We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madison Schiltz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madison below.

Hi Madison, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I started my entire career journey in the strength and conditioning industry– went to undergrad for exercise science at Westfield State and Masters at Springfield College, did internships at University of Notre Dame and Quinnipiac. I became the strength and conditioning coach for Western New England University for 8 years amongst other coaching jobs in the field. The field was taxing, working 12 hour days, weekends, holidays and an industry that is a labor of love. It did not pay back the amount you put into it. Unfortunately a lot of coaching jobs are like that. I wanted to be able to get my worth. During COVID, it was my sign to take a step back from coaching and see what else is out there for me. So, I decided to go to massage therapy school as a tool to utilize working with athletes.
While I was in massage therapy school everyone kept asking me what it is that I was going to do. I did not want to work in a spa setting and nor did I want to pursue coaching full time again. I just had faith that something will fall in my path when the time was right.
One day after another frustrating interview, I left feeling defeated and feeling sorry for myself. I decided to just search on google for possible massage rooms to rent until I figured it out. A 1500 square foot space was open in Canal District of Worcester. I knew exactly where this was, and the location that is very active and sport-based. This space was completely empty, not a single outlet in the wall and the floor was dirt. This was a full project. Which is not just expensive but also risky. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure that I knew why I liked this space. It is not like I had the idea of an athletic recovery center and was looking for somewhere. It was like the space found me and the idea came into my head. Right when I walked into the space the next day the vision popped into my head of exactly what I wanted to do and what I wanted it to look like. But again, a huge risk.
After a couple months considering my options, this was the best one. The riskiest one. But I wasn’t afraid for some reason.
After a few months of getting loans approved, permits approved, etc. It was go-time for building. It took an entire year to build the space.
I remember day 1 sitting in my new business, watching people walk by that this was the real deal. It was terrifying and I was questioning if I had made a mistake.
But I knew what I offered was very unique and that it will succeed… because there were no other options for me.
Now 8 months being opened, I now have 3 other specialists, now partnered with the Worcester Railers, and almost a booked schedule week to week!
The risk of leaving my long time career was a feeling I can’t explain. The loss of my past passion was a heart ache I also can’t explain. But now, I feel like I’m finally getting my worth and doing what I love to do every single day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Revived Athlete Recovery and Massage is an injury prevention facility designed to bring your performance back to life with all forms of body enhancing modalities. Our injury prevention specialists are highly educated, trained and certified in body work, human movement and sports biomechanics. We have been working in the athletic industry for 8+ years helping athletes achieve their highest potential of all levels, pain and injury free.

That’s what makes us different is that our staff has experience and knowledge about sports and athletics, so we can speak your language when you come in which allows us to pinpoint on how to treat you properly. We are not physical therapists, we are injury prevention specialists, we emphasize PREHAB not REHAB. We try every avenue to prevent you from going to rehab.

We want to stress that you do not only have to be an athlete to need recovery. To us, an athlete is anyone who uses their body and repetitive motions to complete their everyday tasks. That includes anyone who works laborious jobs to an office desk worker. You deserve to live and work pain free.

Revived also understands the need of some individuals who would like to complete their recovery on their own terms and own journey, which we also support. Our facility allows you to use the self-care forms of recovery modalities at your own leisure. This includes Normatec Compression Therapy including legs, hips, and arms; Red light therapy, infrared saunas, and a customizable temperature ice bath. We also include trigger point equipment such as rollers and stretching bands that we can teach you how to properly use and a recovery bike as well.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

You need to be able to communicate and connect with clients on a deeper level. We are not such a typical massage spa where clients come in and want a relaxing massage. We are here to develop relationships and listen to clients of their goals for their performance and how they want to feel. From past athletes and client we have worked with, they are extremely frustrated when they do and see a professional who can’t speak their language of their sport and they don’t understand. We understand that this is what you love to do and we won’t give up on you. We will check in and do everything in our power to get you to the point you want to get to. That’s what is going to make you succeed in this field. If a client has pain when squatting, you need to understand the biomechanics of a squat. You have to develop relationships and you need to treat the individual, not the symptoms.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

100%. It was always my dream to work at a big D1 school for coaching, and told myself I would NEVER be a business owner.. and I’m SO thankful I never listened to myself and that I took the leap. My education, my athletic background, and never settling into one thing is what got me to where I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: revivedathleterecovery.com
• Instagram: Revived.Athleterecovery
• Facebook: Revived Athlete Recovery & Massage
• Linkedin: Madison Schiltz

Image Credits
Dylan Foran