A SEAL’s Second Mission

Ragged breaths, glistening backs, and smiles (or grimaces) on faces — all before 7:00am. It’s a familiar sight to those in Stew Smith’s workout group, who are preparing for careers in various fields of service.

Smith has become a fitness mogul in Severna Park. He’s the author of more than 40 fitness books and over 1,000 articles. He’s a social media influencer, podcaster, and nonprofit founder — all while running free workouts for aspiring service workers six times a week.

Originally from Florida, Smith moved to the Annapolis area when he joined the U.S. Naval Academy. He initially struggled with his grades but later found his stride with Navy SEAL training. Smith spent a short time on SEAL teams and as a SEAL instructor before resigning his officer commission.

“I always knew I wanted to have fitness as my career,” Smith said. “I realized that writing was going to be that opportunity to expand my reach with fitness training.”

Smith began his writing career after noticing a need for specific workouts designed for individuals looking to pass the various fitness tests required in service fields.

Smith explained how his local workouts started with just two guys he met at the gym. “Those two guys brought another guy. That guy brought another guy. Next thing I know, I got like five, six guys working out with me,” he said.

His workouts have since evolved, becoming a baseline for locals looking to pass fitness tests. Now, the activities draw around 12 to 15 people every morning.

Smith also founded Heroes of Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that collects donations to cover the cost of gym and pool access for student workouts at the Severna Park Community Center.

This was essential for his students, considering his workouts usually include varying combinations of calisthenics, cardio, swimming and weightlifting. Smith mentioned that while there’s no one-size-fits-all workout for fitness tests, consistent hard work in these areas will prepare people for most of the tests.

When asked about his motivation to continue these daily workouts, Smith replied, “It just became a habit. I’ve looked back at how long I’ve been doing morning workouts, and it’s over 40 years now.”

One of Smith’s students discovered him on YouTube years ago but only began attending his workouts two weeks ago, highlighting Smith’s online reach.

Smith has adapted with grace to the social media era, expanding his platform across all major channels. He’s amassed almost 57,000 followers on Instagram and over 1 million views on his most popular YouTube video.

“You have to be willing to evolve and see the opportunities that are out there,” Smith said. “I’d just be missing out on so much more (of an) audience that doesn’t necessarily like reading articles.”

His willingness to adapt, work hard and continually learn — both from his research and his workouts with students — has earned Smith nearly unparalleled respect in his niche.

Aside from his daily workouts and fitness ventures, Smith still spends a lot of time helping at the Naval Academy, teaching swimming to non-swimming athletes.

When asked about what the greater Severna Park community means to him, Smith mentioned his wife, who grew up locally, his kids, and his community at the academy.

“I found a home, and it just means a lot,” Smith said.