Courtney Francis is not even a shadow of his former physique.

For the incoming UWI Games Committee chairman, his turning point came after he lost a fight in high school. The self proclaimed fitness junkie now has the title of entrepreneur to add to his list of accolades — which includes Mr Jamaica 2009 — with the opening of his new gym, Vain Fitness, in Old Harbour.

“If you do what you love while living, you never work a day in your life,” Francis told the Jamaica Observer of his latest business venture.

He conceptualised Vain Fitness during his first year at the University of the West Indies as a practical solution to the constant questions that he received on his personal regimen and supplements. Instead of sending them elsewhere, he took the initiative to provide the services himself.

But the actualisation of Francis’ dream gym was not possible without the investment of Vyceroy Creary. The gym facilities, located at Marley Mount Plaza, are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and a weights room, offering supplement sales, as well as several cardio and aerobics classes to those interested. For clients unsure of their workout regime, the Vain Fitness instructors provide personal training and dieting tips, with genuine words of encouragement and progress tracking.

With the business only in its initial stages, Vain Fitness has faced several challenges competing with the veteran sharks of the field. Francis said that some people may not take them seriously, but he is not worried.

“What we need to do as Vain Fitness,” he said, “is to go out there and make people know how serious we are. We really push ourselves through social media and we just try to get out to the public in any way we can. Whatever we do, we do it 110 per cent,” he said.

With their honest, “living-proof” philosophy and personable client service, Francis and his team always give “a little extra” to edge out the competition.

“Everybody in my company, we believe in fitness,” said the instructor. “We work out. We all take the supplements. So we can tell you how to take them, how to see the best results in the shortest amount of time, instead of [our clients] going into a store where someone sells it because it’s a business.”

Francis compared tending to Vain Fitness to raising a baby, as he understands that his business brainchild requires a lot of time and energy to ensure that his vision turns out the way he would like it to. Like a true businessman, he already has plans to open several gyms across the island to provide his fitness services and supplements.

To aspiring entrepreneurs, Francis stressed on finding something they are good at.

“Try to perfect your craft,” Francis said, “then you put a price tag on it. I mean, don’t just run after the dollar. I’ve realised that when your craft is up, people will pay you.”