The Creator
Valerie Dickson holds an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, Bachelor’s in Hotel & Restaurant Management, and Master’s in Educational Leadership. During her educational career, she has developed and implemented several health, fitness, and nutrition programs throughout various school districts. Her passion to teach health and fitness was inspired by her own personal mistakes to teach preventive measurements to youth.
Dickson is a former competitive ladies figure skater and coach. She has many years of formal dance training, including jazz, ballet, tap, and modern dance, as well as ice dancing. She has auditioned twice for the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.
Dickson holds Fitness Certifications in Cycle, CPR, and First Aid and is also a trained American Heart Association CPR Instructor and Texas Certified Professional Educator of 6-12 Family Consumer Sciences which specializes in Nutrition, Mental, and Physical Wellness, and other life skills, Early Childhood to Twelfth grade in both Physical Education and Health. Dickson was inspired to design her own fitness format due to the lack of creativity and professional development support that is given to fitness instructors to develop their own class. Dickson wishes to provide affordable educational professional support to fitness instructors.
About Fierce Fit Factory
A personal story from Valerie Dickson
July 2014, I was at the gym and passed out during a group fitness dance cardio class. The next day, I scheduled a doctor’s appointment, and my doctor ran various tests on my heart and then stated that I needed to be placed on blood pressure medication. For me, mentally, this was my breaking point. I knew that if I did not do something about my health, that I would have more issues in the future.
During the summer months, I became depressed in regards to my health. How did I even let my weight get so out of control? With a competitive figure skating and dance background and alethic past, it was very difficult for me to accept that I have let things get so out of hand. It was at this point that I admitted that I had a problem and I needed to receive medical assistance.
In September 2014, I befriended a colleague who had weight loss surgery. She recommended her surgeon to me. I made a consultation with my weight loss surgeon, and my surgery was scheduled for December.
After a couple years of recovering, I then received several cosmetic procedures to remove extra skin. After working several years in public education and having successful nutrition health and wellness units throughout various school districts, I decided that I would love to become a group fitness instructor.
After many years, my dream finally came true when I was offered a position at the YMCA Katy Main Street location to teach their children’s hip-hop program, and I eventually transitioned into a group fitness instructor position.
Fierce Fit Factory emerged after hearing the stories of members and various students throughout the years who shared inspirational stories of how me sharing my process inspired them to make changes in their own lives through fitness.
As a person who has struggled with weight, I have realized that it is a process. It will always be a process. If you think about a factory in order to build something there is always an outline in order to reach a completed product, and that you must fiercely be determined to achieve your goals in life.
My goal is to inspire and motivate others to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle which includes mental, spiritual, and physical wellness aspects in a supportive, positive, and welcoming community.