Charlice Noble-Joneswoke up last Tuesday as a fourth grade social studies teacher. And now, she's partnering withSnap FitnessCEOPeter Tauntonand opening a gym inAlbany, Georgia.

A 9-11 survivor who has endured more than her share of difficult times, Noble-Jones won her very ownSnap Fitnessfranchise after entering the nationwide"Partner with Peter"contest. She beat out more than 2,000 other entrants for the grand prize worth$250,000, which includes the building, equipment, site selection, initial rent and working capital to get her started.

"I'm shocked, I'm excited, I'm so extremely happy," she said. "Things have happened in my life like the other shoe has fallen, but this has such a positive impact. I believe that I'm about to live the life I was born to live."

A graduate ofHoward University, Noble-Jones previously worked on Wall Street, where she witnessed and survived the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. Two years later, she lost her husband to cancer. Soon after, the single mom of an eight-year-old son decided to dedicate her life to giving back to her community and became a fourth grade social studies teacher.

Owning a gym had become a dream for Noble-Jones after she spent the last several months trying to improve her own physical fitness.

"We are proud to award Charlice with this opportunity," said Taunton, who will be working with the new business owner on a monthly basis monitoring her marketing and sales. "As an entrepreneur myself, I know the importance of guidance for anyone embarking on a new business venture. This contest gives me a great chance to pass along my knowledge and business experience to one deserving individual."

Noble-Jones plans to continue teaching for at least a couple of more years while she gets her business off the ground.

For more information on Snap Fitness, please visitwww.snapfitness.com.