Isabella Cardinali

Bella is a senior at Northeastern University on track to receive a BS in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, and an MS in Applied Behavior Analysis. Alongside her academic focus on brain health, she has always had a deep passion for fitness and movement.

 

Growing up, Bella was constantly involved in sports—trying everything from swimming and diving to gymnastics and tennis. It wasn’t until 8th grade, when she discovered rowing, that everything clicked. She continued rowing throughout high school and competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2022, which is her favorite fun fact to tell. Some of her favorite memories come from traveling, competing, and building lasting friendships—like those she formed with a South African rowing team at the Canadian Henley. Across every team and experience, what stood out most was a shared sense of grit, teamwork, and determination. Although Bella stepped away from rowing after high school, the athlete mindset never left her.

In college, she shifted her focus to strength training, initially drawn to the aesthetic side of fitness. Starting this new journey wasn’t easy, but she carried over the discipline and resilience she developed as a rower. Over time, weightlifting became both empowering and exciting—pushing herself to lift heavier each week and reach new limits became a major source of motivation.
 

Still, she missed the sense of community that came with team sports. That changed when she joined Empower, Northeastern’s female weightlifting club, during her sophomore year, later becoming an E-board member as a junior. Being surrounded by strong, supportive women who pushed each other to grow reignited her love for community in fitness.

 

In November 2025, Bella earned her personal training certification through ISSA, driven by a desire to share her passion and knowledge with others. She joined R3VIVE in January 2026 as a coach and personal trainer. Her goal is to help people trust their strength, build confidence, and realize they are capable of far more than they think.