Selina Raye

Tell me a little bit about yourself? How did you get into fitness?

For the last ten years I have spent a lot of time travelling for work. I would say through that, I developed an unhealthy lifestyle when it came to food, sleep and work. I found it difficult to switch off. It was only when I moved back to the UK from the UAE in 2018 that I decided to focus more on my physical and mental health. I was introduced to fitness through my friend, who then pushed me into her fitness community. At first it was about having an escape but then it soon became a lifestyle.

How has Covid been? Has it impacted your job? 

I've always worked in sales and marketing in hotel development and design. Usually for bigger companies. But over the course of this year, I found that a lot of friends who had smaller businesses were struggling a lot. I had floods of questions from them and even strangers on how to get exposure and push their online market. So, I started to push their business and promote them on my own platform. And then I thought, why don't I just make something to promote everybody? So I started a consultancy called Raye Consultancy with a community page called London Circle.

Start-up businesses are really passionate about their journey and can't really afford for it not to work, so It’s been so rewarding to be able to help them.

How has 2020 impacted your mental or physical fitness?

I’m still on a journey of trying to develop my physical and mental health. It’s taken a little bit of time, and I've learned a lot of things along the way. This year has been hard with the gyms being closed. I feel like getting up and going to a fitness environment and being surrounded by that type of energy just shapes your day. Having to push yourself at home just isn’t quite the same. It’s hard to create purpose for your day without actually going out and getting it. 

What are you favourite activities? Exercise and not?

Music is definitely an escape for me. So I enjoy listening to music, and going to concerts. In terms of fitness. I’ve been spending a lot of time at a boxing gym.

What’s different about that environment is everybody is an athlete. They train in such a different and unique way. So recently, I've been trying to push myself with things that are not related to my weight training. For instance, skipping has been a thing I’m trying. Skipping in the boxing way is very specific and quite difficult. I used to think I was quite coordinated until I started!

What is something you picked up this year that has been beneficial to you?

I like to do one wellness thing in the evening. So it could either be meditating, stretching, or visualisation. I also love listening to audible books or music to wind down.

Go-to healthy meal?

Avocado Toast for breakfast

Go-to unhealthy meal?

Oh, I love chicken wings!

If you could go anywhere you’ve never been, where would it be and why?

I'm planning to go to Tulum for my 30^th! I’ve never been there. I have a year and a half to give myself enough time to go. We need to be able to travel by then!

Favourite place in the world?

I’m torn! I’d say the Caribbean because I spent a lot of my childhood there. But I also love Italy. I’ve been many times but each time it’s something different.

If you were an animal what would you be?

I want to say I’m free spirited, so maybe a bird. But I think I'd probably be an alpaca because of my curly hair!

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to embark on their own fitness journey?

Find a community! Start small, it could be two, or three of you in a friendship group. Or when you start going to a gym on a regular basis, you'll end up speaking to people and networking. I think it just changes your life really.

What’s next on your journey? Any goals you’re focusing on?

Community and networking has been so important to me and I feel it’s where London lacks a little. So I think building events around that would be a goal of mine. This year that is obviously difficult because of Covid, but that is definitely what I want to do in the future.