port-fitnessPepper Von is a national and international fitness educator, fitness expert, and Certified Personal Trainer.  He has been featured on the award winning ESPN Fitness Pros and won the national Reebok championship.  Pepper is a former Zumba Education Specialist (ZES),  hand-picked by Beto, for his talent and extensive dance-fitness experience.  Pepper's most recent projects consist of Fierce Funk and Funk n Pump.

Fierce Funk

Fierce Funk is a new, exciting dance-fitness program founded by Pepper Von, one of the most respected and creative dance-fitness practitioners. Pepper’s creation combines a street style funk movement with a contemporary hip-hop feel, for an inspiring, fun and complete workout. His vision is for instructors to bring a sense of fun, empowerment, passion, energy and a philosophy of love toward others to their classes through dance and fitness movements to energizing music. The Fierce Funk culture is not just fitness and dance, it is a moving energy intended to refresh the spirit with fun, fulfilment and love so Fierce Funk participants are more healthy and happy.

Zumba Fitness

Letter to Pepper From Beto Perez - Zumba Fitness Creator

In 1994 in the big capital city of Colombia, Bogota, where I moved to from a smaller city, Cali. I had the unbelievable opportunity to go to my first aerobics convention, where the fitness celebrity Pepper Von was presenting. I had the privilege to take one of his classes, and in the middle of his session he invited me and my best friend Walter to come on stage with him. I couldn't even sleep that night; I was full of joy and felt privileged for the opportunity.

Two days later, there was a meeting for some of the instructors, where Pepper Von was giving a speech about fitness and motivation. After a while Pepper Von asked if anybody had a question. I raised my hand and asked, while a translator helped me, and aked " if I have an idea about a different type of fitness class, what do I have to do to become a respectful , wellknown instructor like you, and make people believe in my fitness program? Pepper's answer was exactly what I was doing at the time and ensured me that I was going in right path. He said : who perseveres and is patient will make if far in life, and then the right moment will come in the right place" At the end of the speech, Pepper Von signed his post card to each one of the participants.

A lot of years went by, and I kept my thoughts and Peppers' advice always in me. I believed in myself as an instructor and in my program. Now years later after Pepper Von's speech, I see the results and the success reflected on Zumba Fitness.