Sturgis Family Feature:
The Cammacks
How does one make their community a brighter place? Is there just one way to do it, or are there countless ways to make your hometown a happier, more wonderful place to live? And is the job of making an impact on your home ever really done?
A Sturgis couple who might be able to provide some insight into these questions are Calvin and Kristi Cammack. These two grew up in the Sturgis area — Kristi in town and Calvin just outside of town on a ranch. They both graduated from Sturgis Brown High School with some overlapping experiences, but not a lot of interaction with each other.
“We started on the pole vaulting team here in Sturgis,” Kristi said. “Our coach encouraged us both to keep going and compete in college.” These two Scoopers wouldn’t get to know each other in a significant way until their time in college. “I was a year ahead of Calvin, so when we both were at SDSU at the same time, we didn't really know each other. But then we did get to know each other. We ended up vaulting at SDSU for five years.”
Calvin and Kristi fell in love with fitness — and each other — during their time in college. These two athletes returned home to Sturgis and put their passions to work. They would go on to open Twisted Canyon Crossfit and Xtreme Dakota Mountain Bikes. Calvin would go on to own Greenscape, a landscaping and construction company. The couple would also play an integral part in growing the Music on Main event with the Music on Main Mountain Bike Race Series.
The couple both point to life lessons they learned while growing up in Sturgis that grew their entrepreneurial and community-focused spirits. “I grew up watching my parents,” Kristi said. “When I was growing up, they owned Sturgis Bus Company and Western Transportation. They had a car wash in town, too. My parents were always on the go, and I was always on the go with them. My mom did all the accounting and books for everything, and she also always gave back to her community. That's something that we very much try to do, too.”
Calvin had a different experience growing up but one that still instilled a strong work ethic in him. “I grew up working on the family ranch all the way till high school,” Calvin said. “So, I learned to work sun up to sun down there; I learned that's how you get stuff done. The experience of hard work from family brought me into that.”
The couple recently became first-time parents and are excited to continue to contribute to their hometown of Sturgis in whatever ways they can. Whether it’s inspiring fitness or building beautiful spaces in the Black Hills, the Cammacks couldn’t be more pleased with how their hometown has nurtured them and been a part of their family’s story.
