Athlete Spotlight: Meet Makena Hulme!
Get to know the people who make our Community Strong. This month we’re catching up with Makena Hulme who first found Defined in 2022.
By
August 4, 2026
Get to know the people who make our Community Strong. This month we’re catching up with Makena Hulme — a Northern California native, engineering student, mom, and wife to fellow Defined member Dylan Brownell — who first found Defined in 2022 after peeking into the garage from Gill Park and seeing a strong group of athletes getting after it.
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Makena’s first introduction to Defined came in 2022 while she was at Gill Park with her daughter.
“I peeked into the garage to see a very strong group of athletes working out,” she says. “I honestly was a bit intimidated by the class but really wanted to learn how to lift with a barbell.”
That curiosity became the spark that started real change.
Makena had grown up active — playing volleyball, running cross country, playing tennis with her parents, riding horses, and more. But after moving to Chicago in 2021 and having her daughter, life looked different. She found herself feeling sedentary, navigating a new city with a new baby, and weighing more than she ever had before.
Makena joined Defined wanting to lose weight.
But more than that, she wanted to become strong.
Makena’s journey at Defined Training started with the Olympic Weightlifting class.
For her first two years, she focused mainly on those Oly classes — learning how to lift with a barbell, understanding movement, and building strength from the ground up.
Laying that foundation was key.
In 2024, Makena worked with a dietitian and walked/jogged her first marathon while continuing to train at Defined. Then, in April of that year, she fractured her ankle on a run.
For many people, that kind of injury could have meant stepping away.
For Makena, it became a turning point.
“I think that was my biggest turning point for committing to strength training,” she says.
Coach Cara helped her establish a training routine she could continue even while using crutches. Makena kept showing up. She kept training. And she credits that strength work with helping her avoid surgery.
During that time, she also lost her first 100 pounds.
Fast forward to today, and Makena is officially down 200 pounds.
And while that number is powerful, the bigger story is who she became in the process.
“I’m feeling more alive than I have in years,” she says.
Makena’s transformation is about weight loss, yes. But it’s also about strength, consistency, confidence, and learning how to keep going through real life.
A young child. A hectic schedule. Medical struggles. Injury. Rehabilitation. Starting over. Adapting. None of it made the journey simple — but that’s what makes it meaningful.
“The strength I continue to build at Defined, both physically and mentally, helps prepare me for all facets of my life,” Makena says.
That’s the thing about progress. It rarely comes from one perfect plan or one big breakthrough. More often, it comes from daily decisions. Scaling when needed. Asking for help. Learning what works for your body. Showing up even when the circumstances are not ideal.
Makena’s story is also a reminder that nutrition, training, and support all work better together. Her experience working with a dietitian, building strength at Defined, and continuing to find sustainable ways to train is exactly the kind of real-life transformation we love to celebrate.
And if Makena’s journey has you thinking more seriously about your own habits, goals, or relationship with food, join us for our Nutrition Clinic at the end of the month. Whether your goal is weight loss, better performance, more energy, or simply learning how to support your training outside the gym, this is a great place to start. Details are at the end of this article!
When Makena first started taking Olympic Weightlifting classes, Coach Noal gave her a piece of advice that stuck.
“Leave your ego at the door.”
At first, it applied to strength training. Then, it became bigger than that.
“I took this simple motto and also applied it to my own life,” Makena says. “I try to make it a goal to leave my ego behind and try new things.”
That mindset has shaped the way she trains, the way she approaches challenges, and the way she keeps building confidence in and out of the gym.
Because strength training has a way of doing that.
It teaches you to meet yourself where you are. To adapt. To be patient. To try anyway.
And maybe most importantly, to keep your eyes on your own barbell.
When asked what #MoreThanAGym means to her, Makena points to something simple and powerful: belonging.
“#MoreThanAGym means being able to go to a place where everyone knows my name,” she says. “I always feel safe to be myself and to train hard. I’ve never had such a supportive community at a gym before.”
That kind of environment matters — especially when you’re starting something new. Especially when you feel intimidated. Especially when you’re rebuilding your relationship with fitness, strength, and your own body.
Defined became a place where Makena could show up exactly as she was, train hard, and be supported through every season of the process.
Makena’s weight loss journey is a major achievement, but the way she measures progress goes far beyond the scale.
Because Makena has genetic heart failure, her training goals and markers of success look a little different.
“My main measure of success in a training session is if I completed the movements to the best of my ability and also kept my heart rate below 180 beats per minute,” she says.
Over time, she has been able to lift heavier weights during weight loss, do more cardio, and continue protecting her heart.
That balance is part of what makes her story so strong: Makena isn’t chasing progress at all costs. She’s building strength in a way that supports her life, her health, and her long-term goals.
That’s what we mean when we say we are training for life.
Makena’s advice for anyone beginning their own fitness journey is honest, direct, and very Defined.
“If I can and could do it, you can.”
She also wants people to know that Defined really is for every level.
“The coaches are all amazing and have helped me adapt any movement to my needs, whether I am adapting for injury or adapting to keep my heart rate more stable,” she says.
You don’t need to be “ready” to begin.
You don’t need to know how to lift.
You don’t need to be the fittest person in the room.
You just need to walk in, be willing to learn, and let the coaches help meet you where you are.
Makena’s goals are rooted in strength, health, and the people she loves.
“My goals in life are twofold,” she says. “First, I want to be as strong as I can be and to live a long and healthy life regardless of my medical struggles. Second, I want to be a wonderful mother, spouse, and friend to everyone in my life.”
That’s the kind of goal setting we can get behind.
Strong for training.
Strong for family.
Strong for life.
Most people don’t know that Makena has a heart condition. It’s something she manages while continuing to train, adapt, and build strength in a way that works for her body.
“I never expected that walking into a gym behind a park would change my whole life and make me stronger, happier, and more capable than I’ve ever been before.”
Makena also wanted to give a shoutout to Dr. Elvis Sako at Foundation Physical Therapy (located right inside Defined Training).
“Elvis is so awesome and is currently helping me rehab a weightlifting injury,” she says. “I highly recommend him to all Defined athletes.”
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Thanks for making our Community Strong, Makena!
If Makena’s story has you thinking about your own nutrition, habits, training, or goals, join us for our Nutrition Clinic on Saturday, August 29 from 12-1 p.m.
It’s a chance to learn, ask questions, and start building the kind of sustainable habits that support your life inside and outside the gym.
Sign up in PushPress here!
It doesn’t have to look like Makena’s. Maybe you got stronger. Maybe you came back from injury. Maybe you found consistency for the first time. Maybe you walked into the gym feeling intimidated and slowly realized you belonged here all along.
However Defined has helped transform your life, we want to hear about it.
Reach out to Coach Reid or Coach Cara to share your story or learn more.
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