Dr Aysha-Simone Brown builds community one run at a time

At 5:30 a.m., while much of Montego Bay is still waking up, Dr Aysha-Simone Brown is already in motion, balancing the demands of medicine with a growing fitness community she built from the ground up. What began as a personal need soon evolved into a welcoming space. In January 2025, Brown launched her run club after feeling unsafe running alone and finding existing groups intimidating and largely geared towards more advanced runners.

“I posted it as an Instagram story, and the rest is history,” she told Lifestyle.

Since then, more than 50 people have participated, with a peak of 35 runners in a single session. Held every Saturday at Harmony Beach Park, the run club is intentionally designed to be inclusive. Participants complete a 3km loop at their own pace — whether walking, jogging or running — within a controlled environment that ensures no one is left behind.

The experience extends beyond fitness. At the end of each session, participants can opt into a devotional segment on the lawn, led by Brown’s mother, offering scripture and affirmations to carry into the week ahead. The result is a space that feels as much about connection as it is about movement.

“We’re not really strangers, we are one people,” Brown explained. For her, the club reflects a wider philosophy on health and intentional living, shaped largely by her career in medicine.

“I always say ‘Dr’ is a title that reflects what I do, not who I am,” she shared, adding, “I am a lover of life, family and all things community… driven by purpose, fuelled by passion and the burning desire to make my younger self proud.”

Her journey into medicine, she said, felt guided. But it is the realities of the profession that have left the deepest imprint. “Experiencing successive deaths …  has made me appreciate the fragility of life,” she reflected, noting that it has pushed her to be more intentional about her own health and daily habits.

Those experiences also shaped how she views wellness — not as something reactive, but proactive. “Living well on purpose is much better than waiting [for] a bad diagnosis,” she stated.

Ironically, fitness was not always part of her lifestyle. Brown describes herself as academically focused growing up, with little natural inclination towards sports. It was not until 2019, during her first year of university, that she began going to the gym.

Her initial motivation was rooted in observation. Watching her mother’s health change over time, despite having a naturally fit physique, challenged her assumptions. “Just because you have an ‘ideal’ physique doesn’t mean you should not take care of your body,” she highlighted.

What began as a simple gym routine eventually developed into a deeper commitment. After starting with a coach, for structure, Brown transitioned into self-training during the COVID-19 lockdown. That period sparked the launch of her fitness brand, Sculpted by Sparks, where she introduced resistance bands as a practical, accessible workout tool.

Maintaining consistency, however, proved difficult during her medical internship. Long shifts —sometimes up to 56 hours — left her physically drained and disconnected from her routine. “I was on autopilot [and] in survival mode,” she recalled.

A health scare forced her to reassess. After falling ill and passing out at work, she made a deliberate decision to prioritise her well-being. “My mom reminded me that no job is worth my life,” Brown added.

Today, her approach to fitness has evolved beyond aesthetics. While her early goals were focused on appearance, her priorities now centre on movement, energy and overall functionality. “The physique is just a plus now,” she noted.

Balancing medicine and fitness requires discipline and structure. Brown commits to working out at least three times per week, adapting to her schedule as needed. Morning workouts have become her anchor, ensuring consistency before the day begins. “My mantra is, ‘control the controllable’,” she says.

Through her run club and personal journey, Brown is reshaping what health looks like — not just for herself, but for a growing community. Her vision is to expand into group workouts, participate in 5K races as a team, and build the club into one of Montego Bay’s leading fitness communities.

nyoka.manning@gleanerjm.com

Captions:

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What began as a simple step toward better health has grown into Dr Aysha-Simone Brown’s broader journey of wellness.

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Members of Sculpted by Sparks run club participate in a post-run devotional session, using affirmation cards to centre their thoughts ahead of the week.

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Dr Aysha-Simone Brown (third left) poses with (from left) Cadayne Graham, Aaliyah Innis, Natasha Johnson (front), Marsha-Ann Donaldson, Cai Townsend and Nadine Spence following an early morning session of the Sculpted by Sparks run club in Montego Bay.

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Running with purpose! Dr Aysha-Simone Brown (left), of Sculpted by Sparks Run Club, shares a proud moment with her mother, Marsha-Ann Donaldson, at this year’s staging of the MoBay Night Run 5K Run/Walk. Donaldson plays a key role in leading the club’s post-run devotional segment