Devan Kline was a minor-league pitcher trying to make it to the majors when another career opportunity blindsided him. In the summers of 2009 and 2010, he began helping Vanessa—the mother of the host family he lived with during home games—train to get back in shape. Devan witnessed her rapid transformation as she lost 45 pounds, along with the positive impact it had on her and her family.

The grateful clan told Devan that his time with them had changed their lives, and it was then that he knew he wanted to dedicate himself to helping others in the same way. That’s when he founded Burn Boot Camp.

Now, Devan and his coterie of trainers conduct indoor boot camps throughout North Carolina, using exercises that Devan himself used to get into shape during his days as a professional athlete. The team supplements those regimens with loads of body-weight-resistance training and heart-pounding cardio drills that include sprinting short distances or boxing defibrillators.