Angela DiCello is competing for Ms. Health and Fitness 2020 and needs the public’s help to advance to the semifinals.
The Orwigsburg resident, Kutztown High School fitness teacher and certified personal trainer has finished first in her group through six rounds to make it the quarterfinals of the national competition.
Voting for the quarterfinals ends Sept. 10. DiCello will need to finish first in her quarterfinals group to move on to the semifinals.
The winner of the competition will not only be Ms. Health and Fitness 2020 but will be featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness Hers and receive $20,000.
“I have a unique in-house fitness center,” said DiCello, 39. “My clients come to my house for training. If I won $20,000 it would benefit not only me but all my clients. I would purchase new workout equipment and continue my education by pursuing my learning for a nutritional certification.”
All voting is done online at mshealthandfitness.com. Voters can vote for free once per day using their Facebook account. They can donate to Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors to receive additional votes. Each dollar gains one vote. There are times during the voting round in which each dollar is worth two votes.
Voters can cast their vote directly for DiCello at mshealthandfitness.com/2020/angela-dicello.
Working toward a goal
DiCello signed up for the competition due to the suggestion of a friend. She has always been goal driven, and the competition has given her something to focus on and work towards during this time. DiCello credits the community for her success so far in the competition.
“I am completely overwhelmed by the favorable feedback I received, and every week Team DiCello grows in numbers,” she said. “I didn’t do this on my own. It’s because of the support of my community. It’s because of my friends, family, and their friends, their family. It’s been amazing.”
“I have to give a shout-out to Paul Ciccone, who went above and beyond in the creation of my video,” she added. “And my heart is full with all the love and support from my husband.”
A love of fitness
One of the parts of the competition DiCello has really enjoyed is being able to share her love of fitness. She models an active lifestyle in all areas of her life, be it her careers as a teacher and trainer, or during events at her home with family and friends.
“Everyone knows that if they are coming to our house for a get together they will not be sitting,” she said. “I love fitness. I love what I do. My husband tells me I have two jobs I can’t wait to wake up and go to.”
DiCello’s active lifestyle is obvious from her daily routine. Every day she wakes up at 4:10 a.m., heads downstairs to her gym for an hour-long hard core workout and then has clients come in for training from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. Then she is off to work by 6:50 a.m.
At the end of the school day she heads home and is again greeted by her clients already warmed up and ready to be thrown into an intense workout. After that, she heads back upstairs, gets her daughters ready for soccer and takes them to practice, where she meets up again with her husband. Once practice is over, the family goes home for dinner, baths, homework and family time.
Her love of fitness began at the early age of 12. DiCello, who grew up in St. Clair, would go to the gym every day with her father. She described the gym as her happy place.
“Through fitness my father I were able to share quality time together,” she said. “When we walked in, everyone was excited to see each other and help push each other to the next level. Eventually, I was introduced to step aerobics and truly admired the instructor. I still remember pushing myself and the high I would get from the sweat pouring off my face. This is when my dream began of being a fitness role model and being on the cover of a fitness magazine.”
During college, DiCello was an aerobics instruction at East Stroudsburg University’s recreation center and continued as an instructor after college at Champs Fitness and Sports Center in Minersville. She was an aerobics instructor for nine years. DiCello has been a personal trainer for more than 16 years, and health and physical education teacher for 15 years.
As a teacher and trainer, she makes it a point to never give her students or clients the same kind of workout.
“I make sure my students and clients never get bored by keeping every workout different, motivating and challenging,” she said. “People need to enjoy what they are doing to stay motivated.”
For those looking to start their own fitness journey, DiCello’s advice is to start with their mindset.
“Your mind determines your ability to succeed both physically and mentally,” she said. “The first step is the hardest, but once you engage with the intention of moving forward towards your goal, the momentum gets easier. Believe in yourself.”
In addition to her roles as a teacher, trainer, wife and mother, DiCello has become a brand ambassador for Savvi. The new athleisure and lifestyle brand’s mission is to empower women to feel confident in what they wear and to stay active, two goals DiCello shares.
Whether or not she is able to add Ms. Health and Fitness 2020 to her list of roles, she has had a good experience throughout the competition and has been very grateful for the support.
Voting for the quarterfinals ends Sept. 10 at mshealthandfitness.com/2020/angela-dicello. The semifinals round starts Sept. 14.