City Limits Network "Profiles of Excellence"

Candy Colby World Fitness Association

Candy Colby has always been a trendsetter when it comes to fitness. Her father owned a successful chain of dance studios, and Candy grew up strong and confident in the spotlight—lessons, recitals, performances, modeling, and beauty contest winnings. Her portrait was featured in a collection with presidents’ daughters. But this was not a spoiled child; her parents instilled deep-rooted values of faith and gratitude.

As a college P.E. major Candy experienced a new environment—the gym. She studied exercise science, physiology, and nutrition, and stayed in shape teaching dance lessons at her father’s studios. Candy started what would become a lifetime of fitness innovation when she began to ask the question: why not combine exercise with music?

Relocating to south Florida the idea took root. Candy biked to a nearby church, boldly asked to rent their social hall, set up a boom box, and started teaching an entirely new concept called “jazz aerobics.” She and six students had a blast, got fit, felt great, and soon the six invited friends and then 12 invited friends and the room soon overflowed. It was 1980 and nobody else was doing anything like it. It was the start of an aerobics revolution that continues today.

A large fitness center approached Candy and asked her to teach the aerobics class in their gym. It became so popular the club asked her to add more classes, and Candy insisted they build what was probably the first aerobics studio in the country. She designed a room gleaming with mirrors and a quality sound system and in no time filled more classes. The center opened more clubs, and Candy began training the trainers to satisfy the demand. At one point she was training, staffing, and scheduling 200 trainers to fulfill 700 hours a week in three counties! Meanwhile she stayed fit by teaching classes that were fun, energetic, and uplifting. Students left smiling and—at Candy’s prompting—focusing on how much they had to be grateful for.

It wasn’t long before the spotlight found Candy. The local ABC affiliate approached her about an unusual concept: an aerobics class for TV. Soon The Body Factory with Candy Colby aired each morning before Good Morning America. Candy’s celebrity status grew as the ratings spiked; the show ran seven days a week for eight years! Today strangers greet her like a long-lost friend exclaiming, “I watched you every day!”

As the demand for qualified aerobics instructors grew, Candy created one of the first nationally accredited certification centers in the country that concentrated on practical training. Her cutting-edge World Fitness Association has trained and certified thousands of instructors over the last 27 years. Her center is one of only three in the nation that offers such an intense level of practical training. Unlike others that certify trainers in a day, weekend, or even online, her students spend weeks training, studying, gaining on-the-job experience, and enjoying premier job placement. Students of all ages learn group fitness instruction, personal training, yoga fitness, cardio kickboxing, water aerobics, CPR, nutrition, and more.

World Fitness Association is also open to the public as an exclusive aerobics studio, an alternative to the big, impersonal health clubs. This 4,500 square-foot center offers classes in cardio-kick, yoga pump, stretching, Pilates, ballroom dancing, salsa, spinning, weight training, personal training, nutrition consulting, and so much more. Classes are taught by the best in the industry, including the energetic, hands-on Candy.

Her original ideas changed the course of fitness history. Years ago she saw a doctor measure a heart rate as the patient climbed up and down on a box. Candy built a low bench, added moves to music, and created the first step aerobics class.

A man once phoned her about his invention called "heavy hands." She put on the hand-weights, added moves to music, and invented the first body shaping class. Her ski instructor led students in stretching before hitting the slopes. Candy put stretch moves to soft music and created the first stretch aerobics class. Surrounded by swimming pools in south Florida, she added fluid moves to music and started the first water aerobics class.

It's no wonder they call her Florida's First Lady of Fitness. Candy's original ideas became the foundation of fitness in Florida and beyond. But wait until you hear her latest get-fit-and-have-fun idea.

"Women want to feel alive and sexy," she said recently. "Bring your sexy back!" says the advertisement. "Cardio strip and pole dancing-the fun, sexy way to get in shape." Her center has introduced a woman-only cardio strip class for fun and fitness. How Candy is that!? Clothing remains on, in case you wondered.

On any day at World Fitness Association, some want to bring their sexy back and dance for fun. Some want to lose weight, strengthen, and tone. Some want to look and feel better. And some want to become highly trained, certified instructors. Regardless of age or conditioning, Candy Colby and her staff at World Fitness Association are poised to create healthier, happier, stronger people. Meanwhile, Candy continues to innovate, motivate, teach, and inspire. Her boundless energy, genuine sparkle, and ever-ready smile means her classes are always packed. As her instructor creed says, she's on a quest to be the best!

Candy Colby
World Fitness Association
2747 E. Oakland Park Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
954-564-6743
info@wfaweb.com

www.wfaweb.com