Eve Hesselroth

Eve Hesselroth is a lifelong Charlottesville local (with a brief Austin detour) whose path to fitness and coaching has been anything but linear. After earning her BA in Spanish Linguistics from UVA, Eve built a career in high-tech recruiting and HR before taking time off to raise her two kids. She later transitioned into real estate, spending over a decade as a residential Realtor, before ultimately finding her calling in the fitness world. In 2020, she completed her MS in Applied Exercise Science with a specialization in Human Movement Science from Concordia University Chicago—a move that solidified her passion for helping people move better and get stronger. Eve owned and coached at Clay Fitness for nearly a decade and now serves as the Director of Personal Training and Semi-Private Group Training at Solidarity Complete Fitness.

Eve first picked up weights in 2010, starting with kettlebells and dumbbells before moving on to barbell training and Olympic lifts. By 2014, she was learning the snatch and clean & jerk and soon found herself both competing in and coaching athletes for CrossFit Festivus Games. In 2019, she became a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach, training under renowned coach Travis Mash. Her favorite lift? The deadlift—hands down.

When Evie shared her vision for The Strength Initiative, Eve knew immediately she wanted to be involved. A fierce believer that women of all ages should lift heavy weights, Eve is passionate about empowering women to discover just how strong they can be—physically, mentally, and beyond. She loves teaching people that it’s never too late to start lifting and that strength training is one of the best investments you can make for long-term health.

Outside the gym, Eve is a self-proclaimed foodie who loves cooking, baking, and sharing meals with loved ones. She enjoys poetry, reading, hiking, kayaking, gardening, skiing, and traveling—especially to her happy place, Jamaica. She also has a not-so-secret adventurous side: she occasionally arm-wrestles with the Charlottesville Ladies’ Arm Wrestlers (CLAW) and is the proud owner of a 6’5” boa constrictor named Suki. In 2016, she founded the DESSO Foundation, which has awarded nearly $220,000 in scholarships to economically disadvantaged but academically gifted students in rural Jamaica.

Whether she’s coaching a heavy deadlift, dancing to live music, or sharing lobster on her birthday (a 45-year tradition!), Eve brings energy, passion, and a deep belief in the life-changing power of strength to everything she does.