Jess King
Jess King (born 1985) is a senior fitness instructor at Peloton, social media influencer, certified life coach, and former professional dancer.[1][2]
Jess King | |
---|---|
Born | 1985 (age 34–35) |
Occupation | Fitness instructor at Peloton |
Partner(s) | Sophia Urista |
Early life and family
King was born in 1985 and grew up in the southern United States.[3] King was exposed to fitness from a young age. Her mother, Ximena Bernales, was a competitive bodybuilder and owned personal training boutique fitness studios.[4]
Career
King began her professional career as a dancer. She toured as a dancer and teacher and was the lead in a Cirque Du Soleil production in Las Vegas.[4] In 2008, she was a Top 10 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance.[2][5] She was dancing in a show in NYC when her producer suggested she take a meeting with Peloton, a new fitness startup looking for coaches.[4] By the time she met with Peloton founder and CEO, John Foley, she had never been on a spin bike in her life.[5]
King began working as a cycling instructor at Peloton. During her instructor training, she learned the practical elements of the bike like resistance and cadence metrics as well as teaching tips like how to ride and speak simultaneously or how to map out a class.[6] She found the transition from dance to fitness instruction to be easy and natural, particularly since she was well-practiced in musicality and performance.[2]
Her initial motivation for taking the Peloton job was because of a promise of fame and celebrity status by Foley.[7] In recent years, however, she has described the power of connecting with riders and empowering people through fitness as the primary motivation for her work.[4]
Personal life
King has been in a relationship with musician Sophia Urista since February 2015.[8] They live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City.[9]
References
- Radding, Ben (2017-10-19). "This Move Will Help to Build Your Butt and Prevent Injury". Men's Health. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- Malamut, Melissa (2019-01-08). "Meet the kickass Peloton instructors getting the world fit". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- Zarrella, Katharine K. (2020-01-10). "Your Gym Outfit Might Be Too Boring". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- Path, The. "Peloton Instructor Jess King Talks About the Workout Revolutionizing Spin – The Path Magazine". Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- "How Peloton's Spin Instructors Became the Rock Stars of the Fitness World". Fashion Magazine. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- C.P.T, Meg Lappe. "The Intense, Cutthroat World of Group Cycling Instructor Training". SELF. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- Kurutz, Steven (2017-02-01). "Peloton Instructors Ride for Fitness and Fame". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- "Jessica King on Instagram: "We just celebrated 5 years together. One of the things I love most about us @sophiaurista is finding creative ways to celebrate our life &…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- Davies, Anna (2020-05-21). "New Yorkers find ways to cram in Pelotons amid coronavirus". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-05-22.