Reginald Gibson survived a seizure that led to a series of strokes, leading to a heart attack. Less than a year later, he’s made a full recovery and is an advocate for heart health.
To say that she has a lot of energy is an understatement. Kelly Lynn Gibson is rocket fuel.
The young mother of four, including triplets, is pursuing her master’s degree in leadership development at Wright State University. She is also a nationally certified health coach and fitness professional, has founded and runs a company that promotes physical and emotional well-being, and just released a book that is available on Amazon.
It took Gibson about a year to write “Worthy of Wellness,” which she says is her story of overcoming the obstacles that prevented her from living her best life. “Believe in yourself and start leading by example for others, starting in your own home, family, work-place and community,” she said. “Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from pursuing your purpose. I want the readers to recognize that they too are worthy and capable of achieving any goal they set for themselves.”
Gibson grew up in Dayton, graduating from Carroll High School in 2003. She earned her associate degree in mental health from Sinclair Community College and then worked for the State of Ohio for 10 years. Gibson came to Wright State to pursue a bachelor’s degree that would bring job stability and widen her horizons. She chose to major in organizational leadership, steered by her work as fitness Instructor.
“People were Increasingly inspired by my story of fitness after triplets, and my passion of women empowerment grew,” said Gibson. “I didn’t know what I was getting into, but the more I progressed the more evident it was that it was the perfect choice. Pam Beatty was my academic advisor, and her encouragement was monumental in my journey.”
While at Wright State, Gibson interned at the Women’s Center. She assisted with Body Positivity Week and organized the Love Your Body Movement, where she had various wellness and campus organizations makes presentations to showcase health, self-care and overall well-being. She also spoke to classes on overall wellness. After her husband encountered some health problems and Gibson lost her job when the company she worked for closed, she wrote a letter to Ellen DeGeneres and the couple and their children appeared on her show April 25, 2017. “She blessed our family and gave me a boost to keep working toward a brighter future,” Gibson said. “My husband has always been a huge supporter of my dreams.”
As Gibson was nearing graduation, she conceptualized developing a wellness Incentive program for organizations to promote whole health from the inside out. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership in 2018, Gibson founded INNERGIZE*, which promotes physical, emotional and spiritual well-being through fitness classes, motivational speaking engagements, corporate wellness programs and one-on-one health coaching.
“I hit the ground running and wanted to make a positive impact in any way I could,” she said. “The coronavirus hit and we had a few setbacks but were able to start back up in June and have sold out every class thus far. I also am currently hosting ‘Worthy of Wellness’ virtual health-coaching challenges.”
Gibson is now pursuing her master’s degree in leadership development. “Wright State has prepared me to lead and gave me the confidence to succeed,” she said. “I learned how to build upon my strengths and become a transformational leader that inspires growth in others. My education became a desire rather than a chore.”
Brenda Kraner, senior lecturer and director of the Organizational Leadership Program, said she has seen Gibson’s leader ship skills both in and outside of the classroom environment. “She takes initiative, is visionary, passionate, determined, caring, collaborative and committed to the development of others and to giving back to the community, ” said Kraner.
Gibson said her journey to find her own worth inspired her to write her book with the hopes of helping other women discover self-love. “I was very insecure as a young woman and I didn’t believe I was capable of much,” she said. “I went down a dark cycle of self-destructive behavior. But I surrendered my past of pain and regret to God and let him take control.
Gibson’s high-octane energy spills out beyond her work and studies. She likes to run when she can, and she and her husband have competed in a couple of Tough Mudders, endurance events on obstacle courses of up to 10 miles. “I also love to dance everywhere I go, whether it is with my kids in the living room, at church, teaching a class or even in the aisle at the grocery store,” she said. “My energy is infectious, and I enjoy shining my light and being a force for positivity.”
With four children – including energetic 6-year old triplets – Kelly Gibson would make excuses but, instead, she is dedicated to making a difference. As the founder of Innergize, Gibson has developed a dance fitness program designed to empower and uplift. She will debut the Innergize Empower Hour at the Brightside on March 23 and will hold the high-energy, high-impact fitness classes weekly at the downtown event venue.
“We’re going to sweat and shout and let the stress out,” Gibson said. “I want people to leave with the felling of ‘Yes, I can do this.'” As a wife and mother, Gibson knows firsthand that the needs of the family can take priority. That’s why she is so passionate about women’s empowerment.
“To me, it’s so important that we lead by example for our children and let them know that we are important,” she said. “We are worthy of this time.” And, according to Gibson, it’s time well spent. “When you’re healthier, you’re happier and you’re more productive,” she said. “You will be a better mom, a better wife and a better employee.”
Gibson has been a fitness instructor at multiple YMCA locations and in the Huber Heights community for several years. Adding the classes at the Brightside has been a goal since it opened.
“When I first saw the Brightside on Instagram in 2018, I admired the amazing space, I even reached out about rental in hopes of doing a wellness event in the future,” she said. “I wasn’t quire ready to take the leap of faith, but I’ve been working diligently since then. I started my own business and surrounded myself with some pretty amazing people who support my vision.”
Her husband, Reginald, is at the top of the list of those amazing people. “He’s my rock,” she said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”
Not surprisingly, fitness was part of the couple’s life long before they exchanged vows. “He proposed to me in a fitness class,” Gibson said. While the connection between fitness, happiness and empowerment is an integral part of Innergize, it wasn’t always Gibson’s priority in the gym.
“After having triplets, I just wanted to fit into my pants again,” she said, smiling. While the classes are designed to be high energy and high impact, they are also designed to be accessible for everyone as Gibson offers a variety of modifications. The classes start with a welcoming warm-up before participants get their sweat on during the full-body workout.
But the classes are about more than burning calories. “As women, we focus too much on what we look like,” Gibson said. “We need to get our mind right and have faith in our capabilities.”
“You can’t be a light in the world if you don’t first find the light within yourself.”