Meet Preston Wilson: School Counselor and Personal Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Preston Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Preston, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I love this question because we all feel this way at times. What fitness has shown me is that although you may not see the results immediately as long as you keep working consistently towards a goal, the change will come. Sometimes you can workout for 3 months and nothing seems like its happening, sometimes it’s 6 months and no changes, sometimes it is even a year and you barely see anything, but I’ve never seen someone that has committed to the process and wants to improve their health not see a significant change in their body, mind, and spirit when exercise is a regular part of their lifestyle. We’ve all seen the transformations on social media and other sites. It is definitely not an overnight event, but the common theme for everybody on their fitness journey, is the idea that they wanted to give up, because things weren’t going well, but they were glad they kept going because they never imagined how much of an impact not quitting would have on them. So fitness is an easy illustration, because its a physical change that occurs, no matter what, as long as you trust the process, you’ll lose weight, or gain muscle and reach your goal. Considering every day life though, the same story often plays out. In your first 3-6 months or even a year of trying to accomplish a goal, starting a new business, working towards a promotion, raising a child, maintaining a marraige, etc it feels hopeless and you don’t know if you’re going to have success with this. But those who don’t abandon the pursuit have countless testimonials of becoming self-sufficient and thriving, while being their own boss, finally becoming the manager, director, or VP of a company, kids graduating from high school and college that they have healthy relationships with their parents, and being happily married for 30 plus years. All of this because they didn’t settle, quit, or tap out. I realize I never directly answered the question, even though I think my answer is obvious. In my opinion you never give up and you always keep going, because you will reach anything you’re willing to keep fighting for.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe fitness is about more than your body it’s an integral part of every day life. What makes me different is that I focus on your ability to perform because what you can do means more than what you look like. When you’re able to “do” something it carries over to other areas of life. If you’re able to stay committed to a training routine and reach fitness goals, you also have built the necessary skillset to follow a plan that lays out the steps needed to get a promotion on your job. In my eyes, both of these things should be viewed the same and I treat exercising as a blueprint to reach every goal you set for yourself in life. What I’m most proud of is that this notion has helped transform my life. As a young adult, I was depressed and didn’t know what my next steps were in life, but I was very familiar and comfortable with exercising, so I started training again and things became clearer for me. I found something I could “do” and I began believing I could do anything. After I accomplish one thing, I approached every hurdle I would face in life with that same mentality. I was about to be a college dropout at the start of this journey and by the end I became a first generation college graduate with advanced degrees in education and a championship athlete on the collegiate level in traack and field. The catalyst to all this was fitness. As I started working in the professional realm, especially amongst kids, I realized that my story wasn’t just powerful for me. Fitness could impact others around me, I wasn’t the only one that could do anything. Anybody Could Do Anything, they just needed the opportunity to learn what they were capable of. Hence, ACDA Fitness was birthed, and I’ve been working with teenagers and adults using performance training as a medium to help them take control of their life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Monday: They need to eat at Crafty Crab for great seafood. Tues/Thursday/Sunday: Elevation Fitness it has a unique ambience and isn’t like most gyms you may have been to in the past. Wednesday: They need to eat a Dutch Pot and get a taste of Carribean Flavor. Friday: Wynwood and see the mini art festival that goes on from week to week. Saturday: South Beach and get that whole experience. It is a staple in Miami Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife, Deseray Hamilton, would be my shout out because before I started taking my side job seriously, she did it first. She has a dream of helping black women heal from past trauma. She’s an ESE Specialist and a licensed mental health therapist and over the past year she has done an awesome job building her private practice, while maintaining a full-time position and raising a son. This motivated me to stop making excuses. I have a huge passion for, fitness, and have been an athlete for most of my life. Exercising transformed me, it boosted my confidence, emotional fortitude, and I’ve seen it do the same for many others, so I want to help become a catalyst for a positive change in others. Watching my wife impact the women in her community lets me know that it can be done. I celebrate her all the time for her ambition and ability to move when others would feel stuck.

Website: acdafitness.com
Instagram: @acdafitness
Linkedin: Preston Wilson
Twitter: n/a
Facebook: @150lbsofawesomeness
Yelp: n/a
Youtube: acdafitness

Image Credits
@martinmedia_