CBE 365: Daveon Jackson, owner of Pinnacle Athletic Performance and Wellness

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — WJBF NewsChannel 6’s Black Excellence 365 recognizes inspiring black individuals and organizations in the CSRA throughout the year. Recipients are honored with the Mary L. Jones Black Affirmation Award. This month we honor Daveon Jackson, the owner of Pinnacle Athletic Performance and Wellness.

“One of my biggest things is instilling confidence in men, women, and in children,” he said.

Daveon Jackson was born and raised in Atlanta. His military service brought him to Augusta. Motivated by his mother’s battle with Type 2 diabetes, his mission is deeply personal. “Not only was it a scary moment for me, I’m my oldest out of seven,” Jackson shared. “So I know so many people, people in my family that have had type two diabetes, and even with them having type two diabetes, I tell ’em all that, you could easily fix this.”

He built Pinnacle Athletic Performance and Wellness from scratch, making major sacrifices. “I sacrificed an engagement,” he revealed. “I sacrificed a woman I love, truly and dearly. I sacrificed a lot of my time, a lot of my own money.”

Focused on quality over quantity, Daveon has transformed the lives of his clients through personalized training and support. His clientele ranges from 12 to 80. “You have a lot of people that you could pack into a class. Yeah, that’s good, but are they really getting good key craft work,” he asked. “What is it they actually really need to be working on?’ And that’s what it is When you have it 1 on 1 or you would you prefer a whole group? I prefer 1 on1.”

The certified trainer and nutritionist also runs a dance studio, offering salsa and bachata classes. He believes in the holistic benefits of fitness and dance. “I went out to the Dominican Republic. I went to Panama, Santa Cruz, all of these different Latin countries just to learn, just how to learn, how to perfect and to get my timing and everything down,” he recalled. “One of my biggest, my motto is, if I can lead you on the dance floor, I can lead you through life.”

Daveon is even advancing his knowledge to better cater to women. “One of the ones that I’m going for certification in PCOS for women,” he shared. “Just learning the anatomy of women and their bodies. My biggest clientele comes from women. I love women.”

The entrepreneur organizes free fitness boot camps, charity runs, wellness workshops, and even competes in Dancing with the Stars to raise money and awareness. “I’ve helped men from divorce being divorced to being back on good terms with their wife, all by losing weight, losing their self-confidence,” Jackson said. “Same thing goes for women. Helping women feel good about themselves, even with women that are pregnant. Hey, look, I know that you’re pregnant, but keep going throughout the pregnancy.”

Daveon’s dedication to fitness and wellness, and his entrepreneurial spirit, are why he’s being honored with this month’s Black Affirmation Award.

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