Fitness competition to unite neighbors

People can kick off their fitness New Year’s resolutions with a fun and friendly competition through Fit ’N Fierce of West Orange. 

Fit ’N Fierce is a community-driven fitness collective located in Gotha, Ocoee and Dr. Phillips. 

Maddy Owens, owner of Fit ’N Fierce, has created a friendly neighborhood competition, Battle of the Neighborhoods, to normalize working out. 

From January to March, a maximum of five people from the same neighborhood in West Orange can come together to create a team and sign up for the challenge with a chance to win $1,000. 

“There’s a different level of accountability that comes with a journey when you’re not doing it alone or with a couple of friends,” Owens said. “(Because) we are a community-driven fitness program, I was like, ‘I really want to do a competition where (participants) have to have a team from their neighborhood.’” 

Owens said competitions can make people stay consistent and motivated, especially when there is a cash prize involved. 

“For some people, fitness is a punishment,” she said. “We’re trying to normalize being active. It’s supposed to be part of every day life, not a part of something you only do to reach a certain health marker. …We’re trying to find a way where we can help people make this a lifestyle change as opposed to just a phase they go through.”

Owens recalled her fitness journey starting at 7 years old, working out to a VHS tape called “Balance Workout.” 

Owens said she didn’t know what working out meant back then and believed the tape was an interactive movie. 

“‘Can we watch this movie together?’” Owens would ask her mom. “I was just having fun, just being active. And then one day, my mom said, ‘I’m too tired to work out today, Maddy.’” 

That is when Owens realized the tape wasn’t just an interactive movie but rather her mom’s workout tape. 

“Because it was fun for me, I didn’t develop a negative relationship with it, and I kept it up my whole life,” Owens said. “I became a nerd over how the human body adapts to the physical demand you put on it. So I carried that through middle school, high school and college.” 

The love she has for fitness is one she hopes to share with her clients through this competition, making them fall in love with it, as well. 

“When I have an off period, it really impacts my ability to get through my day, like my sleep, my mood, my energy levels,” she said. “Everything just gets thrown off and I realized, ‘Wow, exercise is such a key part of life.’” 

Owens said there are multiple ways for a team to earn points in the competition to rise to the top including attending classes, eating healthy meals, bringing new members to classes, coordinating matching outfits, participating in challenges such as push-ups and planks, and more. 

Points will be tracked through a private group chat and a master leaderboard that are updated by Owens. 

“This is just to help promote healthy living habits,” she said. “I would love for this to be an annual event that grows and gets bigger with time.” 

The challenge will end March 7, 2026, with a final competition in which people will participate in fitness challenges, such as carrying 50% of their body weight, a minute-long farmer’s carry and more. 

The final competition will be open to all to attend and cheer on their neighbors, friends and family.