For nearly three years, Keith Gary has been coming to Harlan's Fitness in Butler to work out.

Then he did something that caught the eye of facility owner and bodybuilding trainer Jeff Harlan.

He took his shirt off.

“Keith has been a regular here,” Harlan said of the gym. “He never had a trainer or anything and he always worked out with his shirt on.

“I was walking toward the back of the gym one day and saw him take his shirt off. Right away, I told him ... 'man, you gotta do something with that.' The genetics were there.

“He just had to learn how to use that body, how to pose,” Harlan added.

Gary turns 37 next month. Originally from Buffalo (NY), he has been a Butler resident since 2003. He is a former Butler County Bears football player.

“I've always been active and have been working out on my own for years,” Gary said. “I always thought about trying bodybuilding, but never knew how to go about it.

“When Jeff made that comment to me, it got me started in that direction.”

Gary wound up participating in the National Physique Committee (NPC) amateur bobybuilding show at Tanglewood Center in late August. He trained for eight weeks and wound up winning the true novice and men's open divisions.

Gary Udit, the chairman of NPC, suggested Gary enter a big amateur show and try earning his pro card. That can only happen by winning such a show.

“I looked around and the closest one was in (Charleston) South Carolina,” Gary said.

That was the 2020 NPC Universe Bodybuilding Show last Saturday. Again, Gary trained for eight weeks.

He won the men's physique, masters 35-older and tall (6 feet and over) divisions, thus earning his pro card. He beat out 10 competitors in his division.

“It took him two months to earn his pro card,” Harlan said of Gary. “That is unheard of in this sport. It took Theresa (Center Township resident Ivancik) 10 years to get hers.

“Keith is just a natural. He's only going to get better.”

Gary works out at Harlan's gym for two hours practically every day. He woks for a company that produces bullet-proof glass.

He is the fourth bodybuilder from Harlan's gym to earn a pro card, joining Ivancik, Taylor Crede and Justine Albert.

“I love being in the gym,” Gary said. “It not only helps me physically, it's provided therapy for me as well.

“I've dealt with depression and it helps me in that regard. It improves my self-control, too. And confidence ... there were 200 bodybuilders at that South Carolina show and they were fantastic, yet I felt like I belonged.”

During the pre-judging segment of the competition at Tanglewood, Gary said “they always put me in the middle and paid particularly close attention ... just the way they were looking at me, I felt I had a chance at this.

“If that competition didn't happen in Butler when it did, none of this probably happens for me. That show was right here in town, so why not enter it? It turned into an opportunity I was able to take advantage of,” he added.

While at that Butler show, Gary was put in touch with Omar Ventura, a nationally-known bodybuilding trainer in California. He began working with him online.

“Omar probably worked with me that way eight times or so (leading up to South Carolina),” Gary said. “That helped me a lot.”

Gary plans to make his pro debut at the Pittsburgh show, scheduled in May. His ultimate goal is to make “the Big O,” known as the Olympia.

“The four people who have really supported me and gotten me to this point are my wife, Kathy, Theresa Ivancik, Jeff Harlan and Omar Ventura,” Gary said. “I will be forever grateful to them.

“Besides succeeding as a pro myself, I want to motivate young people, get people away from negativity. Believe in yourself. It can take you a long way.”