About Us
Andrew “Bull” Stewart
Andrew was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi on August 17, 1958. He is the son of a sharecropper on the Ball Plantation. He graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1976, having starred in football, basketball, and track. He then graduated from Mary Holmes Junior College in 1978 with an AA in Pre-Veterinary Medicine.
"Bull" graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1980 with a BS degree in Health and Physical Education. While at Tuskegee he starred in football. After graduating, he returned to school to obtain an AA in Criminal Justice at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pearl, Mississippi. From 1983 to 1986, he served as a police officer in Aberdeen and Westpoint, Mississippi, and from 1986 to 1994, he was vice president and part owner of Mayco Enterprises, a company that manufactured furniture and electrical appliances in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was during these Mississippi years, in 1988, that Bull won his first world powerlifting championship, in Redding, England — the start of a competitive career he has always pursued lifetime drug free, and encourages everyone else to do the same.
In 1994, Bull moved to Seattle, Washington with his five sons (including two sets of twins). He worked as a professional trainer, coach and motivational speaker and became CEO of BullR Publishing and Media. After spending five years as a single parent, he married Flozzell Thomas in 1997. The following year, in 1998, he won his eleventh world championship, in Orlando. In 1999, in addition to his own five boys, the family adopted another high school aged boy; all the young men excelled at both academics and athletics.
In January 2000, Bull was selected as "Athlete of the Century" by Sports Illustrated Magazine. Over the years he has trained thousands of men and women, from beginners through competitive athletes at all levels of amateur and professional sports, and is regarded as one of the greatest competitive powerlifters of all time.
While raising the kids, he and his wife Flozzell realized they had a similar passion when it comes to health, wellness and reaching their community. Hence, the joint venture of Columbia City Fitness Center, which opened in 2004.
Flozzell Thomas-Stewart
Flozzell Thomas-Stewart has spent more than 30 years in the health and fitness industry, working as a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and assistant powerlifting coach. She is certified through ACE (American Council on Exercise) and the YMCA's Active Older Adults program, and she continues independent education in health, nutrition, and personal training to stay current with trends in the wellness field.
In 1997, Flozzell married Andrew “Bull” Stewart, whom she had met through their shared interest in competitive powerlifting. The following year, in 1998, she began working as an assistant and, for some clients, lead coach for athletes competing in powerlifting. That same year, as a competitor herself, she achieved a top-100 national ranking in the deadlift in the 132-pound weight class in two separate competitions, a ranking measured against both men's and women's results nationally. She competed as a member of Pacific Powerlifters, at the time one of the largest and most respected powerlifting teams in the country.
Around this time Flozzell served as a group exercise instructor for Rainier Valley’s S.E. Senior Center, a position she held for eight years. In 2007, her class was featured on UWTV (the University of Washington’s network station) in a program titled “The Art of Aging — Bones & Brains.”
In 2004, Flozzell and Andrew founded Columbia City Fitness, which was built on a shared mission to encourage unity in the community through health and wellness— and fueled by their love for people of all ages and abilities. In the years since, their work has been recognized with numerous awards from the City of Seattle and coverage from local media outlets and community organizations, reflecting the gym’s role as a neighborhood hub for fitness, mentorship, and connection across generations.
Around 2016, when Columbia City Fitness opened a second location on Jackson Street, Flozzell shifted into a more administrative role, keeping day-to-day business operations running and stepping onto the training floor only to cover occasional staff shortages. Although the Jackson Street location closed in mid-2023, Flozzell continues to focus primarily on the business side of things. Meanwhile, the vision of Columbia City Fitness remains a ministry of sorts — reaching people of all ages, stages, and physical abilities throughout the greater Seattle community.