This story was submitted by James Biglan, a Glenside/Cheltenham Township resident who is currently studying communications at the University of Pittsburgh
Brandi Millis, an Elkins Park native and Wyncote resident, has worn many hats—professional basketball player, coach, and personal trainer—but her mission has always been the same: Help others grow.
As a Cheltenham freshman competing in her first varsity basketball scrimmage, Brandi asked her coach for a quick breather on the sideline. The coach sat her for the remainder of the game. Barring injury, this was the last time in her high school career she would ever sit on the bench.
Despite graduating as the Lady Panthers’ all-time leader in career points and assists, Millis says her most memorable moments came from watching her team grow.
“It was those little moments of passing the ball to a teammate and them completing the pass or the play. It’s those things that really stood out to me,” she said.
Millis’s career was marked by injuries, including a torn ACL, but that didn’t stop her from playing D1 basketball at the University of Richmond. A broken wrist her sophomore year and a second ACL tear forced her to the sidelines, but her positive mindset kept her going.
“Having come back from the other two injuries, I was just ready to take on that challenge,” says Millis.
She eventually went on to play in the Israeli pro league. After becoming a mother, her career shifted to coaching and personal training. She began coaching while pregnant with her eldest son and ended her final season after coaching her youngest. Her perseverance in her playing career gave her a passion for teaching the mental side of fitness and basketball.
This year, Millis retired as the coach of the Cedarbrook boys’ basketball team. In her twenty years at Cedarbrook, she focused on building a culture of respect, team unity, and growth. Her personal training business is focused on building the confidence of her clients, the ages of whom range from eight to eighty-eight.
“You’re not here to become a bodybuilder. You’re here to feel strong, confident, and capable,” she said. “I’m proud to be living in Cheltenham, proud to have my business here, and proud to be raising my family here.”
Millis is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant. For more on her business, Train with Brandi, you can click here.
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Photos: James Biglan, trainwithbrandi.com