The 2023 Olympia Weekend will be the culmination of a year-long fitness journey for hundreds of athletes that gather in Orlando, Florida. Many champions and contenders will be recognized and appreciated for their effort on Nov. 2-5. What most people that watch the Olympia may not know is that bodybuilding’s biggest weekend will also be the beginning of a journey for many athletes as well.
Karah Jones understands this very well because she has had Olympia dreams herself. The CEO of Angel Competition Bikinis was once a competitor herself. She had started competing as a new goal after graduating college.
“I love everything about bodybuilding,” she said proudly. “What I love the most is the mental discipline that I gained.”
After her first competition, she felt there was a need for competitors to have high-quality bikinis made so they can make the biggest events of their careers even more special.
“The Bikini division had only been out for four years, and there weren’t any companies that specialized in the Bikini division. So, that was where this started.”
She started her company in 2013 out of her apartment with her identical twin sister, Lauren. They both wore their own bikinis onstage at a show in 2014, and the reception they got was overwhelmingly positive.
“They had looked a lot different than what other girls were wearing,” she explained. “They were crystalized, fit perfectly, and our suits definitely stood out backstage. A few months later, we both quit our jobs and went all in on this new business.”
Fast forward to 2023, and Jones will now see several of the world’s greatest physique athletes take to the biggest stage in the world wearing Angel Competition Bikinis themselves. Past Olympia champions such as Ashley Kaltwasser and Janet Layug will be among them. She also will see competitors from other divisions wearing her outfits onstage as well, including Women’s Physique competitor Brooke Walker.
“We make suits for all divisions, and we like to be at the forefront of bodybuilding. We move very fast, and we follow the evolution of the industry.”
Jones and her team won’t just be in Orlando to celebrate their success and watch their favorite athletes compete. They will also have a booth at the 2023 Olympia World Fitness Expo on Nov. 3-4. Jones will be excited to help fitness enthusiasts and fans take the first steps in their own competitive journeys that may lead them back to the Olympia as competitors in the future.
“We will have a raffle to give away a suit, goodies, provide opportunities to be fitted by one of their three stylists, who are all nationally qualified NPC competitors, and they can start the process of creating their competition suits for 2024.”
The competition bikini isn’t the only part to consider. Practice outfits are just as important to have during the prep for that first contest. Competitors shouldn’t use their suits for the stage during prep because it could suffer damage.
Jones explained, “the practice bikini fits just like your competition suit, but it doesn’t have any crystals on it.”
The folks at the booth will share even more knowledge to help prepare future competitors for their debut onstage and there will be an Angel Fashion Show, featuring women that will inspire many women to pursue their own form of personal fitness success.
“We really love the space that this show creates because it’s very diverse, it’s very empowering for every fitness body type. Some women may be in improvement season, others may be in peak week, and it shows all aspects of the sport in a fun way. It allows the ladies to showcase their personality onstage.”
Jones wants to do more than sell products, she wants to leave a lasting impact through education and inspiration. She is proud of her business and the success it has achieved in ten years, but she’s prouder of the difference and contributions she has made to the sport. It may have been hard to imagine how far it would go in ten years, but she looked back at the journey as a positive one.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride. Lauren and I have been so passionate about the creativity behind it since the beginning, and here we are. I’m getting chills just thinking about being at the Olympia for the fourth time.”
To learn more about Angel Competition Bikinis, go to www.acbikinis.com, and follow them on Instagram @angelcompetitionbikinis . If you’re going to be in Orlando this November, make sure you stop by their booth at the World Fitness Expo. Tickets can be purchased at www.mrolympia.com .