My Number One Fan

“As a little girl I would make up my own aerobic routines after watching my mom teach aerobics classes.” Marrelle Bailey credits her mom with inspiring her to live a life of health and fitness.

The 21 year-old Howard University advertising major said fitness is her calling and life-long passion.

“When I was in middle school I remember the teacher assigned us to bring magazines to class. I was the only girl who brought boatloads of ESPN and Sports Illustrated magazines. At that moment I knew I could never run away from fitness,” she said.

Following her high school graduation, Marrelle didn’t want to enroll in college. She had her mind made up on taking an unconventional path, attending yoga school to earn a certification as a yoga instructor.

“I ended up going to college and earning my certification while at Howard, but I constantly resisted throughout my freshman year, and my mom eventually understood why I was so passionate about wanting to teach yoga. Overall, my mother constantly supported me every step of the way. She is my number one fan.”

Marrelle’s history of health and fitness includes cheerleading, gymnastics, track, and tennis and her journey hasn’t always been straight and narrow.

She has had to overcome some challenges along the way. Marrelle said although she has worked hard and eaten right, there will always be someone who you believe is better and stronger than you.

“There will be days where you don’t feel like working out or eating right, and that is okay. You have to run your race, set your own goals. You can use people who are more advanced in physical fitness as inspiration, but don’t let them influence your goal-setting process.”

With her mom being with her every step of the way, Marrelle has had a shoulder to lean on for advice and guidance.

“She is the person who planted the seeds of health and fitness within me. Now that I have blossomed, I want to plant the same seeds within everyone else.”

Marrelle is in the process of becoming a certified personal trainer. She hopes to run a gym within the next couple of years, get into fitness modeling, and train for American Ninja Warrior.

An interesting fact many people may not know about her is that she’s a trained Doula, someone who is capable of assisting women while they are in labor and following the birth of the child.