RECognition: Delia Sayavedra, Fitness & Wellness

Recreation's monthly series to highlight and celebrate our staff

By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director

There aren’t too many people who can say they’ve taught a Zumba class of four thousand people on a beachside bluff.

Consider Delia Sayavedra one of them. 

Delia, a Group Fitness Instructor with Recreation, has led the 25-minute Zumba class for freshman and transfer students at Meet the Beach in 2024 and 2025.

“I remember feeling like I was on top of the world and truly in the moment,” Delia says. “The energy of the crowd and being at the beach was unlike any other experience I've had as a group fitness instructor.”

Delia has been a licensed Zumba instructor since 2010 and has been with REC since 2024. Her Friday evening Zumba class is one of REC’s most popular and fills RIMAC’s Activity Room 1 regularly.

After leading Meet the Beach — something she said she’d wanted to do “for years” — she says students have recognized her more around campus, and her class has grown to where it is today.

“Our participants love her classes,” says Tiffany Caddell, Fitness and Wellness Director. “Some participant quotes include: ‘Delia rocks. I love her energy.’ ‘She makes every class feel like a party.’ ‘Delia is a wonderful instructor. Amazing classes with fun. She's very caring.’ "

Delia first decided to work for REC after chatting with a representative during a tabling event at the Price Center. Now a fourth-year in Marshall College, set to graduate this spring with a degree in cognitive science with a specialization in clinical aspects, she says she remembers thinking that REC “would be a wonderful place to work and spread the joy of group fitness with leaders who inspire.”

“I love experiencing the contagious uplifting energy during classes and listening to the positivity participants share afterwards, both with me and each other,” Delia says.

Naturally, Delia’s favorite fitness activity is — wait for it  — dancing. Her favorite style?

“Since taking the first Rueda de Casino class offered at UCSD with Ana Maria Alvarez last quarter, it has become my new obsession, “ says Delia, who also enjoys Bachata, Salsa, and Cumbia. “I love the playful and inclusive nature of this social Cuban style. It resonates with who I am.”

Before moving to San Diego from Sonoma County, Delia was actively involved in community organizing and participating in dance-centered fundraisers to help families in need, especially during Northern California wildfires and the COVID pandemic. She’s also offered donation-based classes such as Pilates/yoga fusion, strength training, boot camp, and, of course, Zumba, for low-income participants and volunteered to provide after-school dance classes for elementary school children.

With all that dancing, Delia says her favorite self-care activity is, perhaps unsurprisingly, getting a foot massage. Another is trying new restaurants, as she’s “a foodie at heart.” Living in San Diego since August of 2023, she says she’s tried many restaurants, but doesn’t go back if it didn’t truly stand out. “I tend to be a tough critic,” she says.

“Perhaps the one dish that stands out for me is the chilaquiles at Shorehouse Kitchen in La Jolla,” Delia says.

She’s also a mother of three children, but they’ve yet to catch the Zumba bug.

“My kids have participated in my classes, but don't care much for it,” she says. “My youngest (Andy) is probably the one who is more inclined to join.”

If that’s the case, maybe Andy will be dancing at Meet the Beach one day, too — and perhaps Delia will be the one leading it.