Twice a week, a group of teenagers from the Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue make their way to a nearby fitness studio for free training and mentorship.

Shawn Casey, a trainer and director of the Shawn Casey Results Fitness Studio, has been in the industry for over 25 years. He opened the studio in Bellevue in March of 2009. Shortly after, he and his staff began offering free bi-weekly training sessions as a way to reach out to today’s youth, who are increasingly at risk of obesity and other serious health problems.

As a teenager who sometimes struggled with the pressures to use drugs and alcohol, Casey has known since a young age the importance of taking ownership of one’s well being and developing personal discipline. This can be particularly difficult with the absence of positive role models in the lives of young people today.

“Working with kids, I know the value not only physically, but mentally and emotionally,” Casey said.

Every Wednesday and Friday, anywhere from five to 15 kids – mostly boys – participate in one-on-one and group training with Casey and his associates.

“We do a lot of circuit training, but we also talk about how your body works, how to exercise properly, nutrition and the value of eating well, setting goals with your body and with your life,” Casey said.

But it isn’t just the children’s physical health that moves Casey to volunteer his time and resources. Rather, it is their overall well-being that he believes fitness enhances, by fostering positive relationships with role models and developing self discipline.

“You can measure body fat, weight and muscle – but the confidence and the discipline that it teaches you as you work out and train – you take that into your relationships with others – school, family, friends and co-workers,” observed Casey. “It is your foundation.”

Staff members from both the Boys & Girls Club and the studio have noticed a positive impact on the participants.

“The kids are better conditioned, stronger, their energy has changed, they feel better, they look better,” remarked Casey. “The feedback has (included) healthier decisions with nutrition, they focus better in school, (and) it is good for stress management.”

Masao Yamada, who has been working as a drop-in staff member at the Boys & Girls Club for almost a year, regularly accompanies the kids to their fitness sessions.

“There has been a change in self-esteem with quite a few of the kids,” he said.

More specifically, Yamada has noticed a distinct change in the way some of the young women view their bodies, an achievement that is noteworthy among a demographic that is particularly susceptible to eating disorders and other unhealthy behaviors.

Kathy Haggart, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue, has also noticed the influence of Casey’s volunteer work.

“We have seen affirmative results in the young people’s physical and mental well-being,” Haggart remarked in a press release. “The kids look forward to going to Shawn Casey Results Fitness; they experience positive role models and they have a lot of fun!”

Megan Bower is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.