Meet the Team

Owner, Founder, Lead Coach | She/Her

Movement has been my language since I was a kid growing up right here in Carlisle. This community is home. What I kept noticing, in every sport and every season of life, was how deeply the way we move shapes the way we feel.

I opened Athena in 2014 because I couldn't find coaching that actually met people where they were. Not a class off a shelf, but a coach who knows you and notices when something's off. So I built it.

Over fifteen years, I've learned the physical work is the container, not the point. The point is watching someone stop fighting their body and start working with it: the woman who realizes she's strong, the athlete who learns something in recovery she couldn't have learned any other way.

I'm a Neurokinetic Therapist, Comprehensive Pilates Instructor, and Medical Exercise Specialist, but what matters more is that I'm always asking why before how much. In a session with me, I pay attention. Some days we push, some days we pull back, some days we just talk. That's the structure.

Outside the studio, I'm coaching and playing field hockey, hitting the trails, and spending time with my son Myles, my husband Ian, and our dogs Onyx and Rayne. Carlisle is where I'm planted.

Megan Eckenrode Hedrick

Lead Coach | She/Her

My coaching combines smart program design, education, and a holistic approach to movement and wellness. When I work with clients,  I'm paying attention to how they’re  showing up that day, how they breathe, how they load, and what they’re not saying as much as what they are. I want to teach the “why” rather than just tell people what to do . I’m also here to help cut through the conflicting information that makes fitness and movement overwhelming and confusing. I believe that getting sustainably strong, building true understanding of the body and how it responds to movement, and knowing how to navigate the world of fitness and wellness is one of the most powerful things someone can do for their long-term health, at every age and chapter.

I do my best work with clients who have been through something significant (like a surgery, a chronic illness diagnosis, or an injury that required a change to their day to day) who either have been told that they need to begin an exercise practice or want to return to fitness but have no idea where to begin or how to make movement work with their unique challenges. I collaborate closely with local physical therapists to make sure my clients are cared for both during and after their PT journey. My specialties include anything related to pelvic health (including pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic pain, and everything in between), people on the hyper-mobility/EDS spectrum, older adults, and anyone who’s been told that they are fragile that want to get strong. 

When I’m not at the studio you can probably find me working in my garden, adventuring with my husband Angel, or wrangling our dog Lulu and cat Pickle.

Meghan Ramos

Avery Gallahue

Apprentice Coach | She/Her

I'm a recent graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where I played collegiate volleyball after years of competing in the sport growing up. Exercise was a constant in my life, but for a long time I measured fitness by how hard I could push myself at any cost. That changed in college, working through injuries and discovering strength training in a healthier way.

That shift is what led me to coaching. Between nearly seven years working with young athletes through private lessons, camps, clinics, and club volleyball, and four-plus years learning strength and conditioning for myself, I've found what I love most is watching someone realize they're capable of more than they thought, whether that's a new skill, a comeback from injury, or just walking into the gym with more confidence.

As a team captain, I learned that recovery, mobility, good coaching, and having someone in your corner can completely change how you feel about your body and your sport. That's the environment I want to help create here.

I'm a 2022 Carlisle High School grad, so this community is home, and I'm excited to grow as a coach alongside it.

Outside the studio: time with family and friends, hunting down new coffee shops around Carlisle, and slowly, very slowly, working on a needlepoint project. Currently reading East of Eden.

  • Bronwyn

    “I didn’t realize that weight training could be so accessible for people like me…Meghan [Ramos] has been so knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process of my endometriosis diagnosis, surgery, and recovery. I was intimidated by the process, but working so closely with someone who has connections and cares about her clients’ wellbeing has allowed me to have the best outcomes... I appreciate that Meghan knows so much about the pelvic floor and has worked closely with my physical therapist to make sure that my transition back into working out has been a safe, helpful, and seamless.”

  • Barb

    “I appreciate how Megan [Hedrick] watches my movements and listens to what I feel while I work with her, and how she modifies the day's workout to how I feel that day. She gives feedback to improve my execution of the exercises, whether verbally, by small touch or even physically guiding whichever body part is not cooperative. I knew what we were doing was working when I didn't have all the aches and pains I had before. My day to day life has improved. Everyday tasks are easier and don't create lasting pain. I can walk without foot pain. I have more energy and my sleep has improved because I'm not waking during the night with pain from even day to day tasks. THANK YOU!”

  • Jackie

    “ From the first day I went into Athena, it was just different. The focus has always been on what I can do (and it changes, sometimes day to day), not on what I can't do… I have been pushed and challenged, but never belittled or looked at like my body is disgusting because it is fat. When my boobs or belly are just in the way...or my joints are achy from arthritis, we just find modifications and different things to do. I knew this was going to work when there was a day when I had a tough day at work, and I WANTED to go to the gym. I knew I'd get a good workout in, but also that I'd see friends and be able to let the stress of the day go. I literally laughed out loud -- ME? Wanting to go to the gym? Also, they let me lift heavy things for fun.”

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