How health and fitness influencer Angelique Fredericks found peace and success in a Yogi lifestyle

Growing up, Angelique Fredericks had dreams of being a fashion designer. Now, she’s living a slightly different dream, working as an events and project manager by day while also running a trending Insta account by night. Angelique has had a vividly sparky lifestyle for as long as she can remember. ‘I was a bit of a wild child,’ she reveals, ‘something between a tomboy climbing trees and a girlie
girl participating in modelling competitions.’ Fitness has always been a big part of her life. ‘In my formative years,’ Angelique says, ‘I was an athlete and ran the 100 m sprint, road-running, jumped hurdles, relays, and played softball, hockey and soccer.’ Aside from playing sports, she took an interest in dance too. ‘I also did ballet, hip-hop and contemporary dance… I started gymnastics at six- years-old and did it for about 11 years.’ It’s really no wonder that Angelique’s Instagram profile is focused on fitness. What is even more surprising are her reasons behind it.

After many years of being out of sorts with symptoms for diseases that seemed to be unrecognisable by doctors, Angelique was eventually told she had fibromyalgia. ‘I felt relieved to be diagnosed,’ she concedes, ‘but I was
angry because there is no cure and this meant living a life of challenges that I was already tired of.’ It took Angelique a long time to accept her diagnosis, as well as a reality that wasn’t the one she had envisioned. ‘Eventually, I found ways of living a full life,’ says Angelique, ‘and accepted that we all face challenges out of our control and that it doesn’t define who I am.’

Living with chronic fibro has completely changed the ways in which she approaches physical exertion: ‘My approach and training has to be very different to protect my body.’ Angelique confides that often: ‘I am too eager to be active and not as mindful that at certain times, I am not physically strong enough to be doing strenuous activity even if I have done it before.’ It’s this competitive and curious nature that she’s had since her childhood that can sometimes result in her suffering the consequences.

Angelique has definitely brought what she has learnt to her shared platform on Instagram.  Read more about her journey in the September issue of ClubX magazine.