Blog
Michelle Boyd is the president of Tri It For Life and director of healthcare careers and workforce development at Atrium Health. Through her work in healthcare, she has helped build an inclusive pipeline that has reached more than 50,000 students and professionals. As a leader in triathlon mentorship, she guides women to push beyond perceived limits, embrace resilience, and find strength in community. Boyd joined Human Side Up with CLARA Founder & CEO Natasha Nuytten to discuss her journey from a health scare to becoming an athlete, the importance of harmony over balance, and how mentorship can open doors for women in sport and in life.
Fit mom and athlete
Boyd admits the titles were not easy to embrace. “Two major words that were hard for me, two titles, that were hard for me to embrace, but I did. Okay. Fit mom and athlete.”
That turning point began with a health scare. At eight months pregnant and still climbing the corporate ladder in high heels, she found herself in intensive care with an AFib heartbeat. “I said, you know what? I gotta take care of myself because I could be dead and gone and I won’t be able to take care of my children. I won’t be able to take care of my family because I’m not listening to my body.”
What followed was a complete reset — nutrition, fitness, and ultimately, triathlons. “When you are an athlete, once you register and you come to orientation and through our 12-week training program, we call you an athlete. And it is very uncomfortable at first. And so, I did not own it, but by and by I did start to feel like an athlete as I learned the three disciplines to swim, bike and run.”
An educator at heart
Boyd’s professional path mirrors her personal one: rooted in education and development. “I am an educator at heart… if you teach and train, you will retain folks.” With a master’s degree in adult education and a career at Atrium Health, she’s worked to build an inclusive healthcare pipeline that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
That mission also threads through Tri It For Life. “Through Tri for Life, it’s just a secret sauce that we have. We are able to help women conquer their mind so that they can cross the finish line.”
Creating space for women
Part of that work is giving women the room to be vulnerable and try. “What we say is, we just want you to try. Just try. Cry, and it’s okay. And here’s tissue, and talk it out… And it’s advice like that we give to women. And we just ask them to try. You’re afraid, just try. And we hope that you’ll Tri It For Life.”
That spirit of openness pushes against the all-too-common culture of pushing through without acknowledgment of the real pressures women face. By encouraging honesty, family conversations, and community, Boyd helps women claim the space to pursue their goals.
Harmony, not balance
Boyd is quick to challenge the myth of perfect balance. Instead, she frames her life in terms of harmony. “I don’t know many people that have work-life balance and do it well, but you can have work-life harmony… I did say that I’m gonna be the best mommy that I can be. I’m gonna take care of myself and I’m definitely gonna take care of you and I’m gonna have that harmony and I’m gonna be there and I’m gonna show up when you need it the most.”
By releasing herself from unrealistic standards, she found a way to be present where it mattered most — for her children, her husband, and herself.
Leading with intention
As both a healthcare leader and nonprofit president, Boyd grounds her teams in shared goals. “At the beginning of each year, in my day job, we have planning meetings, weekly planning meetings, daily check-ins, daily huddles, where we continue to communicate and connect our daily activities with the organization’s mission, vision, and goals.”
That same intentionality carries into Tri It For Life, where retreats and conferences keep leaders aligned. “I believe you have got to hear. You’ve gotta be able, you’ve gotta lead and steer the ship, but you’ve also gotta listen to your crew because your crew is smart. You selected them, right?”