Elena Lombardi
Founder of Fuel Her
AvaMarie Angelo
Senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara
About Elena
Elena founded Fuel Her after years of navigating confusing messages about nutrition, body image, health, and what it means to “do everything right.” Her relationship with food and wellness was shaped by experiences in school, dance, social media, and her own health challenges. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, IBS, and amenorrhea, she began questioning the rigid and often contradictory advice young women receive about their bodies. That experience led her to study Nutrition and Food Studies at NYU and create Fuel Her: a space where mothers, daughters, girls, and young women can access credible education, hear honest stories, and have more open conversations about food, confidence, movement, and growing up. Through her story, Elena shares what she wishes she had understood earlier: health is not about perfection, nourishment is not something to fear, and no young woman should have to navigate these messages alone.
Ava is a senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studying Sociology and Spanish. After years of navigating harmful and confusing messages about food, exercise, body image, and what it means to be “healthy,” she chose to share her experience with Fuel Her in hopes that other girls and young women will feel less alone.
Her story explores the influence of social media, family messaging, disability, and diet culture, as well as the ongoing process of recovering from disordered eating and rebuilding trust with her body. Ava hopes her honesty will encourage others to question harmful health advice, seek support from qualified professionals, and recognize that their lives are worth far more than calories, comparison, or the size of their bodies.
About Ava
Community Stories
Fuel Her Community Stories share honest reflections from women of all ages on food, body image, confidence, movement, social media, and growing up.
Each story offers a personal perspective, lesson learned, or piece of advice someone wishes she had heard sooner. Stories may be shared through written features, interviews, videos, or workshop reflections.
These experiences are not clinical advice. They are meant to create connection, encourage thoughtful conversation, and help girls and women feel less alone.
Community Stories
Fuel Her Community Stories are honest, personal reflections from women of all ages navigating food, body image, confidence, social media, movement, and the pressures of growing in this, and every generation.
These stories are not clinical advice or perfect before-and-after journeys. They are real experiences, lessons learned, and the things someone wishes she had understood sooner. By sharing openly, we hope other girls and women feel less alone, more informed, and more confident in their own lives.
A Community Story is a short, personal reflection shared by someone in the Fuel Her community. It may explore a lesson learned, a challenge navigated, a shift in perspective, or something the contributor wishes she had heard when she was younger.
Stories may be shared as written features, workshop reflections, interviews, or short videos. Each story is reviewed to make sure it is thoughtful, age-appropriate, and aligned with Fuel Her’s mission.
Fuel Her is inviting women of all ages to share honest, age-appropriate reflections about food, body image, confidence, social media, sports, school pressure, recovery, or something they wish they had known sooner. Book a call to meet Elena, talk about ways you can get involved with spreading nutrition education to girls, and share your story!