PEOPLE OF BODY&FIT: JOEY JAQ

At Body&Fit, we’re always looking to celebrate the inspiring stories of our fit-seeking community. After all, everyone has their own unique goals, bodies, and versions of what ‘fit’ means to them, yet we motivate each other to get out there and achieve our goals. For this special edition of People of Body&Fit, we got together with content creator and internet personality, Joey Jaq, to learn more about his unique fitness journey. From small-town Texas to the bright lights of NYC, Joey now lives his European dream in the Netherlands, where he’s fast becoming a star. Although, no matter where life takes him, health, happiness and staying fabulous will always be number one. 

Early life and struggles with toxic masculinity

From the get-go, Joey was always a voice in the room. 

I was a super confident kid, super outgoing. I had lots of opinions and just this drive for life, to succeed, to be the best version of myself. I was always conscious of that. In my own way, I was also very hard-headed, which I think helped as a gay person growing up in Texas. It’s hard there, and my stubbornness allowed me to say “I am who I am. You’re not going to change me, and that’s that”. 

A passion for dancing and movement provided Joey with a release, where he was free to express himself in creative ways.   

I danced every single day. It was a huge part of my life. I was also a swimmer and a tennis player. I loved being active. I just wasn’t such a big fan of group sports and the toxic masculinity that I often felt. So, I really tried to conserve and guard myself by sticking to singular sports.  

At age 18, it was time to leave his small Texas town, pack his bags, and pursue a career in musical theatre.  

Finding himself, and love, in the big apple

In New York City, everything changed. 

I was ready to take on the adventure. I wasn’t scared. I moved all by myself. No apartment. I just said, “you know what, I’m doing it”. In Texas, I never really knew anyone else who was gay, but when I moved to New York, I learned what it was to become a gay member of society. It was pretty incredible.  

Naturally, moving away from home had its fair share of challenges. For the first time, Joey had to fend for himself, earn his own money and navigate his way through big city life. He eventually earned his degree in musical theatre and began working as a performer. After a few years lighting up the stage, however, Joey realised that the world of show business wasn’t quite everything he imagined it to be. 

As a more feminine performer than most, I was constantly being told that it wasn’t going to work, that I needed to ‘butch it up’ and be more masculine. I was not about that life, and it was a big reason why I eventually left performing. 

Nevertheless, Joey had done it. He’d put himself out there, faced his obstacles head on and achieved everything he’d set out to achieve. Little did he expect to find love along the way.  

Embracing a new life in the Netherlands 

After meeting his partner, who’s from the Netherlands, Joey spent 18 months in a long-distance relationship before crossing the pond to start a new life in Amsterdam. The Dutch way of life became a huge source of inspiration, and he began creating content around a year later. 

I took vlogging very seriously. In the beginning, not much happened. I grew a little on YouTube but it was super hard and very slow. So, after a year or so I started going hard on Instagram and within six months I was doing it full time.  

As a content creator, Joey shares all the things that strike him about the Dutch culture in hilarious short films. In three years, he amassed over 125,000 followers on Instagram and over 1 million likes on TikTok. There’s certainly no sign of life slowing down.