Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Carlson.
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My love of being an athlete, and eventually years later a strength athlete, began 17 years ago when I decided to start running to lose weight and get into better shape. What was initially a tool to achieve my goals, along with some general fitness training, would turn into a passion that would fuel my desire to begin running long distances in some of the most beautiful areas of the Pacific Northwest and eventually lead to becoming a vegan and plant-based strength coach.
My newly discovered passion for running and love of the outdoors opened doors to pursue my journey as an athlete and becoming vegan. It was during this time that I began working in the outdoor industry and started snowboarding during the winter while continuing to run and cycle during the other three seasons. Over the years, my athletic pursuits would expand to include yoga, climbing, hiking, and mountaineering. It is safe to say that no matter what athletic endeavor I was pursing, I always strove to perform my best and often pursued professional coaching and training to take my performance to the next level. It was also during this time that I turned to a plant-based diet to improve my performance, my health, the health of the planet, and protect the welfare of animals. I found that not only did eating a plant-based diet help me to feel better, I could perform just as well, if not better, on this type of diet. I have spent the last 11 years as a vegan, learning and understanding how to best fit this lifestyle and diet to my life as an athlete in a way that supports and continues to grow my performance.
In 2015, while mountaineering in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest, I was in an accident which would be the catalyst and driving force behind my love for strength sports. The climbing accident left me with not only with emotional wounds but also with many broken bones that would require many surgeries and years to heal and recover from. It was during this time, that I spent countless hours in physical therapy and in the gym under a barbell working to get stronger. Not only did I find that getting stronger helped heal me physically, I also found it helped heal some of the emotional wounds brought on by the trauma. I was able to channel my love of being an athlete and training to my recovery, and in the process, discovered how much I loved lifting heavy weights and loved the process of training and getting stronger. I decided early on that I wanted to share this with others and this led me to start my own coaching business focused on strength training, fitness, and nutrition.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not always been a smooth road. Starting a business from the ground up in an already saturated industry has had its challenges for sure. There’s a lot of competition out there and you have to find unique ways to stand out and hopefully people will see the value in your services and entrust you to help them with their health and goals. Also, I moved to Utah 3 years ago from Portland, OR and not knowing anyone, or having any family here, has presented challenges in visibility of my business and being able to network.
That being said! I have loved the process of starting a business and learning everything that goes into that, and while some days are harder than others, I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I get to do what I love.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My mission, and the mission of Strength Elevated, is to help others be the healthiest and strongest versions of themselves. My goal is to help people tap into their potential and achieve their goals. I also believe in educating clients with skills and tools they can take beyond their coaching/training sessions with me.
I specialize in strength training and plant-based nutrition for athletes and the general public. I believe that you can be healthy and strong on a plant-based diet but this requires understanding and knowledge of nutrition, which I can provide. I am most proud of this brand-wise. I strongly believe in the benefits health-wise of a plant-based diet and well as its benefits for the plant and animals. I have been vegan/plant-based for 12 years.
I offer several services: one-on-one personal training, online training and strength programming, and nutrition coaching. All my services are custom and tailored to each person’s unique lifestyle and fitness/nutritional goals. I am a very hands-on coach, so I work with my clients closely and really value developing a relationship with each person who decides to work with me.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
That you have to believe in yourself and the value that you/your business brings.
Contact Info:
- Email: strengthelevated@gmail.com
- Website: www.strengthelevated.com
- Instagram: strength_elevated
- Facebook: @strengthelevated
Image Credits
NS Photography
Lifting Large
