100 Fit Females and Kinston Community Health Center promote women’s health
Written by Margo Dawson
Dr. Lin Dawson’s (former New England Patriot and Kinston High School standout) daughter, Jelyse Dawson is teaming up with the Kinston Community Health Center to increase health outcomes this Saturday at the Community Health & Wellness Fair in downtown Kinston.
Jelyse will teach a live fitness class and finally meet her virtual participants from Lenoir and surrounding counties who participate in 100 Fit Females. 100 Fit Females empowers women to care for their mental and physical well-being through virtual life coaching and fitness.
The program offers certified instructors made possible from an HBCUvc grant awarded to Jelyse for her strides as an entrepreneur impacting communities.
“This effort was made possible through Anna Kinsey and the Kinston Community Health Center, who launched our campaign to help women move more and stress less,” said Jelyse Dawson. “Our goal is to expand this program across North Carolina to empower women to care for their mental and physical health.”
“The life coaching class that I took was life changing,” said participant Sharitta Edmondson. “It showed me that it’s past time to work on myself.”
Come out August 13th from 10am - 1pm to participate in all the healthy activities in store for the community. Find the 100 Fit Females table and sign up for classes!
Ms. Dawson began serving the Kinston community in 2014 when her parents, Margo and Lin Dawson launched the first Coley Little STEM camp at their facility, the old JH Sampson Elementary School located in the heart of East Kinston, North Carolina. Through her NC State University connection with Imhotep Academy, she secured borrowed microscopes and a forensic curriculum to engage students in science.
The following summer, her mother, who had a history of implementing STEM equity for youth nationally, planned the 2nd Coley Little STEM camp for Kinston. By this time, Jelyse launched Fusion Fitness by Jelyse LLC, and taught students how to solve conflicts and manage stress using yoga at the camp. Over the years, she has partnered with the Rochelle Middle School After School Tutoring Program, Lin Dawson Boys Saturday Academy, and Friends in Ministry
to bring mindfulness and movement to youth. In 2016, she co-directed the 3rd Annual Coley Little STEM at the Neuseway Park in Kinston through a partnership with NASA.
After earning an MBA from NC State University to sharpen her business skills, Dawson served in global data and communications roles at Cisco while maintaining Fusion Fitness. At the height of the pandemic, Dawson like thousands of others was laid off. She began teaching fitness full time and created an online community of women aged 22 - 75.
In the summer of 2020, she partnered once again with her mother Margo and Train Them Up for Success CDC, to launch the 2020 Girls Fit to Soar Career Leadership Camp recruiting girls ages 14-18 from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In addition to exploring careers with national and international female mentors, activities included virtual college tours, social Justice discussions, hip hop dance, activities painting and more. The mother-daughter duo co-authored the Fit to Soar Youth Career Mentoring Guide in 2021.
As Dawson increased her capacity to build a comprehensive online wellness program she was awarded a $10k HBCUvc grant. Half of the funds are being used for the 2022 100 Fit Females targeting women of color in Lenoir and surrounding rural counties.
Get involved with 100 Fit Females at www.fusionfitnessbyjelyse.com/100fitfemales.
