Girls Who Lift (Each Other)

A new generation of women spot one another through life's challenges.

Members of a new lifting club at Barnard College head to a strength class. (Photo by Eva Strage. Instagram: @evastragephotgraphy)

Sophia Ewald, a 20-year-old neuroscience and behavior major, wasn’t inspired to start strength training by a superstar athlete or fitfluencer.

Rather, it was someone closer to home.

“I’m really close with my grandmother,” says Ewald. “And I see, with her, how important it is to maintain strength and health. As you grow older, you can lose everyday functions quickly, but if you keep your body strong, you can maintain them longer. That realization made me see how much you can do for yourself by lifting weights.”

I had the chance to chat with Sophia a few weeks ago when I visited my alma mater, Barnard College. Aside from babysitting, peer mentoring, and working 10 hours a week at a lab on campus, Sophia is also the co-founder of a newly sanctioned club at Columbia University: Girls Who Lift.

The club joins a number of other informal lifting groups for women that have begun to crop up on university campuses (such as Girl Gains, a female weightlifting club with chapters at over 100 universities, including San Diego State University, Arizona State University and UCLA).

At the start of last year, Sophia and her best friend, Eva Strage, began informally gathering friends to coordinate times to lift weights together. What started as small meetups quickly expanded after they began advertising through posters and promoting campus activities, inviting others to join.

The idea for the group emerged from a chance encounter one evening at Dodge Fitness Center, the Columbia University gym. Although Sophia and Eva were hallmates, they had been going to the gym separately. Once they ran into each other, exchanged awkward hellos, and decided to spot one another, they realized they shared a common sentiment: both were intimidated by testosterone-fueled atmosphere of the gym intimidating as non-athletes, but found it much more enjoyable when they had each other for support.

Neither Sophia nor Eva considered themselves serious athletes. While Sophia had played softball in high school, she wasn’t planning to continue sports in college. Eva, a competitive dancer, had grown disillusioned with the dance world’s punishing body culture. “It was very one-size-fits-all, and I was one of the people who was looked at strangely,” she says.

As the semester went on, the two found themselves drawn to the weight room, intrigued by resistance-based workouts they learned about through social media and observing others.

Eva began bringing more Barnard students with her to the gym. “My friends started asking if they could join me and if I could show them some moves. I became a point of contact for them in this intimidating space,” she explains. “We’d go and have these little coaching sessions. It’s something I had been thinking about for a long time.”

By their sophomore year, Sophia and Eva decided to expand the group. They created a group chat, and before long, 10 members turned into 100. In the second semester, they applied for official recognition, which required gathering sponsors, signatures, drafting a constitution, and forming an executive board. Official recognition would also provide them with a budget to host events and buy supplies. By the fall, they had achieved their goal.

This school year, Girls Who Lift kicked things off with a friendship bracelet-making event, followed by another for water bottle decorating. They also held a shopping event at a local Lululemon store. The group's Swolemate Program pairs members based on gym goals and availability, fostering accountability and camaraderie. As of this writing, there are now over 200 members.

“Working out together is so much better,” says Ewald. "It helps us feel like lifting weights isn’t just for athletes, but for anyone who wants to be part of it."

GWL with Ewald (L) and Strage (R) front and center.

A major milestone for the group was the opening of the new Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being on campus. In addition to providing a dedicated weight room for Barnard students, the facility offers education and programming focused on health and wellness beyond the physical, including mental and financial well-being, to foster resilience and promote lifelong success.

Isabel Iino, a 20-year-old junior, shared how lifting weights has helped her overcome an eating disorder.

“It transformed the way I view fitness,” says Isabel, who lifts four times a week with friends from the group. “It’s not just about my health; it’s about my mental health too. I’ve made so many friends in the gym. Every day, it does something for my brain.”

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A Q&A with Sophia Ewald

AMC: How did you discover lifting weights?

SE: I started lifting because I wanted to get stronger and feel more confident in my body. At first, it was just a way to stay active, but I quickly realized how empowering it was to track my progress and see myself getting stronger.

AMC: What kind of feedback have you gotten from others in the group?

SE: A lot of people say they love having a space where they don’t feel judged. Many have told me they were intimidated to start lifting, but being part of this group made them feel supported and excited to learn.

AMC: In these uncertain times—there has been an escalation of anti-Israel protests and incidents on campus this year—does lifting weights give you a feeling of capability?

SE: Lifting has always been a way to feel in control, both physically and mentally. It’s empowering to push yourself and see that you’re capable of more than you thought, especially in times of stress or uncertainty.

AMC: Do you think the pressure to be thin continues—or is it waning—with your generation?

SE: I think the conversation is shifting. There’s still pressure, but strength and muscle-building are becoming more valued. A lot of people now see fitness as a way to feel strong rather than just focusing on being thin.

AMC: How big do you think this group will grow to? What are your goals?

SE: It’s hard to say, but I’d love for it to keep growing and become a strong community. The goal is to make lifting more accessible and help more women feel comfortable in the gyms on campus, whether they’re just starting or looking to improve.