OCALA, FL (352Today.com) – Clint Hart has turned Ocala into his gym. Literally.
If you follow Hart on Facebook, you’re bound to see a reel or video of him running in the heat. Late afternoons in downtown Ocala, under the scorch of the summer sun, the former NFL safety pounds out his daily mile, intentionally facing the sun and the thick of the heat instead of turning away from it. No treadmill. No shade. Just stride, sweat and a deliberate embrace of discomfort that mirrors the mindset he preaches.
“I run a mile every day in the heat. I run around every day because I like challenges and adversity. I like to face the sun and run toward the heat instead of running away from it,” Hart said.
That same discipline recently led Hart to sign a new five-year lease on Healthy Harts Fitness at 415 N. Magnolia Ave., recommitting to downtown Ocala as the foundation for his next chapter of community impact.
Born in Dade City and raised in Webster, Hart became a football and baseball standout at South Sumter High School in Bushnell. He worked the pepper, squash, peanut and watermelon fields as a teenager before playing baseball at the College of Central Florida. A circuitous path through arena football, NFL Europe, and eight NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, (now) Los Angeles Chargers and (also now) Los Angeles Rams eventually brought him home.
“I’m a country boy,” Hart said.
“I love the small-town aspect of knowing people. I fell in love with this [area]. My kid was born and is going to be raised here,” he continued.
That rooted perspective shapes everything Hart does.
Off the field, Hart’s commitment to service stood out during his NFL career. He earned the Chargers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year recognition for his philanthropy in Sumter County, including youth football camps, equipment donations and mentoring. After leaving the league, he brought that same passion home to Ocala, founding Healthy Harts Fitness as a place for genuine transformation.
“I just wanted to do something to help football players because I wish I had had somebody do that for me,” Hart said. “There are so many of these kids that are misguided. So many have so much talent, and they just don’t have any direction. It’s more than just football. It’s more than just a game. It involves real life, too.”
Hart’s journey with Healthy Harts began humbly with just four people at a local park. From the very first session, he opened and closed each class with prayer, a practice that remains central to the gym’s culture today.
After retirement, Hart was determined to avoid the emptiness many players face when the cheering stops.
“Some players are empty after football because that’s all they’ve ever been,” Hart said.
“When you leave the game, it’s hard because there’s a high demand for people wanting your autograph, and when you leave, nobody’s cheering anymore. A lot of guys struggle with that, and that’s what has affected a lot of guys committing suicide and so forth, or depression. I refuse to be that way,” he continued.
For him, the sport was a platform, not an identity. He wanted to be more than just a former player. So he began pouring his hard-earned knowledge, energy and discipline into others through training. What started as one-way mentorship quickly became a genuine team relationship built on mutual dependence and growth.
“They pour back into me,” Hart said, noting how members motivate him on days he needs it, creating a powerful sense of belonging.
That foundation has allowed the gym to expand, especially on the athletic development side. With a new lease, Hart is doubling down on helping people, particularly kids, honor their bodies as temples while building strength, discipline and purpose that lasts far beyond any single season.
The gym offers full equipment access, personal training and group fitness classes (including high-intensity sessions and specialized core work). It’s deliberately family-oriented and welcoming, boasting itself as a “judgment-free zone” where beginners feel supported.
Hart emphasizes consistency, community and results that go beyond the physical.
“I care a lot about people’s well-being,” Hart said.
“I have people that’s depending on me just to be there for them. So, I sacrifice my own for the well-being of others, and I think that’s what people see. And, a lot of people don’t see a lot of things I do, which they don’t need to see. As long as God sees my heart, and that I do, that’s all that matters. I’ve been popular. I’ve been at the top, so I don’t do it for a popularity contest.”
For Hart, the gym has always been about more than workouts. During the holidays, he organizes a special meal drive for families in need.
“We feed 42 families on Christmas,” Hart said.
The number 42 holds personal significance as his football jersey number.
“I wanted to feed families,” he explained, focusing on single moms and whole households rather than individuals.
This reflects Hart’s broader vision: using the space he built not only to strengthen bodies but to strengthen the community around it.
He previously served as defensive coordinator at Ocala Christian Academy and, in January 2025, stepped in as head football coach at Trinity Catholic High School, bringing NFL experience, discipline and a player-first mentality to the program.
But the transition to head coach for Trinity Catholic was not without its hiccups.
“I came into a bad situation where a lot of coaches weren’t even on the same page, so here I am trying to manage grown men’s emotions, my own emotions, the gym’s emotions and people in the gym’s emotions. It almost drove me crazy. But this year we got a small circle, and we have a great group of coaches, and they’ve done a great job of helping me,” Hart said.
“I love being there. They’re super supportive. It’s going to be a great thing.”
Hart’s journey from small-town roots to NFL success and back again makes him a powerful local role model. Whether leading a morning training session, coaching high school athletes or simply connecting with members by name, he continues to live the values of hard work, giving back and staying grounded in the place he calls home.
If you’re looking for a gym that feels like part of the community fabric, Healthy Harts Fitness delivers.
But, as Hart often tells those stepping into his gym for the first time, real change demands courage.
“To test the parachute, you’ve got to jump,” Hart said.
“Some things are very scary. Working out, or just some things in general, are very scary when they’re unfamiliar. But to test the parachute, if it’s going to open up, you got to jump, and you have to take a leap of faith. You’ve got to trust that God has given you all the right tools and put you in the right mind frame to handle any tough situation, and you’ve got to put trust in it.”