Welcome to the Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy

Please take the time to visit our featured partners websites.

Fairfield County Sports Commission. Providing awareness and access to a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Forever Young Foundation. The charitable giving entity of Greenwich native and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young.

The Fairfield County Sports Commission has created a countywide effort to use its vast resources to provide more awareness and educational focus on having underserved area youth gain access to a more active and healthy lifestyle. To meet those needs, the Commission has started the Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy, to further honor the late Chelsea Cohen, for whom the Commission’s Courage Award is named since her passing in 2006.

The academy grew to be a reality out of a partnership forged three years ago between the FCSC and the Forever Young Foundation, the charitable giving entity of Greenwich native and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young. That agreement has Forever Young being the presenting sponsor of the Chelsea Cohen Courage Award at the Commission’s Sports Night awards dinner each year. Financial support from Forever Young and the Commission will initially support the Academy’s programs and activities.

In 2006, the Commission created the Chelsea Cohen Courage Award. The former Norwalk High soccer star was the Commission’s first Courage Award recipient in '05. She passed away in 2006 after a courageous bout with a rare form of cancer of the nervous system. The award recognizes the person in the sports community who has shown inspirational strength in battling life-altering obstacles

Chelsea's mother Barbara Rittner (right) unveils the Academy logo, along with U.S. National Team soccer star Kristine Lilly

Chelsea's mother Barbara Rittner (right) unveils the Academy logo, along with U.S. National Team soccer star Kristine Lilly, a member of the Sports Commission's Advisory Board and a Wilton native.

500 SUMMER CAMPERS ATTEND
1ST ANNUAL COHEN ACADEMY JAMBOREE
August 3, 2011-at Norwalk High School

The 1st annual Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy jamboree gave 500 summer camp kids from 4 different communities (Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk & Bridgeport) an opportunity for a special, two-hour day filled with fun activities, educational information and meet and greets with several local sports personalities.

Six different youth organizations had campers attend: Carver Center-Norwalk; Cardinal Shehan Center-Bridgeport; Greenwich Boys & Girls' Club; Stamford Boys & Girls' Club, Stamford YMCA and Yerwood Center-Stamford

Also The First Tee of Fairfield County, based in Bridgeport, brought their staff to supervise a golf activity.

Local businesses also had tables set up with information and handouts to educate kids and the counselors on healthy living and eating right:
-Shoprite Grade A-Norwalk/Stamford had it's certified nutritionist/dietician attend and gave out healthy snacks.
-Stamford Hospital had a representative from its Kids Fans fitness program.
-LA Fitness-Norwalk had a table and also their staff supervised a fitness station.
-Well Fit, a new Norwalk based fitness company run by Keith Peters, had a table and he helped with the activities.
-Studio M Dance & Fitness-Norwalk had its owner Emm Koteka-Wiki and her instructors led the finale of the entire group doing a zumba dance class

Donations from Pepperidge Farm of Norwalk and Linda & Vince McMahon made the event possible, and also added further financial support to the Academy's programs.

For more information contact Tom Chiappetta at 203/984-4806 or via email at tomchip21@aol.com.