You vs Yourself, a new Black-owned sports performance and fitness gym coming to Camp North End

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For Charlotte native Curtis Walls, sports have always been an outlet for him to exercise his competitive spirit. Little did he know, that same spirit would lead him to start a fitness chain in his hometown.

Walls, 36, will open You Vs. Yourself (YVY) — a 3,000-square-foot sports performance and fitness gym located in Camp North End (1701 North Graham Street in Suite 112).

The inspiration for the name, Walls said, comes from his notion that there is no such thing as competition – only striving for your personal best.

“Every day is about waking up, living an intentional lifestyle, and understanding that today I’m going to get a little better,” he said.

The gym offers private, semi-private and group training for fitness levels ranging from beginner to professional athletes.

Walls and his team of professional instructors will lead yoga and hip hop cardio classes, boot camps and more. The gym will also partner with Mad Miles, a running club in Charlotte that serves hundreds of runners at all levels weekly.

Walls, a former North Carolina A&T football player, was working in landscape architecture, but after being laid off in 2008, he decided to pursue a professional career in the sport.

He would have a brief stint in the Canadian Football League. Despite not making an NFL roster, Walls would train with the likes of Panthers players Steve Smith and Cam Newton.

After retiring from football, Walls began working at NASCAR, serving in various roles including as a pit crew member, sports performance coach and culture development consultant.

Losing his job during the pandemic, he decided to pursue entrepreneurship as a fitness gym owner.

He launched his first location earlier this year at the VAPA Visual and Performing Arts Center but decided to expand to Camp North End to grow his clientele.

“I grew up nearby and really appreciate Camp North End’s emphasis on tapping into and providing opportunities for local talent,” he said. “I’m big on intentionality, in all aspects of life, and it made sense to align with a like-minded place such as Camp North End.”

The gym will have its public grand opening on June 4 but will offer free public programming as part of a soft opening celebration that will take place from April 30 to May 7.

The lineup for that week includes: