Photo by Southwell Photo
Age: 44 Hometown: Nashville, TN Gig: Holistic Nutritionist & Wellness Coach
Follow her: @simplyfitangel
In the early 2000s, Angel placed top three at the Fitness America World Championships, and as her career progressed, she evolved her love of health into becoming a personal trainer and nutritionist so she could lead the way for others. But four years ago, she received a shocking diagnosis when she visited her doctor to investigate a lump on her neck. Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid, was a wake-up call that told Angel she needed to focus on deeper facets of her health, and in that moment, she knew she had to shift her mindset.
“Fitness is a lifestyle that looks different on all of us.”
Angel changed the way she approached her health. “I nourished my soul, not just my body,” she says. “I exercised with the intention to heal my body, and I chose to slow down. I redefined what it meant to be strong.” Angel chooses real, whole foods, moves her body to promote strength and flexibility with a combination of yoga and HIIT, and incorporates meditation and journaling. “Despite the hard days that come with chronic illness, fitness has helped me become more resilient and healthier than ever,” she says. “I’m proof that fitness changes more than just our bodies.”
