Four men with different backgrounds and different stories have come together as student-athletes at Southeast Missouri State University to open a business beginning for the benefit of the youth around the area. Chosen Fitness, a fitness business for local college students and the youth, was created by Wyky Jean, Aaron Adeoye, Cantrell Andrews and Kweku Arkorful.

Chosen Fitness was created to work with youth around the Cape Girardeau area as well as college students who may not be playing sports, to give them an outlet to train with collegiate athletes at a fair price. The four men wanted to create a place where local high school students could train to advance specific skills at a high rate. Workouts are tailored to the sport on which they want to improve. Arkorful said the group didn't see this type of business offered to college students in the area, and wanted to fill that void for Southeast students.

"We aren't personal trainers, though," Jean said. "We tell you to do five pushups, we are doing those five pushups with you. We do the workouts with you."

Another driving point for starting Chosen Fitness was the location and the area high schools Chosen Fitness can connect to.

"We have Cape Central around here and we have Jackson around here," Andrews said. "We can put this in the backyard for the high schools."

Chosen Fitness has been a work in progress for a few years; it didn't happen overnight.

"It's been two, three years of grind," Arkorful said. "Now people are finally seeing it. We didn't want to be average anymore."

Adeoye, from Marion, Illinois, started his athletic career playing basketball at Ball State University, then transferred to Western Kentucky and eventually finished his basketball career at Southeast in 2015 when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Adeoye then used his fifth year of eligibility to play football at Southeast.

Adeoye said he loves working with youth. He wants to be the bridge for kids and whatever it is they are struggling with. "It makes my week," Adeoye said. "I'm out here with no money, and that makes me rich."

Cantrell Andrews graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School where he played basketball, football and ran track. After earning a scholarship to play football at Missouri Valley, Andrews walked on at Southeast as the starting cornerback from 2012-2014 and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.

Arkorful, born in Africa, also played football at Southeast as a cornerback and was part of the team that won the only Ohio Valley Conference championship to date in 2010. Arkorful is currently the coordinator of intramural and club sports at Southeast.

Jean was born in Pompano, Florida, and began attending Southeast in 2010 and played football just like the other men. Jean graduated from Southeast with a corporate communications degree and minored in entrepreneurship. Jean has put the business knowledge into Chosen Fitness. His background and degree have given him the tools to build the business from the ground up.

Chosen Fitness also gives the opportunity to purchase supplements and proteins to help clients build muscle. Jean is able to offer supplements and proteins to his customers at a cheaper price to help students who are paying bills or taking out loans but still want to build muscle. For the men, it's not about making money at the end of the day, it's the servanthood they want to give and to give back to the community.

The website began officially running on Nov. 10 and can be found at www.chosenfitness.com. The business also has T-shirts available for purchase online.