Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Lee
Hi Audrey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From the time I was six, I knew I was born to move. I was drawn to swimming, gymnastics, and dance, losing myself in the rhythm, creating routines, and gliding through water with ease. As a child, moving felt natural and free, but adolescence changed that. The pressure to conform to certain body standards took over. Coaches’ negative comments about my body fueled insecurities. Instead of feeling joy and excitement while training, fear and stress dominated my gymnastics experience. One coach even refused to spot me, saying I was “too heavy.” This left me feeling there was something wrong with me, unsupported, and afraid.
The pain of that experience shaped how I saw my body. I tried to starve myself at just 10 years old, thinking that was the way to get lighter. The lack of guidance from my coaches left me in a cycle of restriction and binging. I overtrained, ignoring my body’s natural signals of hunger, thirst, and fatigue, in a relentless pursuit of a “perfect” physique. I thought that if I could just reach that ideal weight, everything would fall into place. My body became something to be controlled and punished rather than a source of strength and joy.
It’s ironic that I eventually chose the fitness, health, and wellness industry for my career. Deep down, I always believed there had to be something better. As I learned more about training and nutrition, I moved from obsessive cardio and processed foods to balanced meals and strength training. My body began to change, and so did my mindset. I could not become a professional athlete I once dreamed of, but I could train like one—and more importantly, I could help others navigate their own challenges.
I earned a Ph.D. in exercise science and a master’s degree in nutrition because athletic performance is a science, and I love understanding how to optimize it. Today, as a holistic performance coach, I focus on balanced training, fueling, and mindset to help female athletes reach their peak. I’ve lived through the struggles of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and overtraining. Now, I lead others to discover the wholeness, health, and vitality that can be achieved through a balanced, nurturing approach to performance. My journey allows me to truly understand my clients and guide them to a place of empowerment and strength.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to health and healing was anything but smooth. There were countless bumps along the way, especially when it came to adjusting my nutrition to meet the demands of my training. Most of the nutrition advice in the media is geared toward weight loss, not toward sustaining or improving performance for female athletes. It was frustrating to navigate this gap in information, particularly when training for events like a 1-mile swim or a 100-mile cycling race.
The difference in how I needed to fuel myself for swimming versus road cycling was massive, and it took a lot of trial and error to find what worked for me. There were times when I had terrible training sessions and races, hitting the wall hard because I was following what my male training partners were doing. Eventually, I created a system tailored to my body and performance needs.
Another major challenge was the research itself. There’s still very little evidence-based science specifically on nutrition for female athletes. Much of the available information comes from studies on men, and the physiological differences between men and women are significant. Beyond that, nutrition is about much more than just food. It’s about our internal environment—our beliefs about food, our bodies, and our abilities—and how all of that impacts our performance. Bringing a holistic approach that integrates mindfulness into coaching was met with resistance, especially when working with the military and men’s teams. But I wouldn’t change any of it.
Those obstacles shaped me into the coach I am today, and I’m grateful for the challenges I faced. They gave me the perspective, empathy, and strength to help others who are going through similar struggles, guiding them toward a path of health, wholeness, and peak performance.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a holistic sports nutrition and performance coach, specializing in helping female athletes optimize their energy, training, and nutrition. What sets me apart is my personal journey—having experienced the struggles my clients face firsthand. I bring a deep sense of empathy and understanding to my work. My path has given me a unique insight into the challenges female athletes encounter, from disordered eating to body image issues, and the lack of nutrition information tailored specifically to women in sports.
I’m most proud of the Power to Shred program, which I created to help female athletes fuel their bodies and minds for peak performance. It’s not just about achieving physical goals; it’s about building a sustainable, holistic approach to health and performance. By integrating evidence-based nutrition with mindful practices like yoga and breathwork, I help women reconnect with their bodies and find balance in their training. This approach has allowed me to work with diverse groups, from female athletes to military teams, overcoming the resistance to more holistic, mindful coaching methods.
My blend of academic knowledge, personal experience, and holistic methods is what truly sets me apart. My mission is to guide women toward a more empowered, healthy, and vibrant life—helping them overcome their struggles and achieve their highest potential both in sport and in life.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the industry moving toward a more integrated approach, blending exercise, nutrition, sports psychology, mindfulness, spirituality, and mental health. Specialization will become key as coaches and practitioners tailor their methods to individual needs. There will be a growing demand for holistic programs that address not only physical performance but also mindset and emotional well-being. The supplement industry will continue to expand, offering more “healthy” products, but we’ll also see a shift toward simplicity—clean, natural, non-GMO, and certified organic options that focus on true health rather than just trends. Navigating the influx of information and misinformation will be crucial as clients seek guidance that’s both evidence-based and holistic.
Pricing:
- Group coaching – $200 per month
- Private coaching – $800 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.powertoshred.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powertoshred/
Image Credits
Tanzi Propst, Kyle Jenkins, and James Kao
