Meet Janaya Davis of Body by Jai Personal Training

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janaya Davis.

Hi Janaya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After leaving college as a track runner, I searched for a way to stay active and found myself in a boxing gym in 2009. What I thought would be a hobby became my passion. By chance, I trained alongside some of Atlanta’s top fighters, and before long, I entered the amateur ranks. I rose quickly, becoming the #1 ranked fighter in my weight class while working full-time as a firefighter/paramedic. I was even invited to represent the U.S., and though hopes of competing in the Olympics were cut short, I turned professional—sparring with Laila Ali and fighting on her undercard in my hometown of Atlanta.
While pursuing my boxing career, I also endured several serious injuries on the job as a firefighter, requiring multiple back surgeries, disc removals, and spinal fusions. Each time, I fought my way back, returning to the ring stronger. My resilience inspired others, and people began reaching out to me for help with their own challenges. After retiring from boxing, I opened a gym and created a nonprofit that provided fitness training for those struggling with obesity, back pain, knee issues, and childhood bullying. My programs drew a wide range of people, from celebrities and politicians to children who needed encouragement and a safe space to grow.
In 2022, my life took another turn when my son was diagnosed with autism and required intensive ABA therapy. I made the difficult decision to temporarily close my gym to fully support his needs. During this journey, his pediatrician noted that my morning workouts with him before school dramatically improved his ADHD symptoms, helping him focus better, manage behavior, and perform well academically. That discovery inspired me to reimagine my mission. I am now developing an online fitness platform designed to serve not only adults seeking wellness solutions but also children who can benefit from structured workouts—particularly middle age school children with ADHD—empowering them to build focus, confidence, and resilience through movement.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This definitely was not a smooth ride, my business like many others was affected by COVID. During Covid I was forced to close my gym and like many other businesses it was really hard to bounce back to pre covid status.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about body by jai personal training?
I have a no nonsense approach when it comes to training, it’s like a tough love relationship between my clients and I. I push my clients outside of there comfort zones. We jokingly have a love hate relationship inside the gym but a close relationship outside the gym. They absolutely love the result afterwards. I specialize in clients that have a really hard time losing weight and finding trainers that can work around there aliments. Its really hard for clients to find exercise regiments that they can tolerate while suffering from chronic knee and back pain but Ive cracked the code and have clients losing 15-30lbs within the first 2-5 months of training. I want my clients to know that I have not abandoned them. I am revamping and will be coming back with programs that are better than ever that they can do anywhere and anytime that fits their schedule.

What does success mean to you?
I always tell my clients that as a trainer, I am only as successful as my clients. This means that If they are not accomplishing their fitness goals with me then we are not succeeding. I take it as a personal failure. The true gift of being a fitness coach is being able to gain their trust, to motivate and encourage someone to believe that they can do what they thought was impossible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: bodybyjai
• Facebook: Jai Davis, Body By Jai