Phoebe Davis, or “Flexingphoebes” as she is known is a woman who is committed to training us how to create the best “whole” person possible through flexing our minds, bodies and souls. Through a journey fueled from bullying and issues with self-love and body image, she has used fitness to emerge victorious in all areas of her life. As an inspiration to women everywhere, Phoebe believes that once you tap into the power you have inside, you’ll be unstoppable.
FWM: Phoebe, it’s a pleasure to interview you for this issue. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
PD: Hello! My name is Phoebe Davis, and I am so honored that I get to share some of my story with you. I am a 27-year-old entrepreneur, fitness fanatic, and daughter of Christ. I believe I am called to share my story with women of all ages because I know every single woman can relate with my story in one way or another.
From being bullied for being overweight to leaving my poisonous corporate job and starting my own business to stepping on stage and competing in fitness competitions, my journey has a lot of ups-and-downs. But my passion is deeply-rooted in serving others and if sharing my story helps inspire, motivate, and invoke change for women all over the world, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
FWM: What led you to the fitness lifestyle?
PD: My whole life I was bullied for being overweight, and as a young girl that ingrained a lot of negativity around body image and self-love. It wasn’t until college when I decided that I wanted to not only love the body I was given, I wanted to take control of my lifestyle and create a healthier and happier future for myself.
After I graduated college in 2015, I decided to create a fitness Instagram account and blog to share my journey towards a healthier lifestyle while creating a community of fitness-minded women for support. Thus, “flexingphoebs” was born!
In 2019, I decided I wanted to take my passion for health and fitness to the next level, and I competed in my very first NPC Bikini Competition. I competed in two shows and received 5 medals: 4th place in Novice, 4th place in Open, 2nd in True Novice, and in my second show only a week later, I took 1st in both Open and Novice.
Since competing, my understanding of discipline, dedication, grit, and consistency has been transformed. I can’t imagine a world where I don’t treat my body with love, care, and grace every single day.
FWM: As a fitness model and competitor, what advice would give to anyone wanting to compete?
PD: My advice for anyone who wants to compete is to first make a list of all of your reasons why. A lot of fitness competitors only share the highlights from their preps, the glam from show day, and the glitz of the awards. It can be very misleading to young women who only see the positives but don’t know the dark side of competing.
Behind the scenes of Instagram is a world that will push you past every single limit you’ve ever known. There will be days when you cry on the treadmill. There will be days when you’re so exhausted and tired you can’t think straight. You will get caught up looking at photos of food and dessert for hours, just waiting for the moment you can dig in to a giant burger or box of donuts.
But the feeling of knowing you committed yourself to every workout, to tracking every macro perfectly and refusing to quit, is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Stepping on stage after a long prep and knowing just how much you’ve grown mentally and physically during that time is a transcending feeling of accomplishment. This sport is HARD. But it’s so rewarding!
FWM: What keeps you motivated?
PD: What keeps me motivated is looking back at my own fitness journey and seeing how far I’ve come. I take check-in photos weekly so I can look back at any time and see how I’m doing in comparison to a few weeks, months, or years ago.
Especially in my off-season from competing, using these check-in photos lights my fire. In off-season, you gain weight. It’s part of the “building-phase” to gain muscle and build a better package for next show season. During this time, it’s so easy to feel discouraged seeing your abs fade away and your body fat start to increase.
But, when I start to feel bummed out, I look back on when I first started my journey. I look at that girl who didn’t know a thing about fitness, who felt so uncomfortable in her body, and just wanted to change. I’ll compare those photos with my current ones, and I can see just how far I’ve come: both mentally and physically!
It also motivates me to see how shredded I looked on my show days, and how I want to beat that package for my next show!
FWM: I LOVE your motto of helping women to become their best selves by teaching them how to flex their mind, their body and their soul. How did you come up with that?
PD: Thank you! Well I named my fitness account “flexingphoebs” so the word “flex” is a huge part of my brand. But health doesn’t just refer to your body. As someone who has overcome bullying, harassment, and has grown into a strong Christian woman, the mind and soul cannot be forgotten in a transformation journey.
For a young woman looking at my Instagram account, she might not feel like she can relate to my body type or current physique. But, she will be able to relate to my emotions, my struggle with self-love, my desire for success, and all of the things in-between. This is why I share so much on my social media. I want women to feel like they can relate with me no matter who they are or where they are in their health and fitness journey. Life is hard as it is, so why not try to help each other out? Together, we can all flex our bodies, minds, and souls!
FWM: I’m a fan of your singing videos on IG. Has singing always been an outlet for you?
PD: Thank you! Yes, I’ve been a singer my whole life actually. Growing up I didn’t play sports. I sang in choir, did musical theatre, and took private voice lessons for years. Music has always been my outlet.
FWM: How can our readers connect with you outside of this interview?
PD: I would love to connect! You can follow me on any of these platforms:
Instagram: @flexingphoebs
Tiktok: @flexingphoebs
Website: www.flexingphoebs.com
Email: flexingphoebs@gmail.com
Photos courtesy of @michelleherrick and @prime24photography
