Authentic: Angela Yong Sellers

For Angela Yong Sellers, owner and operator of Fit Columbia in Five Points, opening up a fitness studio was about more than building a gym, but creating an experience; a personal one. She was dedicated to creating a welcoming space where everyone was invited and where all felt included. Twelve years later, Fit Columbia is just that, and Angela and her team continue to inspire everyone around them to get up and move, and to have fun doing it.

As Angela puts it, Fit Columbia is a place where a vibe attracts a tribe. A place for people of all ages and backgrounds to come for everything from personal training to stretch therapy to goat yoga. Fit Columbia focuses not only on strength training, mobility, and body work, but on ensuring everyone leaves feeling confident and cared for as well. 

Angela encourages the mind set of “try something new” and “get up and go,” especially when spending quality time with others. Movement, she believes, is always more enjoyable when done with someone else.

“I think that moving, and including someone else, not only makes it a more memorable experience, but an opportunity to play longer,” said Angela. “It’s been proven over and over again… if you’re running on a track and someone comes running alongside you, you’re going to immediately start running faster or you run longer.”

She knows that in our town there are an abundance of places to get moving with a friend. Signing up for a 5k, even if you walk, is a great way to try something new, or try kayaking on one of our local rivers. There’s always a way to take a hang out and make it more physical.

“I think that getting friends and family together and doing things like going to the zoo where you’ll get lots of walking in, to an ice rink out in Irmo for skating, or to Congaree National park for hiking, is great,” Angela said. “Anywhere you can go and be physically active with friends and family… that’s what I’m hoping for in 2023, more of that for our community.”

Angela is also a champion of our city, serving as an Experience Columbia ambassador, a member of the Midlands SC chapter of 100 Women Who Care, and most recently, a Kudzu Queen. With a great appreciation and knowledge of the area, the food scene, and the local activities, Angela can provide her clients the insight on how to embrace Columbia while being active and supporting local businesses. Fit Columbia’s location in Five Points offers wonderful opportunities to connect with other local business owners creating lasting relationships and deepening the bond that our community and business owners hold together.

The story at Fit Columbia is one of being your most authentic self. No judgment, no comparison. Just an appreciation that you are taking the time to be yourself. Angela is not only sharing that message to her clients in the gym, but she is also encouraging people to embrace that mindset for every part of life. You matter and you are important. Angela wants to be a constant reminder of that everywhere she goes from Fit Columbia to social media, and all the places along the way.

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