Emily Kandanga Still on a Roll

The fitness queen, who is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and personal trainer, is always looking for new ways to inspire others – especially women.Kandanga recently partnered with iStore Namibia and Apple Watch for the ultimate workout session.The aim of the project is to introduce people to the ultimate home-workout partner, she says.Kandanga says she is pleased to be able to team up with a brand she believes in.“We have partnered up for a groundbreaking fitness class. The public is able to explore fitness with the Apple Watch. I purchased my first watch about five years ago and have never looked back since.“I have always been someone who stands by a product or brand that fulfils my needs. The Apple Watch keeps the holistic wellness of its end user in mind, so when I was approached to partner with iStore Namibia I leaped at the opportunity,” she says.Kandanga believes 'the universe' works in fascinating ways.“I put 'brand sponsorships' on my vision board at the start of this year, and I truly believe this is only the beginning of that vision manifesting.“This project means so much to me. It affirms my purpose and convinces me that all I need to do is keep doing what I love, and the rest will take care of itself,” she says.Earlier this year Kandanga released a podcast called 'Empower by Ems', in which she shares her personal development journey.She discusses various topics such as fitness, nutrition, mental health, spirituality and manifestation.“I started in January as an outlet to share my personal development journey as I manoeuvre through it, and my growing knowledge about physical, mental and spiritual well-being.“Thus far I have talked about different matters. People can expect more topics, like personal finance, business and growth,” she says.Her podcast is available on Spotify, Anchor FM and Apple Podcasts.A topic close to her heart is mental health.She says over the years she has realised that mental health and fitness go hand in hand.She says fitness has greatly helped her fight her own mental illness.“I believe many of us live and deal with varying degrees of anxiety. I have chosen to deal with any anxiousness through exercise. Moving my body is a way to transform negative energy into something more positive.“I make a point of starting every single day with 10 minutes of meditation. This allows me to be aware of my thoughts, and reminds me I am not a victim of my thoughts and emotions.”Kandanga says she realised that exercising only without dealing with one's issues is futile.She says she has decided to face her issues instead of pretending everything was fine.“There is so much freedom to be found in claiming who you are unapologetically – the good, the bad and the ugly. I love fitness, because it serves as a vessel through which people can discover and become the highest version of themselves.“Fitness has allowed me to create a life for myself I never thought was possible. It has opened me up to amazing opportunities that I will forever be grateful for,” she says.Kandanga's interest in fitness peaked during her years at university, she says.It started as a hobby, but is now her life's purpose, she says.She is also passionate about helping others achieve their fitness goals.Kandanga says her soul mission is to help people leverage the power of movement, wholesome nutrition and mindful living.“One of my favourite things about fitness is being able to witness someone undergo an emotional, physical and spiritual awakening. Too many people are walking around living their lives as versions of themselves they are not entirely happy with.“I believe everyone has a unique gift and talent their soul was put here to pursue,” she says.Kandanga says she believes in hard work, but also in rest.When she is not working she likes to spend time reading, hiking, visiting family, cooking, challenging her creativity and binge-watching some of her favourite TV shows.“I am an easy-going woman who enjoys the simple things in life and loves helping people grow and expand themselves.“I am looking forward to many new projects and making people happy achieving all their fitness and health goals,” she says.

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