Simisola Williams transforms African wellness through boutique fitness, digital platforms, and community-driven health advocacy rooted in inclusion.
Simisola “Simi” Williams built the kind of finance career many young professionals dream of, spending years at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Helios Investment Partners in roles that covered equity capital markets, asset management, private equity, and portfolio management.
Although the titles and compensation reflected success, burnout showed up in physical stress, emotional fatigue, and a growing realisation that the world she had fought to enter no longer aligned with the life she wanted.
Movement had always been her personal outlet, so she began teaching fitness classes quietly while still in finance. This brought clarity as she felt more alive coaching a room of people than she did closing multimillion-dollar deals.
That clarity led to a gradual transition. She spent time learning from fitness professionals, observing class formats, understanding operational demands, and imagining what a modern African wellness ecosystem could look like.
By 2019, she had committed fully and founded Beyond Fitness in Lagos, positioning it as Africa’s first boutique fitness studio and digital wellness platform. Her goal was not just to open a gym but to professionalise and improve the continent’s fitness culture by offering immersive classes, personalised coaching, and a community-centred approach to wellness.
She wanted Africans to have access to the same premium, intentional fitness experiences seen in global cities like New York, London, and Dubai, but tailored to local needs and realistic lifestyles.
During fundraising, she secured a $1 million investment commitment, only to lose it after disclosing her pregnancy. The withdrawal was a stark reminder of gender bias in entrepreneurship, especially in male-dominated investment circles.
Rather than collapse under the setback, she rebuilt her plans, scaled operations gradually, and focused on long-term sustainability.
Under her leadership, Beyond Fitness introduced a training model that combines spin, strength training, barre, Pilates, and mobility classes with recovery therapies, breathwork, and mindfulness practices. The studio deliberately utilises technology through digital courses and online programs that extend access beyond Lagos and support users who cannot attend in person.
As a result, Beyond Fitness has helped create a more structured fitness economy in Nigeria, inspiring new instructors, new studios, and a growing demand for professional wellness services.
Simisola Williams has positioned the brand as a social-impact platform. One of its signature initiatives, the BEYOND Pink Walk, offers free breast cancer screenings, expert-led conversations, and awareness campaigns tailored to African women. The event underscores her conviction that wellness should include public health education, early detection, and community support.
Today, Williams’ work represents a larger cultural shift. She openly discusses burnout, motherhood, discrimination, and the pressure women face in leadership, using her story to challenge outdated expectations. She is on a mission to normalise wellness in Africa, redefine what sustainable success looks like, and demonstrate that a life of impact does not have to come at the cost of one’s health.
