A Port St. Joe health and wellness professional is turning a national fitness competition into an opportunity to give back and raise meaningful support for families facing childhood cancer. 

Valerie Sayre, owner of Nutrition Connection Balance and a member of the Port St. Joe Chamber of Commerce, has entered the 2026 Ms. Health & Fitness competition, a national event that highlights women making a difference through health, fitness, and community leadership. The competition, hosted in partnership with Muscle & Fitness HERS magazine, raises funds for Foundation B+ (Be Positive), the largest nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to families of children battling cancer. 

Participants compete for the chance to appear on the cover of Muscle & Fitness HERS while also raising awareness and donations for the cause. Community members can support competitors through free online voting or by making donations that go directly to Foundation B+. 

For Sayre, the mission became deeply personal shortly after she began fundraising. Just weeks after committing to the campaign, her nephew’s two-and-a-half-year-old son, Hudson, was diagnosed with leukemia and began chemotherapy treatments immediately. 

“Many of us are fortunate to have our health, something so many children and their families fighting cancer are still hoping and praying for each day,” Sayre said. “I believe we can all be positive and be the light. By working together, our community and our world can bring hope and healing where it’s needed most.” 

Sayre also carries the perspective of personal loss, having lost her own son at age 19. That experience, she says, fuels her desire to support other families navigating unimaginable hardship. 

Beyond the competition, Sayre has built a reputation in the community for sharing health education and wellness resources. Through Nutrition Connection Balance, she regularly provides free educational content on topics such as nutrition, exercise, and disease prevention through social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Her practice also hosts several free online health seminars each year, offering in-depth discussions on wellness topics. A recent presentation, titled “Beyond the Scale: Why Fat Loss Feels So Hard (And What Actually Works),” attracted community members interested in learning more about sustainable health strategies. 

Sayre has also been actively promoting the fundraiser locally by attending the Port St. Joe Farmer’s Market, distributing informational flyers, and encouraging residents and businesses to get involved. 

So far, she has ranked first in portions of the competition for donations raised, and she hopes continued community support will allow her to expand the impact even further. 

Local residents who would like to support the effort can cast a free vote or contribute to the fundraising campaign benefiting Foundation B+ by visiting: 

mshealthandfit.com/2026/ valerie-sayre. 

“Every vote and every donation makes a difference,” Sayre said. “Together we can help bring hope to children and families who need it most.”