The Dominican Republic found its mission in physical activity – El Tiempo Latino

By Milagros Meléndez – Special for El Tiempo Latino

Working as a receptionist at a Falls Church, Virginia gymnasium to pay for her college education led Jenny Osoria to discover a passion that has become a life purpose to help improve the well-being of others.

Jovial, dynamic and energetic, Osoria leaves her stamp as a fitness instructor wherever she goes, cultivating her Caribbean roots. “I think what made me stand out in the Washington metropolitan area is my Dominican essence and my Caribbean music,” he recently told during a talk with El Tiempo Latino.

Casually

Osoria entered the world of “fitness” in a casual way.

He had completed his general studies at Northern Virginia Community College, with a focus on criminology and juvenile delinquency, and transferred to George Mason University.

During high school he had played softball and was also involved in a dance group. However, she never imagined becoming a full-time coach, since 2007.

The young university student was looking to pay for her studies with a part-time job. That’s how she started as a receptionist at the now defunct Bally Total Fitness gym in Virginia and took advantage of working out for free. However, it cost him sacrifice.

“I went early at 5 in the morning before going to the University. Then I would go to study and in the afternoon I would come to the gym to work, “he said.

Osoria did not miss any opportunity to train and found that he had stamina. “I did the same routines as the men. And every time a boss told me ‘let’s train’, I could resist, “he said.

After a few weeks his body changed. “My muscle mass was transformed and people in the gym noticed it,” he said. Her section manager told her that she had the qualifications to become a coach and offered to pay for the classes so she could get certified.

“Back then the gym didn’t have a female instructor,” he said.

From receptionist to coach

Certification took three months. “That’s how I went from receptionist to coach, in less than half a year. Something I never imagined, ”he said.

Osoria took the certification in Miami in 2007 and since then has been breaking the mold. She became the only female coach and the only Hispanic instructor at Bally Gym.

She was also one of the pioneers that brought Zumba to the metropolitan area.

It started with group classes and then personal ones. These became very popular, Osoria said.

“I put a lot of energy and passion into the classes and of course I use my Caribbean music. That made me stand out in the area, “he said.

In 2007 Osoria rotated between the different locations of the gym. “My classes were full and I was super busy. I was going from Falls Church to Pentagon City, Landmark, Alexandria and Wheaton, ”he said.

Having great popularity, the young coach began to think like an entrepreneur, innovating and breaking schemes.

“Fitness parties”, classes in swimming pools and concerts

The entrepreneur launched the “Fitness Parties”. His vision was to include many more people, the ones who avoided gyms, but who liked to dance.

He rented a dance venue (night club) and brought a live DJ, gathering more than 100 people at each session.

“I gave it a different touch, it was not only fitness but music, dance and could include any audience,” he recalled.

It was like being at a party doing exercises, with the difference that he did not drink liquor, but he did drink a lot of water.

It also launched fitness classes in swimming pools.

In 2011 he held a fitness concert at the Wheaton location, Bally’s gym, with Dominican-born singer Kat de Luna. “I used her music a lot, so I decided to bring her live,” he said.

In the meantime he continued to work out at the Bally Gym in Wheaton.

Changes drive her to become independent

At the end of 2011, the gym was sold and the new owners arrived with another vision, so Osoria launched into individual classes on his own. “People followed me,” he said.

After a few weeks, he began classes in Beltsville, Prince George’s County.

After several inconveniences, the young woman decided to look for her own study. “I was forced to become independent. So I decided to go ahead and complete my business plan ”, he said.

He asked a client to review it for him and she fell in love with the project. “He told me he wanted to invest,” he said.

So in 2013 he founded DanzaTone Fitness. The instructional model that combines cardio with HITT (High Intensity Interval Training) made it unique to the point that the Alvin Ailey School of Dance in New York took its format, according to Osoria.

In 2017 he closed the studio and the following year became a contractor for Bethesda’s Truebody Gym.

“It was a full gym, with all kinds of classes,” he said. “While I was not teaching, I was taking yoga, meditation and Tai Chi classes.”

Pandemic changes the way

In March when the pandemic paralyzed commerce, the gym changed its strategy. “We started classes online,” he said.

However, the impact was so strong that in July 2020 the gym closed.

Since then, Osoria has focused on her virtual classes, reaching more people and overcoming challenges.

Dominican immigrant

Jenny Osoria was born in Santiago de los 30 Caballeros, in the north of the Dominican Republic. His mother had previously emigrated to New York. “Then he sent us to bring. I came here when I was 10 years old, ”said Osoria, who is the oldest of four sisters.

They later moved to Northern Virginia. He attended Luther Jackson Middle School and Falls Church High School.

Since September 2020, Osoria has worked for the Nueva Vida organization, the only entity of its kind that focuses on women with breast and cervical cancer. Osoria is an important community outreach and education arm in preventive care. “I help people to access the resources that exist. If they need me to accompany them to the medical appointment, I go with them and also translate, “he said.

Osoria also participates in professional Dominican dance groups and has had the opportunity to represent his country in Morocco. He lives in Maryland with his little dog Cookie.

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