What started as an old locker room at Stratford High is now the school’s newest weight room – with a splash of pink.
Since last May, culinary arts teacher and track and field coach Carl Calvert has worked hard at gutting out a small room toward the back of the school to create a new space for Stratford’s female athletes to workout.
Now the new weight room is up and running – and Calvert is pretty excited.
“This was my dream – to do something for a class of people,” he said.
The project was made possible from fundraising efforts that initially started with a kind donation from Stokes Mazda after Calvert connected with general manager Travis Westbury.
Westbury said Stokes Mazda tries to support schools, and the business was taken with how dedicated Calvert was in supporting the girls at Stratford.
“I know a lot of times funds are limited and it helps when you can make a positive difference,” Westbury said. “I like being involved in these types of things.”
Renovating the room involved removing about 100 lockers that are being repurposed by the school’s wrestling program. Calvert recruited senior track athletes Bobby Gibson and Maggie Parker to help him transform the room – they assisted in removing said lockers, cutting up and placing the room’s new mats, assembling equipment, painting and more.
The room features a fresh pink door, plus a pink set of shelves that holds some of the workout equipment. Another pink door to the room is in the works.
Both students said they like how the weight room turned out; Parker said the other weight room can be packed with other athletic teams so it is really beneficial to the girls.
“It’s more secluded so I think you (girls) can get more work done,” Parker said.
While it is being called the girls weight room, the boys are welcome to use it too when it is otherwise unoccupied. Gibson said he has used it himself. 
“Every once in a while when I get to sneak in here and use the equipment I’m a little happier – it’s really nice,” he said.
Parker and Gibson both praised Calvert for going out of his way to make the room possible.
“I don’t think anybody does more for this school than him,” Gibson said.
While the pink features are fun, it is really the equipment that makes the room a female weight room because everything is better suited for women. Calvert ordered Olympic-style grip weights and kettle bells that are a little lighter than the weights in the school’s general weight room and easier to pick up. He also purchased a pink multifunction bench press set, plus an additional workout machine. The room also stores assorted workout bands, yoga mats and blocks, weighted jump ropes and more.
“It’s specifically done with smaller-framed people in mind,” Calvert said.
He mounted two digital screens on the wall, which coaches/teachers can use to post workout routines for students to follow.
Calvert said the girls have gotten a kick out of the pink weight locks that keep the weights in place on the bars while they lift – he cannot wait until they see the pink bumper plates that he recently ordered.
Calvert said the project has exceeded his expectations.
“I probably doubled the size of what the inception was and tripled the amount of exercise capability,” he said.
Softball teammates who recently used the weight room all agree that they like having a workout space that is separate from the boys and that it makes them feel more comfortable and focused.
Ninth grader Jayden Sizemore said it was harder to get more reps in using the general weight room just because of how busy it gets in there, but now she is able to lift more and is subsequently improving her throwing arm.
“It makes me throw harder so that is always good,” she said, adding she also likes the color scheme Calvert selected for the girls room. “It makes me happy – it’s joyful walking in there.”
Tenth grader Ella Bruorton said Calvert does a lot for all the athletic teams at the school, like providing food for the students at their games.
“Coach Calvert is just the best,” she said. “It’s just so nice that he really thought of us girls – most people wouldn’t think, ‘Let’s make a girls weight room.’ I really respect him for that.”
Calvert said hearing how much the girls love the room is worth the price of admission.
“I like what I do and I guess when you like what you do, people see it,” he said. “I’ve got the best job in Berkeley County.”
