Meet Maxine Miller-A Fitness Phenomenon!

I am so excited to feature my dear friend, Maxine Miller, as my FlyGirl of the week! Maxine and I met in 1998 while I was stationed in the Army at Fort Campbell, KY. Her husband, was a Special Forces soldier at the time and she was a housewife and managed a home based business. We had a common entrepreneurial spirit and was even in business together for almost a decade. Even though business savvy, she always had a passion for fitness. Recently, at the age of 53, she won a Fitness competition, beating out tens of thousands of other contestants of all age groups, to take home the $25,000 in cash and prizes. I had the pleasure of catching up with Maxine recently and we chatted away about her recent achievements, future goals, and fitness.

Q. By winning the fitness competition, what do you believe/know set you apart from the rest?

A. I would say it’s my “WHY POWER”. The reason why I wanted to take the challenge was different from the masses. A mirror has a way of revealing itself to you. Even though I considered myself physically active and was always told I look good for my age, I wanted to redefine what 53 could look like. I wanted to be a healthy 53 year old in all aspects. So when I looked in the mirror, I knew that I wasn’t at my best. I had to take responsibility and I was the only one who could change it.

Q. Who or what is your motivation?

A. I’m always asked about motivation. I get my motivation from within. I’ve always been inspired by those that pursue their passion and accomplish their goals. Because success, to me, is when you set goals, reach for them and accomplish them; whether in your career, relationships, or financial journey.

Q. How did your transformation come about?

A. I have always lived a very active physical lifestyle. However, I had reached a plateau and wanted to take my fitness to the next level. I finally realized that my nutrition and fitness was off balance. I wasn’t adhering to the 80/20 rule of fitness. Meaning, instead of focusing on my nutrition 80% of the time and fitness, 20%, I was working out 80% of the time, but I hardly ever focused on nutrition. What you put inside shows on the outside, so I decided to put the best inside.

Q. What are your short term goals?

A. I want to encourage others to “get moving” and take control of their health and wellness. My passion has always been to inspire people to be the best they can be. Deep down I know each person has the motivation within themselves to be the best they can be. Sometimes we just need the extra push, inspiration, nudge or workout shenanigans!

Q. What are your long term goals?

A. I would like to become an Ambassador (spokesperson, coach, mentor,) in the industry. I believe this has created a great platform to encourage women over 40. It’s not about where you are but where you want to be in reaching your optimum health regardless of your age.

Q. What advice would you give women, especially women over 40, about the importance of living a healthy and active lifestyle?

A. I want to let women know that no matter where they are on their fitness or health & wellness journey, they have to love themselves enough to take the necessary steps to have their body perform at it’s ideal capacity. Most importantly, I want to inspire those women over 40 that think it’s too late to start living a healthy lifestyle. My hope is to be an ambassador of good health and wellness for men and women who want to add years to their life. Time and good health is a precious commodity. The best way to reverse time is to have good health.

Q. How would someone get in contact with you?

A. They can follow and connect with me on Instagram @maxnextlevel.

Maxine is from St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica and came to the United States in the early 1970’s. She’s been married for over 30 years to her husband Micheal and they have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. While growing up in Jamaica, Maxine was taught that America was the land of opportunity and that the streets were paved with gold. She knew that only if she could get to America, she could accomplish anything. Maxine is still a working mom and I know she will make her mark as an entrepreneur pursuing her passion in the fitness and health & wellness industry.