Jennifer Jacobs, a popular cycling instructor, announced to her social media followers on Friday that she was leaving Peloton.
In the message posted to her Instagram and Facebook pages, Jacobs said that after three years with the high-end exercise bike company, it was time for her to leave to “pursue other opportunities.”
Following her announcement, she received support from fans and followers on both social media sites. Several Peloton users have described her as their favorite instructor.
I’m relatively new to Peloton at 39 rides, and of those, 14 were with JJ. She has the best beginner and low impact rides, IMO, so I’m really sad to hear she’s leaving!
— Jed Sorokin-Altmann (@jedsalawyer) June 8, 2019
@kevinsheehanDC have had a Peloton for about 18 months. Jennifer Jacobs is my favorite by far.
— Kent Zakour (@CoachZakour) May 31, 2019
Jacobs did not reveal any more details about her departure.
The announcement she is leaving Peloton comes a little over a week after a reported controversy where she was accused of making allegedly offensive comments to a rider with the name #BMIwayover50.
According to a Reddit post on the Peloton Cycle page, Jacobs was said to have given #BMIwayover50 a shoutout and then (reportedly discovered through closed captioning) allegedly said: “She’s not pedaling, so maybe that’s why.”
Some Reddit users speculated that her departure from Peloton may be linked to that incident, however this is currently just hearsay.
Other members of Jacobs’ class insist there was never any controversy. One person posted on the Reddit thread that the “not peddling” comment was about a different person completely (Kate35).
According to that user, the exact wording was:
“DrSpinGrid, PlanetTacker, MHillary, So good, First time riders stay on that, BMIWayOver50, Better get on that ride Kate35, (laughing and breathing), she’s not pedaling that’s why.”
Jacobs’ announcement that she is leaving Peloton comes after she revealed on Instagram on May 30 that she was taking time off for a few days. At the time, she urged her followers to not stop training while she was away.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByGJAVyhivb/
It also comes days after the group — valued at $4billion — revealed it was looking to become a public company after filing for an initial public offering.
Who is Jennifer Jacobs?
Jennifer Jacobs is a native of California and a well-known fitness instructor. She founded J Method Fitness and joined Peloton after working 10 years in France as a fitness instructor and coach.
You can find her here on Instagram, where she has more than 70,000 followers. She describes herself on her bio as an athlete and motivator whose passion as a personal trainer is empowering people.
She added that as a personal trainer she makes her clients’ individual goals her own and shares their struggles and challenges as they aspire to higher levels of fitness and well-being.
According to Jacobs, she is more than just a personal trainer: She is her clients’ fitness motivator and supporter who gives inspiration during a shared journey to their better selves.