VALERIA KOOPMAN
Founder, Executive Director, and Board Chair of FIT FOR JOY: Garden of Well-Being — 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Author, Facilitator
After years of trauma, I chose love for life, curiosity, and resilience over fear and despair. That choice transformed pain into a pathway back to the joy, wholeness, and wonder that had always been present beneath it all.
Since remembering that joy is always available, I have devoted my life to cultivating pathways that can help others uncover the joy they already are!
T H E S H O R T S T O R Y
I was born in Brazil and deeply affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). From an early age, I promised myself I would be resilient in my quest for well-being. Yet with limited resources and education, my teenage years were marked by unnecessary suffering and a longing for something I could not quite name.
At nineteen, I met an American mentor who brought me to the United States and introduced me to healthier eating, regular exercise, and the healing power of creative expression through music, dance, and singing. My curiosity and willingness to heal opened the door to inspiring experiences and new possibilities.
I learned to dance flamenco and performed professionally in Miami. I wrote songs and played guitar. Through movement, creativity, and connection, I began catching glimpses of a joy that had never truly left me. Later, in New York City, I became a certified personal trainer and helped many people improve their health and well-being. I went on to win first place as a fitness competitor in two divisions, a reflection of my dedication and commitment to growth.
For a time, I believed I was arriving at the destination I had been searching for. In reality, I was only beginning a much deeper journey.
In my mid-thirties, I fell into a deep depression and was diagnosed with complex PTSD (C-PTSD) rooted in childhood trauma and sexual abuse. The work I had done to strengthen my body and mind was meaningful, but I realized my healing journey was only halfway complete.
Then, during one of the darkest periods of my life, a simple yet profound realization emerged:
YOU ARE FIT FOR JOY.
In that moment, something shifted. It was as if a spell had been broken. I saw that joy was not something I needed to earn, achieve, or find outside myself. — NO MORE PERFORMING — Joy had been quietly waiting beneath the layers of fear, trauma, conditioning, social demands / standards and lots and lots of self-doubt all along.
My entire being said yes to what felt utterly truth, and my life was never the same.
I spent years searching for joy in experiences, accomplishments, relationships, and healing practices, only to discover that joy was never missing—it was my true nature all along.
From that moment forward, I felt free to explore both my inner and outer worlds with greater courage and trust. I traveled, wrote books, got married, became a dog mom, and launched a podcast that has connected me with hundreds of well-being facilitators across the United States and around the world. Each conversation continues to deepen my understanding of the many pathways that help us remember who we truly are.
Through it all, I have come to know that joy is our nature—an unlearned expression of gratitude, appreciation, and presence in the dance of life. Our limitations do not need to become our destiny. They can become invitations, guiding us back to the joy, wholeness, and wisdom that have always lived within us.
We are all FIT FOR JOY. :)
T H E S E A R C H AND L I V I N G J O Y
In 2016, I signed a publishing deal for Fit for Joy. In this book, I share my search for happiness and the discovery of inner peace, as well as my experiences with childhood abuse, self-doubt, depression, fears, and low self-esteem.
I also share my experiences as a successful fitness trainer and first-prize fitness competitor in New York City. Although I promoted health and wellness, I was unwell and unhappy. I felt that something was missing in my life, but couldn't figure out what that was until self-love, joy and self-awareness became a practice.
T H E S E A R C H — L O V E F O R T R U T H
In 2015, guided by my heart’s deep wisdom, I embarked on an inward and outward journey to discover my own truth.
OTHER BOOKS & WORKS INSPIRED BY WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Besides the Fit for Joy book, I published the Inspirational Writing Course for Beginners.
I also published Inner Peace and What Is Love? — In the latter, I share practical self-care methods and thoughts on love, non-duality, and self-inquiry.
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?
2025 and beyond…
In 2025, I started a nonprofit organization with the vision to establish a well-being eco space on Kaua’i, Hawaii.
For more information and updates on this new well-being calling, please visit: https://fitforjoy.org/gardenofwellbeing
Trust and surrender has led me to SOUL living… It feels aligned, whole and joyful.
Where are you on your path to this trinity?
FIT FOR JOY - GARDEN OF WELL-BEING ON KAUA’I
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