South Side Sweats

Cayra Williams, a South Side native, saw firsthand the lack of community fitness opportunities in her area.After graduating from Emory University and returning home to begin her career in finance, fitness became an important outlet. While commuting from Chatham to downtown for work, she noticed the blocks surrounding her corporate office were filled with gyms, run clubs, and group workout spaces, while similar options near her home were sparse.

She responded by founding South Side Sweats, a fitness club dedicated to making wellness exciting, social, and centered on the South Side. The club provides affordable, high-quality workout experiences while creating space to network and connect with like-minded people. Located in neighborhoods shaped by historic redlining, disinvestment, and disproportionate rates of obesity and chronic illness, South Side Sweats helps residents prioritize their health without leaving the communities they call home.

South Side Sweats strengthen bonds and bodies. Through the best bootcamps, curated social events, and local and corporate partnerships, the business fills the wellness gap while encouraging investment in the South Side. The club transforms fitness into family and opportunity, while changing the narrative of what it means to be from the South Side.