammy Augustine fixed it with a few swift decisions.
The 1988 graduate of Wheeling Park High School got a divorce, moved home to Wheeling after 25 years removed, earned her fitness training credentials, and opened her own small business along National Road next door to Hardee’s.
Augustine is the mother of three children, the youngest a junior at The Linsly School, and yet the 47-year-old entrepreneur still finds the time to manage the gym and offer personal training.
“I was a stay-at-home mom in an unhappy marriage for a long time, and that’s how I got into working out again. It was an outlet for me,” she explained. “And once I got out of the house to go to the gym, it allowed me the chance to deal with an unhappy life. It felt good, too, to be fit again, and that made me feel better about myself. When I made the decision to get divorced and leave that lifestyle, I decided to move home, too, with my kids.
“Initially, I worked for Tony Zeakes for two years, and that whole time I was working to get certified as a personal trainer. In fact, the day I made the decision to get divorced, I ordered everything I was going to need to get certified because I knew that’s what I loved to do,” Augustine recalled. “It took me those couple of years to get my life settled, and once I did, I made the decision that I didn’t want to be 70 years old asking, ‘What if?’ I always believed that I couldn’t fail if I at least tried, so that’s what I did, and here I am now. Luckily, it’s been going fantastic, and it’s better than I ever imagined it would be. I’m working a lot of hours, I’m a single mom of a high school junior, but I love it.”
Hardcore Fitness and Training is located at 841 National Road above the Spic n’ Span Dry Cleaners across the roadway from the CVS Pharmacy. The gym is open from 6 a.m to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Memberships are available for $45 per month.
“If you become a member here, I have open gym with plenty of equipment to work out with on your own, and I have a few classes that our members can take as well,” Augustine explained. “I also offer personal training for an additional fee, and I work with a great group of folks each week.
“From speaking with our members, I’ve gathered that they never leave this gym regretting it, and I believe that speaks to the atmosphere we have here and the wish to get back in shape after so many years,” she said. “Sure, you can dread walking through the door because of how hard you know you will work, but when you leave, you always feel better for doing it. I’ve always believed that exercise is the best Prozac there is. That’s my opinion, anyway.”
Although she began her college career at West Liberty University immediately following her commencement from Wheeling Park High, Augustine opted to move to Pittsburgh and obtained a two-year, paralegal degree that she would never utilize on the job. These days, though, Augustine makes the short commute from her Woodsdale home six days per week, and she’s never been happier.
“And I plan to do what I am doing now as long as I possibly can” she insisted. “I’m fighting age every step of the way, and so as long as I am still physically capable, I plan to never not be in shape ever again.
“Making the decision to get back in shape allowed me to start thinking about myself as something other than a mother to three wonderful children. I certainly would not trade that for anything in the world,” Augustine added. “But getting back in shape and gaining the strength that I have was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It’s so much fun for me to see our members at the gym realize the same thing I did. That makes all of the hours I work each week worth every second.”
(Photos provided by Tammy Augustine)