Through a small gap in the trees and down a dirt slope, worn down almost to a small staircase, is Shane Knight鈥檚 campsite in Surrey鈥檚 鈥淪anctuary鈥� tent city.

He鈥檚 one of several people that have moved into the area, which is down King George hill in a forested area near Bridgeview.

Like others in the camp, he鈥檚 set it up with a makeshift tent and bed, along with his few belongings.

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But what stands out is something Knight, 38, has been building over the past two months.

Painted red and black is a workout machine, with weights and pulleys for Knight to keep up his fitness regime. He鈥檚 gone so far to put together a makeshift barbell.

Knight estimates that he could do more than 30 different workouts with the machine.

鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this eight hours a day; salvaging, building or shaping or something for two months,鈥� he told the Now-Leader as he sanded down the handle for the pulley system.

鈥淒oing it with no shop and no car and with no money, all posed major difficulties.鈥�

Knight said he salvaged all the materials for free, going through throwaway piles at construction sites.

鈥淚t gives more meaning to trees giving their lives too because then their limbs get to go to making more really cool stuff than just in a landfill.鈥�

He said he also spent about 30 hours collecting bottles and taking them to the depot for cash to by the ropes, screws and other hardware to put the machine together.

It wasn鈥檛 an easy build though, Knight said.

Because the machine is on wheels, he can easily transport it. Knight joked that he could start pushing it around and giving workout lessons to people in the area.

However, depending on where Knight would be sleeping for the night, he wouldn鈥檛 always be able to bring it with him. Some nights, he said, he鈥檇 have to leave it behind buildings. Come morning, pieces of his do-it-yourself workout machine would be stolen and he鈥檇 be back to square one.

鈥淚鈥檓 not very easily rattled, I鈥檓 from the streets,鈥� said Knight, who grew up in East Vancouver, but moved to Surrey when he was about 27 years old.

鈥漈here鈥檚 not much that鈥檚 going to scare me or bother me or rattle me, but the building of this thing was for sure, by far, the hardest thing I ever did in my life,鈥� said Knight, adding that despite hurting his hand, he kept working through the pain.

This current machine, Knight said, is the third one he鈥檚 built. The idea to make his own workout equipment came after he鈥檇 previously owned three of the most popular home workout machines, but all of them broke or wore down under the pressure of his workouts.

鈥淥ver the course of six months I ruined the pieces of lifetime warranty, celebrity-endorsed equipment 鈥� the most three popular things you could buy. I broke all of them.鈥�

Knight said there wasn鈥檛 any other equipment that he could buy that he wouldn鈥檛 ruin again.

鈥淪o I had to make something that I couldn鈥檛 break 鈥� and this, I can鈥檛 break,鈥� said Knight, adding that he鈥檚 crashed it 鈥渂rutally,鈥� but it was barely dented.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing you could do to it. You could be the strongest guy in the world and you wouldn鈥檛 snap this thing in half.鈥�

For a while, Knight said he lived in Alberta, but after going through anxiety and depression, he chose to move back home with his mom and brother. He said after a week, his mom sent his brother to live on the street and Knight was told to go with his brother to watch over him as he would use drugs.

Asked if he spent time living on the Strip on 135A Street, Knight said, 鈥淧retty much; I guess you could say I was.鈥�

But now the 38-year-old is looking to the future.

鈥淚 want to compete in men鈥檚 over-40 national body-building championships in B.C. because in 14 months I鈥檓 going to be 40,鈥� said Knight, adding that he feels he has a good shot of competing with the other men.

lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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