Maddie Phillips

Maddie is a medical student at UVA and holds a BS in Biology from the University of Mary Washington. Before beginning medical school, she worked as a high school biology teacher and community college instructor. 

Maddie discovered strength training at 14 when her dad brought her to the gym to help improve her track performance. As a collegiate track athlete, she spent countless hours in the weight room, not only to become a better athlete, but because she genuinely loved the process.

Over time, Maddie realized that lifting had given her much more than athletic success: it helped build her confidence. Wanting other women to experience that same sense of empowerment, she co-founded her undergraduate chapter of Girl Gains, a club dedicated to promoting women’s health and confidence through strength training. The club continues to thrive today. After graduating, Maddie explored different ways to stay active, from briefly training for half marathons to diving into Olympic weightlifting. She eventually began competing in the sport, which remains one of her favorite hobbies. Her favorite exercises are snatches and pull-ups.

When Maddie moved to Charlottesville, she was looking for the sense of community and purpose she had found through Girl Gains. She quickly discovered that The Strength Initiative was exactly what she had been looking for. She is excited to continue supporting women in their health and fitness journeys while promoting long-term well-being. She is especially passionate about helping women build and preserve strength as they age and believes resistance training is one of the most powerful tools for improving both quality of life and lifelong health.

Outside of lifting and medical school, Maddie loves visiting museums, reading nonfiction, practicing yoga, running, climbing, and trying new restaurants and recipes. She is a vegetarian, a huge foodie, and a giant coffee fan on a mission to try every coffee shop in Charlottesville. She also loves being an aunt to her two nieces.