Christian Stewart wants to help Gaston County fitness enthusiasts find an all-encompassing approach to fitness.
Stewart, a 23-year-old veteran of the United States Marine Corps and North Gaston High School graduate, opened the 1Enemy retail shop Friday inside the former Bethlehem Church campus on Separk Circle in Gastonia.
Dubbed the 1Enemy Buffalo Boutique, the store sells a variety of 1Enemy active wear, such as leggings, joggers, shorts and T-shirts, as well as casual clothing, weighted vests, hats, HydroJug water containers and other accessories.
The name 1Enemy nods to the idea of one being their own worst enemy, which Stewart says he experienced firsthand while serving in the military. He hopes to send a message of empowerment and encouragement with his new clothing line that stretches beyond physical wellness.
“We want to promote a holistic view of fitness. That incorporates mental fitness and being prepared mentally,” said Stewart, a fitness buff who worked at a gym while he was in college.
“We want to make a community where it’s not about who can lift the heaviest weights, has the biggest squat or who can run the fastest. We just want them to share a common interest of physical and mental health.”
Stewart’s family bought the Gastonia property in 2020 to house their business endeavors. His mother, Michele, opened a preschool, which has since closed, at the former church campus. His father, Frank, runs Premier Body Armor, a manufacturer and seller of bulletproof armor, out of the building.
Frank launched 1Enemy under a different name in 2017, specifically focusing on weighted vests. Stewart began taking the reins from his father in 2020 and introduced 1Enemy earlier this year.
Customers can order apparel and have it shipped directly to their door by shopping on 1Enemy’s online store, which opened for business in July.
Stewart looks forward to cultivating a new mindset among local fitness enthusiasts through the new brick-and-mortar store.
“We try to get people to help us dig ourselves out of our own holes,” he said. “If we could encourage ourselves to dig our own selves out, then we’d be a lot better off.”
You can reach reporter Gavin Stewart at 704-869-1819 or on Twitter @GavinGazette.
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