Meet Our Spring 2026 Cover Model
Chattanooga local Olivia Reeves has continually made history as a competitive weightlifter, from breaking world records to winning a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Here, Reeves shares the practices and perspectives that drive her as she pursues a master’s degree and trains for future competitions.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My parents owned a CrossFit gym from 2012-2019, where I was exposed to everything fitness and health related. My original goal at 12 years old was to make it to the CrossFit Games, but that changed in 2015 when I found Olympic Weightlifting, which I became even more drawn to after I competed at Youth Nationals in 2016. I have been coached by Steve Fauer at Tennessee Speed and Strength since the beginning and now going on 11 years. I am forever grateful to have found someone with so much experience and knowledge about the sport of Olympic Weightlifting in the Chattanooga area. I am currently training for the start of the qualification process to the LA 2028 Olympic Games, which will start in November of this year in Ningbo, China, at the 2026 IWF Senior World Championships.
What is your approach to wellness? How has that changed over time?
My approach to wellness has shifted as the intensity and trajectory of my athletic career has changed. I view wellness and self-care as necessities in the upkeep of my physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This includes making time to hang out with friends, read, or be outside with my dog. I feel more strongly about maintaining my balance between training, school, and a social life, as it can be very isolating if I lean too much on weightlifting.
What are the traits you most value in yourself?
I value my consistency, discipline, and confidence on and off the competition platform. I have been in the gym a minimum of 3x a week for the first six years of my career and 4x a week since then. Having this consistent routine has allowed me to pursue schooling and have a more balanced approach to developing life skills necessary for after the heights of my athletic career. After so long, this sport has undoubtedly allowed me to become more secure and confident in myself and my approach towards being healthy. I think it is important to acknowledge that there should be more emphasis on what your body can achieve and its capabilities than what it looks like. There is no one body type that fits the need for every sport; therefore, there should be more representation of strength-based sports and the variation that comes with that.
What are some of your current goals?
The largest current goal is to qualify for the LA 2028 Olympic games in the next 16 months. In this time, I have some personal bests to try and outdo – for example, I am chasing the heaviest snatch by any American woman at 129kg, a 160kg clean and jerk, and a few world records in the 69kg and 77kg weight classes. In looking to tackle these goals, I plan on keeping my approach the same as I have for the past 10 years. In terms of academics, I want to complete my Master of Public Health (MPH) just before LA 2028 in hopes of finding a career in addressing the social determinants of health in sports.
What do you find the most rewarding?
I find the ability to push myself to see just how far I can move the needle of weightlifting very rewarding. Setting goals that have never been done before by an American woman in this sport feels surreal. The longer I am in the sport, the more I hope to see how this impacts the limits and expectations placed on women’s weightlifting. I just hope I can set the bar high enough for someone else to move it even higher and encourage them to do so.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Enjoy what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life. Even though this is technically my job and source of income now, it still never feels like work. I genuinely enjoy the process and believe I would still be lifting in some capacity regardless of if I made it to this level of sport.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I am always appreciative of my coach, Steve Fauer, and all the sacrifices made on his end to continue to encourage not just myself but others into the sport.
I am thankful for my family, especially my parents; without their start in the CrossFit world, it is unlikely I would have found this sport at a young age.
