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AT A GLANCE
WHAT:
The Forge Gym/
Physical Fitness Center
WHO:
Locally owned and
operated by
Danbert Collum
Personal Trainer
WHERE:
135 San Augustine St.
Center, TX 75935
WHEN:
24 Hours
PHONE:
(936) 427 - 5114
FACEBOOK:
@The Forge
Danbert Collum :
Helping to forge strong bodies
through growth
It is common knowledge that
a forge is where blacksmiths
form weapons out of
ordinary pieces of steel.
Shelby County contains its
own forge, only this forge isn’t for
creating swords and shields.
Center native, Danbert
Collum, is the proud owner
of The Forge; a new 24-hour
gym located on the square in
downtown Center. Danbert says
the main priority at his new gym
is growth.
“My thing is - what do people
come to places like these for?
Growth,” he says. “Whether
it’s spiritually, physically,
emotionally, mentally - that’s
what they came here for.
“And that’s what I want
people to be able to achieve at
The Forge,” Danbert says. “That’s
the main focus. A forge is where
normal pieces of steel are created
into masterpieces,” said Danbert.
“And that’s what we do here.”
Before Danbert was heavily
focused on opening a gym in
Center, he spent his early years in
awe with workouts and pursuing
personal training.
“I was fascinated with the
body. Seeing how the body could
change - and how you could do
what you wanted to with it,” he
says. “That always fascinated me.
Danbert Collum
STORY BY SHANNON JAMES | PHOTOS BY GINIA HOOPER
The fact that we could change
ourselves on a whim if we wanted
to was the best thing about it.”
Danbert started working
out at the young age of 13. As
a sophomore in high school,
he started his first year of
powerlifting and continued on
until his senior year.
After completing high
school, Danbert went into
teen bodybuilding. His first
year competing in the Teen
Bodybuilding Texas State
Championships, he won third
place and won second place the
following year.
After spending 17 years
dedicated to workouts and
training, Danbert has devoted
his last 12 years to training and
helping others achieve their
goals.
“The first client I ever had...
she needed help losing weight,”
says Danbert. “I didn’t know
everything about dieting and
healthy eating back then. So as
time went on, I started educating
myself more about all that.”
“Anyway, it worked,” he says.
Danbert’s first client successfully
lost 98 pounds through his
personal training.
“I was like - this is what I
want to do,” Danber says. “I just
had to keep going. It’s been
nothing but hardcore personal
training since 2013.”
After successfully building
clientele as a personal trainer,
Danbert spent four years
searching for the perfect spot for
his gym. In 2018, he finally found
the ideal spot, a building in which
he spent his childhood in — on
San Augustine Street on the
square downtown.
“Funny story behind the
location of The Forge; my mom
used to work for Windham’s Ivan
Smith Bargain Center,” he says.
“I grew up in this building. After
school - I’d walk over here and
help put together furniture for
some cash.”
Sometimes Danbert says he is
amazed at how things work out.
“I often find myself thinking,
wow, now this is mine,” Danbert
says.
Danbert says every piece
of equipment in The Forge, has
been patiently collected by him
over the past few years.
“I’ve been just collecting
and collecting gym equipment.
Everything you see in here, I
either ran up on deals for or
bought here and there over the
years. It’s all amazing equipment.
Some of the pieces I bought were
from the old Ice House,” he says..
After rushing to try and open
28 Business MATTERS | 2020 Fall Edition