It was Amanda Wilson’s personal struggle with body dysmorphia that inspired her to empower others on their journey to self-discovery and body positivity. Active Elite is dedicated to fostering empowerment and connection among women. Their mission goes beyond simply selling activewear; they strive to build a community that champions body positivity and self-love. They believe that every woman deserves to feel seen, heard and celebrated, no matter her shape, size or past experiences. Active Elite aims to provide a safe space where women can grow their confidence and love their bodies, regardless of societal pressures. They are here to support you with versatile, stylish clothing designed to make you embrace your unique beauty, confidence and strength. Here Amanda talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind what she does, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
For more than 15 years, I suffered from diagnosed body dysmorphia, or body dysmorphic disorder – a condition where you have an obsessive focus on perceived defects or flaws in your appearance. You can spend hours, days or a lifetime trying to fix something that isn’t there. People with body dysmorphia can suffer extreme anxiety and depression, and so many other mental health conditions.
For me, body dysmorphia was the catalyst behind Active Elite.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
The biggest thing that Active Elite has taught me is that every single person is capable of creating change.
When I first started, I was wobbly in my ability. I was full of doubt that I wouldn’t be able to create this place of empowerment, safety, security and positivity for women just like me, who deeply desired a space for self-confidence and body love.
My version of Active Elite was born from a space of love and compassion for those living with body confidence issues, and now, we live to empower women to be the happiest version of themselves.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Active Elite is so much more than beautiful activewear.
Creating a community for women who are seeking support and empowerment in their journey to positive body connection, we are a space that is open, honest and raw – whether you struggle to embrace traditional activewear, are navigating a changing body shape, or seeking to find a supportive brand amidst the unrealistic representations of the media – Active Elite understands, and we are here for all women.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Juggling life being a mum to 5 kiddos, a wife and normal everyday home life is crazy enough. To then add owning and running Active Elite adds another level of challenges.
I write out a list of tasks that need to be completed for the week and break my day up into blocks. I dedicate each section to completing one task at a time, ensuring that each task gets my attention as best as possible.
It’s important that we all get to bed by no later than 9pm, and sleep mode is enabled on my phone to lessen the chances of scrolling.
