63MIX ROUTIN3S | AJLA TOMLJANOVIC

Read the MAY ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Ajla Tomljanovic in mag.

DARE TO BE YOUR BEST WITH MILES CHAMLEY-WATSON

We're all about pushing boundaries and standing in our truth to showcase our authentic selves. So when we had the chance to sit down and chat with 2 X Team USA Olympic Foil Fencing Bronze Medalist, World Champion, model and ambassador, Miles Chamley-Watson. He talks to us about how he got in the sport of fencing, what made him realize that this was something that he could do professionally, how he has blazed his own path, and his focus on growing the sport by bringing it into the mainstream while also empowerning children to bring them into the sport.

We also talk about how he continues to create a multi-faceted brand that incorporates the sport, his interest in fashion and ambassadorships that are synergistic with his brand. We also talk about his latest partnership and documentary with Daring Foods, a plant-based brand. Miles also gives us insight on how he trains as an athlete each day.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How and when did you fall in love with fencing and when did you realize that you wanted to go pro and do this as a career?

MILES CHAMLEY-WATSON: I was born in London and was playing football, cricket and rugby. I moved to NY when I was 11 and I was kind of a pain in the butt kid and would get into trouble. So as punishment, I had to pickup tennis, fencing or badminton. I ended up picking up fencing and got it right way and I thought, “wait, I can stab people and not get into trouble? This is awesome!” So, when I was 12 years old, I fell in love with it and I never looked back!

AM: Wow! As a kid I played badminton.

MCW: Woah and that’s a hard one too!

AM: It is a hard one and I didn’t like it, but we played it at every function.

MCW: Oh yeah, it gets intense!

AM: It does. But we can appreciate that you took that on. You’re a 2X Olympic Champion, who won a Bronze medal and you’ve won various World Championships. Can you tell our readers who are not familiar with foil fencing, what it is, what’s involved and how you win?

MCW: The key is to hit the person and not have them hit you back. It sounds easy, but it’s first to 15 points and it’s 3, 3min periods. So that can be from anywhere from 10mins to 30 mins depending on your fencing style. I’m very defensive so my matches don’t go longer then say 15 mins or so. I’m a quick one, I have ADHD and I don’t have the patience. So I’m more aggressive. So it’s 15 points and then there’s right of way action so there are 2 lights and then there is a referee who will look at the video machine and see who hit the person a little bit earlier and my goal is to simplify the sport so that it’s easier for the audience to be able to understand. That’s why it’s one of the reasons why it’s not on TV because it’s kind of hard to understand. I want to bring more visibility to the sport by doing stuff like this and being able to simplify the rules a little bit.

AM: That’s really interesting. Back in 2018, we had Dagmara Wozniak as our cover for our AUG ISSUE #32 and we shot her editorial where she trains at Manhattan Fencing and when we saw the lanes and could visualize what takes place, we understood it more and it was so different then seeing it on TV. Being able to see the mechanics up close, it was intense to watch that.

MCW: Right and that is saber so in foil, it’s different.

AM: When we think of fencing, it’s a powerful and an elegant sport. What do you do physically and mentally to prepare for the sport?

MCW: I’m lucky that my sponsor has a facility right here in LA which I will be heading to in an hour. I get up in the morning and I do meditation and journaling in the morning as the first thing. I then go to the gym and I do fitness. Today is Wed and it will be explosive work: deadlifts, running and sprints and then after that, I will go into fencing. If I’m feeling up for it, I will go into sparring. Now I’m learning that everyone is good at doing certain things, but how do you get to the point of being the best and I think that that is the mental aspect. So that’s a lot of reaction training, journaling and manifesting and this is incorporated into my routine everyday as well. It’s a full-time job.

AM: How long would you say that you are doing these things daily in terms of blocks of time?

MCW: I’d say journaling is 30 mins, I have my cup of coffee or tea outside of my balcony, then I go to the gym which ends up being about 3 hours because cool down and warm-up is 45 mins and then to workout is about an hour and a half. Then I eat, come home, relax for an hour and do some work and meetings like this and then I go fencing for about 3-4 hours. All in all, I would say 6 – 7.5 hours.

AM: In terms of your nutrition how does this play into staying in shape, optimizing your sport and ultimately supporting your lifestyle in general?

MCW: There’s nothing more important than nutrition! At one time, I didn’t care about what I ate. It’s a whole game changer for me and I just got my blood test back and I have to load up on all of these things. I have to start drinking these random things like coconut water, eating the white part of watermelon – it’s really weird. But now, I’m noticing the importance of nutrition and how important it is and to know about your body and how it fuels you. So I try to keep a healthy diet.

AM: You’ve partnered with Daring Foods and have a pretty exciting documentary that is out now. Tell us about Daring Foods and how this partnership came about.

MCW: Yeah yeah – I’m so excited! I actually knew about Daring for awhile because I was trying to incorporate plant-based in my diet so that I could have a well balanced diet as well. I’m not just vegan or plant-based, I like to incorporate both. I love the product, it tastes good and the ingredients didn’t make my stomach rumble. Because nowadays, there are so many companies that have kind of saturated the industry and I got the chance to look up the company before and to meet Ross and the Daring team. It was a perfect match because they are disrupting a space that has been around for a number of years and I’m doing the same thing in my sport. It was literally the most organic relationships that has fostered this campaign and you can tell that this is powerful and we’re speaking to kind of just challenging ourselves and making Daring Moves and kind of pushing the boundaries and limits which is what I’m all about and what they’re all about. It was lovely to like the product before meeting them and then meeting them was the cherry on top and it’s been great and we’re all a family now!

AM: How was it participating in Daring Moves?

MCW: It was phenomenal! It was amazing! Molly Schiot who directed it, the entire team – they were so professional. It was one of the most creative and fulfilling projects and campaigns that I have done in a long time. It speaks to things that are bigger than just me. I think that it will inspire people and just the message of being daring, everyone in their walk of life is able to understand. In your job and in my job, it’s important and a great characteristic to have. It’s literally a match made in heaven.

AM: Will you be involved in anything else with Daring Foods that we should keep our eye out for?

MCW: I think that this is just the beginning, it’s a beautiful relationship and it was great to get this campaign out, but I think that we will do loads of things together because I love the products, I love the people and I love the messaging overall – it’s powerful. Definitely be on the lookout for more. It’s just the beginning.

AM: As an athlete, how do you find that balance between eating the foods that are good for you while also enjoying splurge foods as well?

MCW: That’s the best thing about having a healthy balance right and having a happy medium? I incorporate some of the vegan, non-dairy products. I eat dairy literally for lunch and then I incorporate having some meats here and there. My diet also allows me to have cheese. I love to eat and I also love to eat candy! I can never be fully vegan for that reason. I’m sorry, I’m never going to stop that! I think it’s important to have a balanced diet right and to be healthy? People ask me, “are you vegan?” I eat a very healthy and balanced diet. So, I incorporate meat with non-meat and I do what works for my body. I think that the most important part about creating that balance is the ability to have your cake and eat it too.

AM: In preparing to chat with you, it’s interesting to look at your background as an athlete, being an ambassador, modeling for fashion brands – how important is it for you to be able to push boundaries and to be able to represent yourself the way you want to be seen and to engage with these brands in all of these different ways?

MCW: I think doing work with different companies brings a new audience to me and also fulfills another passion of mine. I don’t want to be in a box. I’m a professional fencer yes, but I think that I have been able to branch out and get a lot of endorsements and sponsorships because I think that everything that I do, I do with love and I don’t work with brands that I don’t believe in. I’m a firm believer in not saturating your brand and doing things that you love. I’m able to kind of build my brand just being myself and organic and that's whats transferable. You can see people doing things and it's forced, but I like to keep it organic and natural. Just keep growing and do more modeling stuff and getting that audience. Getting mores sponsorships and doing these things. I’m in a very interesting sport that has the ability to change on my own, but working with companies like this helps to grow the sport organically.

AM: One of the things that's so intriguing is the fashion element of you. You’re a stylish guy, you have these tattoos, you’re at the Met Gala with Lewis Hamilton, you’re sitting front row at global Fashion Weeks, you’ve worked with Todd Snyder – what is it about fashion that you love so much as being in these different worlds and having the ability to include your creativity is a lot of fun.

MCW: I think you said it perfectly – creativity and fashion is the one world where you can wear whatever you want and it’s subjective. You may like it, you may not like it and I think that being able to do the fashion shows, it gives you a rush and a different kind of adrenaline. Fashion was kind of one of the first worlds to embrace me – they invited me to the Met Gala twice with Vogue and all of these companies and they love the sport of fencing because it does have that fashion element to it. A lot of brands do some of their collections based off of fencing. A lot of athletes like fashion and a lot of fashion likes athletes and I think that I am in a sport that is elegant and has that uppityness to it and I’m bringing a new face to it. I love fashion and I think that there is nothing better than putting a fresh outfit on and for me, that’s what I would like to bring to my fencing world too – a uniqueness and not being afraid to take risks. I think that I have always done that in the sports world and also in fashion just naturally.

AM: And you recently partnered with Richard Mille which is phenomenal – how did that come about and how excited are you about it?

MCW: I mean that’s a dream come true! It’s like woah you know? It’s a little surreal seeing my wrist, but I think it makes sense right? I’m all about timing and precision and changing the watch game. That’s what they’re all about and they love me and I love them like a family. I was able to meet the team and there’s this great relationship. When that happened, my phone exploded and it’s cool to be able to work with the companies that you love and you never think it’s possible and then you’re sitting there right next to Rafael Nadal! I mean to work with them, it shocked me a little bit and then I thought woah and then I’m working with a company like Daring too! I mean, what can’t you do? When you believe in yourself, there is nothing that you can’t do.

AM: You have a great mix of brands that you work with. How do you decide what makes sense to you as many of them like you said, are organic to you or are things that you are passionate about?

MCW: I think it comes to that if I have a feeling, I never second guess myself. I just go with the feeling. I also have a great team too and they know who I am, my values and I think that having a great team around you makes it a lot easier. I always go with my gut and I pick brands that align with me and just natural.

AM: It’s almost the end of the year. Are there projects that we should keep an eye out on are their championships that are coming up? What’s going on in Miles’ world?

MCW: I have a competition in Dec. next month – a national. Then we go to Paris in 2022. I have a lot of projects that are coming and in 2022 we have some amazing things dropping in 2022. I’m ending the year very strong and I’m just very grateful that I get to do what I love during a crazy time. Definitely be on the lookout as there are a lot of projects coming.

AM: Can you tell me about the Miles Chamley-Watson Foundation and what its focus is?

MCW: I want to empower the youth through fencing and I hated seeing the talents of kids being wasted because they couldn’t afford it as fencing is an expensive sport. So I thought, how do I help because I have the ability and I can use my connections to help the generation. I wanted to create the tools that kids needed to be successful in life whether it’s going to the Olympics or being the next John Doe. We want to give them the wings and the tools to succeed through my foundation. I have all the necessary elements as I know what it takes and I’m able to fly through the hole and make a success of it. I’m kind of the only one that has been able to branch out and make it in America. I thought that it was my duty to give back to the kids and that’s what we launched and it’s exciting and has also given me a sense of purpose and it’s awesome.

AM: You have a mantra of “create a legacy and not a moment,” what does this mean? Also, what do you want your legacy to be in the sport as well as the body of work in general?

MCW: Create a legacy not a moment, is something that I came up with in 2016 on the way to China at the Grand Prixe. I was on the train and someone had left a horoscope book and it was 18 hours so I was reading the damn thing and I thought that it made a lot of sense. I asked myself what my purpose was. I knew that I had won all these medals, but I wanted to create a legacy and not a moment. I wanted to create something that would last forever. That’s something that everyone wants whether it’s creating a kid, their first product or whatever that may be. I think that being the first is the best feeling.

I want my legacy to be someone that changes the sport, gives kids hope and also sticking up for the kids that are ADD/ADHD or whatever that got a negative stigma and I want to change it. I want to shed a light and just give kids hope that you can do whatever you want. I can win medals, that’s easy, but to inspire kids to do what they want to do in life that’s amazing. Kids see me in campaigns that I am doing with brands and that to me is my legacy.

IG @fencer

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | PG 126 - 131 Daring Foods | PG 132 -137 Kyle McKenzie | 9DRIP PG 28 - 30 Richard Mille |

Read the NOV ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see Dare To Be Your Best with Miles Chamley-Watson in mag.

Hear 2X Team USA Olympic Foil Fencing Medalist, World Champion, Model and Ambassador, Miles Chamley-Watson on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

WINTER OLYMPICS | POLO RALPH LAUREN UNVEILS TEAM USA'S OPENING + CLOSING CEREMONY OUTFITS

As the Summer Olympics in Tokyo ended a few months ago, we’re already 100 days out from the Winter Olympics in Beijing! With the postponed Olympics taking place this year, we don’t have the 2 year gap that we tend to have. The Opening Ceremonies will takes place on Feb 4th - 20th. With that said, Polo Ralph Lauren unveiled Team USA’s Opening and Closing Ceremony looks! As we head closer to the Winter Games, we’ll get to know more about who has qualified to play and until then, we can enjoy seeing more looks that we will see for those that are about to take the global stage!

You can learn more about the looks as well as buy pieces from this collection.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

9LIST STORI3S | ZION WRIGHT

Read the AUG ISSUE #68 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Zion Wright in mag.

LET IT FLOW WITH CORY JUNEAU

We love the fact that in many ways, the Olympics highlight athletes on a global stage so that you can know more about them and can continue to watch them throughout the year as they do a range of exhilarating and heroic competitions. The Summer Games in Tokyo introduced the debut of skateboarding with Team USA's Olympic Skateboarding Men's Park Team was comprised of Heimana Reynolds (our June cover), Zion Wright (this month's 9LIST STORI3S) and this month's cover, Cory Juneau who won the Bronze medal. These 3 represented the entire Park USA Skateboarding team!

We caught up with Cory to talk about his approach to the sport and how in addition to it being his job, it's a passion and something he truly enjoys! He talks about how the sport authentically creates a culture of positivity where they hype each other up. We also talk about his upcoming schedule which includes the Copenhagen Pro as well as the Venice International Film Festival with Golden Goose who he is sponsored by.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment that you fell in love with skateboarding?

CORY JUNEAU: Probably the first time that I got on my board. I saw my brother get a skateboard and he started skating and I kind of just got one right after and so that was it!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to go pro and do it as a living?

CJ: That’s never really been a huge thought of mine! It’s just been about going out and having fun and skating with my friends, which has always been my motivator and I always just want to do whatever I can to be able to continue to skate for the rest of my life. I push myself to be able to do better and it’s not about being any type of typical thing that people would assume.

AM: How do you approach skating? Do you have a process when it comes to tricks that you want to incorporate into the runs that you want to do?

CJ: My process is kind of me getting there and just figuring it out when I’m skating and I want to be comfortable. I have been skating for awhile now and skating is 90% mental. If you’re confident and you know what you want to do, it will work out you know? I just like to take it slow.

AM: We love that you have a very chill and relaxed style!

CJ: Haha thank you, thank you!

AM: So what’s a day like with you when you’re practicing?

CJ: A typical day for me is pretty chill honestly! I kind of just wake up and see what the homies are doing and then make a plan to go skate somewhere – if it’s in the street or in the park or some spot. We’ll just figure it out at the time. We just kind of get a group together of all the homies and we just go, skate and vibe off of each other.

AM: When it comes to working out, what do you do that allows you to optimize you in your sport or do you simply skate?

CJ: I usually just skate, but I just started doing yoga and PT because I was battling an injury in Jan. So, I kind of got into a routine. So I have been doing yoga twice a week and PT twice a week for my ankle. My body is healthy, strong and flexible. I think its great to do this to just keep it that way and to prevent injuries.

AM: What’s a typical skateboarding season like for you? I know that pre-COVID it was probably different and now things may still be a bit different, but what’s a season like in terms of competitions and how many months out of the year are you doing this?

CJ: Honestly, the skate competition season is pretty hectic. There's a lot of travel and I'm probably gone 6-8 months out of the year normally. Like you said, it’s been pretty chill the last year and a half because of COVID, but before that, it was pretty hectic and I was always traveling, always doing stuff and trying to get there and to stay on top of it.

AM: Because you travel so much around the world, do you have a favorite series that you like to compete in?

CJ: My favorite series are the ones that are not so oriented around the contests, but it’s about having a good time. A lot of the skate events are set up on the beach and have that Venice type vibe. I’m a big fan of Australia, it’s one of my favorite places and it reminds me of home. I used to enjoy going out there a lot, but there hasn’t been a series out there for a few years! But I’m missing it and I’m itching to go back.

AM: When it’s game time for you, do you have a routine or series of things that you do before you go into a competition – are you doing extra yoga?

CJ: It’s pretty mellow honestly. I just like to get a visual of what I want to do and get my line down and then I like to get it all down in one run. I just want to make it happen, you know? Like I said before, skating is 90% mental. It’s just knowing that you can do it. I just like to stay relaxed because what’s going to happen is going to happen.

AM: It’s a great mindset to have!

CJ: Yeah! I think it works really well for me and it keeps me relaxed.

AM: Before we get into talking about you competing in the Olympics, just the idea that you were part of the inaugural group of people that had your sport on such a global stage – how big was it for you to be in that group and to also have your sport represented like that?

CJ: It was huge! It’s such a surreal feeling to having everybody around you being so supportive and having your back. For me, I didn’t realize how crazy it was going to be and how much backing there is. I mean, obviously, I have watched a few Olympic events, but it’s something you can’t take in until you’re there and you see it for yourself. To go out there to support my city, Southern California, California as a whole and the US is huge and super humbling. To go out there and do well, it was great!

AM: We were excited to watch skateboarding and to see the preliminaries as well as the finals! How did you feel winning the Bronze medal?

CJ: It was so surreal and honestly, it’s been 2 weeks and I’m still taking it in! Because, it’s been such a long build up, like such a long journey and road to just get there. I changed my diet, I started doing yoga, PT, I was battling an injury for 4 or 5 months and I’m just grateful that I was able to make it there and do well. Coming from the US, we have the largest skate scene in the world and the fact that I was able to make it there, I was blown away. I wasn’t so stressed about the results, I was just glad that I was there.

AM: Is there a difference between competing at the Olympics versus your other tournaments in terms of game play?

CJ: I don’t think that the judging is any different. What everyone is doing out there is so authentic and so original and themselves – you can only be judged against yourself.

AM: One of the things that struck us when we were watching especially in seeing the prelims and then the finals, as a community, to watch all of you hyping each other up – it was like a party that you wanted to be invited to. What is it about the skateboarding culture that creates this kind of camaraderie? What are you guys doing that fosters that feeling?

CJ: Yeah, the camaraderie between us is truly one of a kind! I think it’s just that we're all so passionate and we all love skateboarding so much and it’s so authentically ourselves. It’s not like anyone else out there is doing the exact same thing. So you get hyped up when someone does their run and does good. So we feed off that and we take that energy and we put it into our skating. It’s not like someone does a good run and it scares you! When you do it and love it, it’s a good session! You vibe off of that good energy in the air.

AM: Looking at the Summer Games in Paris 2024, do you anticipate adding that to your plans?

CJ: It’s something that I would like to do. It’s a few years away, but everything will come down again soon and when it starts up, I will definitely try to make the cut! I’d love to go back. The experience that I had was so surreal like I said and I’d love to go and do it again.

AM: What’s the next tournament that you’re going to be in?

CJ: Yeah, I’m actually leaving the 31st of this month to go to Copenhagen for the Copenhagen Pro. It’s not a serious competition but it’s where we can get together with tons of skaters who meet up and there’s spots all over the city where you can go from place to place to skate. It’s a lot of fun! I’ll be out there for a week and then I’m flying from there to Italy and I’m meeting up with a lot of the Golden Goose team as we have a little event out there that I’m excited for. It’s great to be able to start some traveling and to have some fun and to relax a little bit.

AM: How would you define your personal style? We heard that you like to collect gold chains – what do you look for when it comes to adding them into your assortment?

CJ: I wouldn’t say that it’s a collection, I would say that I have a style of chain that I wear and I lost a bunch ha! So when I lose them, I go find another one! My dad gave me his when I was a kid and then I lost it so I have always been attached to that style I guess. They don’t really make that style of chain anymore because it’s pretty fragile – when you bend it, it will break.

AM: How did the partnership between you and Golden Goose come together? You wore a custom style at the Olympics while you competed. What is it that you love about the brand and why did you partner with one another?

CJ: I’ve actually been a fan of Golden Goose for years. I love their sneaker brand and I used to ride for a couple of other shoe companies, but it was never the style that fit me the best. I just love the distressed and authentic look to them. There’s nothing like them and they’re good forever. They don’t get dirty in a way. My partnership came together all in good time! I spoke to my manager and asked him to reach out and we were in talks back and forth for about a year and a half and it’s been coming together for awhile.

It came down to timing. Skateboarding has a huge influence on the fashion community and now we’re getting a lot of recognition because of the Olympics and I think that these companies are putting more thought into it and seeing that they need to support this.

AM: It was interesting to hear that you designed the shoes that you got to compete in for the Olympics. There’s something about taking a brand that is known for their aesthetic and adding in elements that you like personally or that optimizes you for your sport. What was it like for you to do that?

CJ: Working with them has been super fun and everyone there is super family oriented. They are focused on making the best shoes that they can. They really care about it just like I do. It was great. I kind of pitched them ideas and they were cool with everything I had to say. I didn’t really design a new shoe, I recreated the Ball Star that they already had, for skateboarding.

We went through different materials and compounds for the rubber and suede on the side. We looked at the stitching so it wouldn’t rip and would be more durable for skateboarding. It was great and everyone there was so great to be with.

AM: Do you envision being able to do more with them whether it’s a collab line or something along those lines?

CJ: I hope so! I want to work on a collection with them! I always want to expand what I am doing to grow and this is the perfect place for me to do that. They obviously want to do that too which is really great. We’ll see what happens.

AM: Tell us about From Venice to Venice. You’ll be debuting this at the Venice Film Festival which sounds awesome and you will be performing. So what is the film and how excited are you to be part of this?

CJ: It’s huge and I’m super excited. From Venice to Venice is like a 3 part series that we’ve done where a lot of Golden Goose’s style is taken from Venice’s, Southern California style, vibes and community. They get a lot of inspiration from there. I’m from San Diego, but Venice has a huge impact on all of us. This is like a 3 video series that has an in the life kind of vibe from Venice, California, then on the road to the Olympics and then the final one in Venice, Italy. So it should be fun. I’m excited for everything that they have going on out there. It will be a video on it, but stay tuned!

AM: When you’re not skateboarding, are there additional sports that we would find you doing?

CJ: Yeah – I enjoy everything with my friends! We go out and play basketball, soccer, we go to the beach, we play some pool – you name it! We’re all just a hands on friend group. Whenever we’re doing something, we’re just having fun with it.

AM: How do you take time for yourself?

CJ: Skateboarding is my job, but it’s also what I love! I never think that I’m waking up going to work, I’m waking up doing what I want. We all need some me time. It’s all free time for me! Me talking with you right now was all that was on my list to do today.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in terms of your impact on the sport?

CJ: That’s a great question and I’ve never thought about that. I’ve just gone out and had fun. I want people to know that when you’re going out, you need to make sure that you’re having fun. You need to take it one step at a time! The community of skateboarding is so small and there is so much love in it. You go to the park and you just start talking to people because everyone wants to mingle and talk to one another and support one another. It allows you to go to the park and to just try something. They’re rooting you on. It’s tough because it can be hard on your body and on your mind when you’re trying over and over again. But you just have to get back up, be patient and try again. But make sure you are enjoying it and everything will come.

AM: We always like to ask our trailblazers, people who are killing it who others look up to – who are 3 people whether you know them or don’t that have inspired you to be where you are today?

CJ: I grew up watching all of the Rocky movies and I know they’re not real – but I’m a fan of Rocky! Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant - I have had a lot of influences from people that push hard and are determined. That’s what motivates me – people who push hard enough to get what they want.

IG @CoryJuneau

PHOTOGRAPHY | Andrew James Peters

Read the AUG ISSUE #68 of Athleisure Mag and see Let it Flow with Cory Juneau in mag.

PACE YOURSELF WITH MEB KEFLEZIGHI

When it comes to long distance running, Meb Keflezighi is a global ambassador for the sport. His energy and enthusiasm he has is undeniable if you've had the chance to see him run, attend an industry running event or even a media day with him. He believes in putting in the work and preparing your mind, body and soul when you're hitting the course. He is well-known for winning an Olympic Silver medal for Team USA Track and Field for Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the NYC Marathon, a number of NCAA Championships and National Championships. We talk with this Olympian who has attended the Summer Games 4 times and has the MEB Foundation where he gives back to those who are interested in the sport. He also talks about how he has used his platform in a positive way to inspire others!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with running and what is it about long distance running that attracts you to it?

MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I was first introduced to running when I came to the US in 7th grade when I was in my PE class with Coach Dick Lord. He told me that if I ran hard, I would get an A or a B in the class, and if I was just messing around, I would get a D or a F. My parents always wanted me to get an A in the class no matter what I was taking – Math, Science, Art History or Physical Education Class. I didn’t want to disappoint them so I decided to run hard. It was the mile run. I ended up doing a 5:20 mile to my surprise and the coach’s surprise. He told me that I was going to go to the Olympics and bear in mind, that I didn’t speak English. He told me that I was going to get an A and then I started running. I asked my dad what the Olympics meant and I fell in love with it because it gave me confidence and it gave me friendship with people as well as camaraderie with others. Obviously, distance running is great for me because I get to see beautiful scenery and I am able to travel to different areas as opposed to just being around the track.

AM: For those readers that may not be aware of what long distance running means means, what are the foot races that you would find in this category?

MK: Well there’s the mile which is a long one, there’s a 3K which is about 2 miles which is what I did in high school. It’s debatable on the 800m which is a half mile in terms of whether it is mid-distance or long distance. Anywhere from the mile to the 3K to the 5K which is about 3.1 miles, the 10K which is 6.2 miles, a 15K is 9.3 miles, there is a half marathon which is 13.1 miles and of course 26.2 miles which is a full marathon and is very far. There are some other people that also do ultra marathons (editor’s note: this is any race that is longer than a marathon and these races tend to be 30 mile trail races to a 200 mile relay) which I have never done. I ran from 800m to a marathon in high school, college and professional.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to run professionally?

MK: It’s funny that you asked because for me, going to school at UCLA on a full athletic scholarship, I was there from ‘94 –‘ 99. It was in ’97 that I had a big breakthrough you can call it. I was doing cross country, indoor 5K, and 5K as well as 10K outdoors and I contemplated whether to go pro or not, but I understood the value of education and that my degree would mean a lot more in the long run and I didn’t want to get injured and get set back. So that was the first time that it crossed my mind. But according to others like my 7th grade PE teacher, my high school coach, my classmates and others – their standards were high. They wrote in my yearbook that they would see me in the Olympics and that I was going to make it. But I had no idea how far running was going to take me until 1997 when I won 4 NCAA titles in that year (editor’s note: Meb became the first individual NCAA men’s cross country champion in school history winning in a course record 28 minutes 54 seconds, he won the NCAA indoor track 5,000 meter title and he won for outdoor in the 5,000 meter as well as the 10,000 meter championships).

AM: You are the only athlete in history to win the NY Marathon, the Boston Marathon, 4 X Olympian who won the Silver medal along with all of your NCAA Championships and National Championships. How do you prep for your races physically, mentally and spiritually?

MK: My parents always told me that the key to success is preparation. Do your homework and if you do it, you will do a fine job and that’s whether it’s for school, running or even a professional job. My family was like, tie your shoes, go for a run and of course you have to be systematic to see what you need to be able to excel when you run. For me physically, it was about 100 – 135 miles a week and I do that 4 times a week. People will ask me, do you run every day and I’m like, well you do the math ha! I run multiple times a day. In the afternoon, I do my long run for one intense workout. I don’t try to double up on that. Sometimes I run 10-12 miles in the morning, on the hard days, I will run anywhere from 12-16 miles and then in the afternoon, I will go for a fast mile and an early leisure easy one just to have time on your feet. The other ones are pretty rigorous.

Mentally, I guess you have to believe in yourself and the progress and strengths that you make. You can see the progress weekly, monthly and yearly. This is important for you to be able to see those.

Spiritually, I feel like I have my God given talent and I understand what my purpose is for me. I want to capitalize on my abilities to the fullest and most maximal potential.

AM: I know in terms of your training, you have been quoted in saying that you have a 9 day training cycle as opposed to a training week. Can you tell me more about this and what do you do during that period of time?

MK: We all know that there are 7 days in a week, the 9 day cycle allows me to have that recovery days in between. As you are in high school in college and early professionals, you can get away with a 7 day cycle. You can recover faster. As I got older, I wasn’t recovering and I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be injured. So what I did was, you have Monday – Sunday and I cycle on through Monday and Tuesday. For example, if I do a long run on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday it will be easy for me, but maybe not for everybody else. I can run in the morning and train again in the afternoon. Again on Wednesday, it would be the same thing, 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. But then Thursday will be intervals because race days are faster. So Friday and Saturday would be the same thing that I did on Tuesday and Wednesday. It would be 10 miles or 12 miles in the morning and then the same in the afternoon. On Sunday, I would do my tempo run which is race days that can go anywhere from 6 miles to 16 – 18 miles on race day. You’ve got to warm up before hand and cool down. So it will be anywhere from 20-25 miles on that day. So instead of going back to a hard day on Monday for that workout, you need Monday and Tuesday to recover. So Wednesday would be that next hard session. By doing this, you get to know your body really well. You can start alternating whether you’re doing long runs, intervals or tempo. I can switch it up if the speed isn’t there and put two intervals together – like putting Sunday and Tuesday intervals together and Monday becomes the long run.

AM: From a nutrition standpoint, what do you eat to support your efforts when you’re looking at the next race?

MK: Nutrition is a very important part of training. You have to have a balance. The days that I do a hard workout, I have to have carb load like rice and pasta or potatoes. The days that I have an intense workout like a long run, tempo or intervals. I go with a lot more protein especially as I have gotten older as you try to eat protein to stay as lean as possible. Obviously, right after the workout, I have a drink with a product called UCAN, a UCAN shake. It’s the water and powder and you can have a banana, stretch out, do the ice baths, get a massage maybe and then 2 hours later, have a real meal where there’s eggs whether it’s an omelet or scrambled – whatever works for you. Then you have that afternoon run and then after if it’s a hard run, you have chicken or maybe fish or steak if I’m getting ready for a hard work out as you also want those carbohydrates.

AM: We had the pleasure of being able to meet you in 2016 right before the Summer Games in Rio. We were at Chelsea Piers for the KT Tape Media Day which we were able to meet you and the other athletes as well that are ambassadors of the brand. Why is your partnership with KT Tape so important and how is it synergistic with what you do?

MK: It’s been a great partnership with KT Tape because they understand the demands of what an athlete – not only professional athlete but every day runners or those in sports and what it does to their body. KT Tape understands that they need to be there for the aches and pains and to try to make it as easy as possible for those that are dedicated to their activity. Obviously, their motto is “to finish strong,” in not only races but also in training. I feel very proud to work with them.

AM: We’ve been a fan of their products and have a number of them that we have on hand when we’re on our photoshoots, hitting the tradeshows, being at NYFW, musical festivals etc. The fact that they have a number of recovery options from gels, the Wave+ items that are focused on blisters etc. definitely assists our team in what we do! What are your go to products that you enjoy using?

MK: I usually when I’m training have the KT Tape generic for the tendons and muscles to stabilize them. But I also have the KT Tape Flex for my knees and the KT Tape IT Band. Obviously, the KT Tape Chafe Safe is important as runners, we chafe and that’s important. I have also used the recovery patch as sometimes we have our calves or your glutes and lower back so that you can bring attention to that muscle and it can help you recover and to get you through the workout!

AM: I’m sure that just like us, you enjoyed seeing athletes being able to do what they do best on such a global stage especially due to the postponement of the Summer Games due to COVID, what did participating in the Olympics mean to you as you have done it a number of times?

MK: Well the Olympics are special and the pinnacle of any sport – it’s a big dream whether you’re a runner or any sport! When you make it there, you’re fortunate to be able to be there and it’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to wear that USA jersey on your chest and to represent that red, white and blue. That Jersey – it only becomes real when you put that on. You have dreams and ambitions, but when you’re on that flight to the Olympics or you’re at the Opening Ceremonies and participating with that Jersey on, it’s magnificent! You’re the chosen one and for Track and Field, there are only 3 people in the whole US and you have to earn your spot in order to make it.

Especially for me, I mean, my first experience was the Summer Games in Sydney to go to the Olympics prior to 9/11. It wasn’t my best performance obviously, because I had to stay in the village and I got the flu that was going around. But I was so delighted to be able to represent the US, go to the Opening Ceremony which was on Thursday and I did the 10K and it was done by Mon. But I had a whole 2 weeks to enjoy other sports as long as you have your USA badge and credential. I was able to go on the ferry, the train and the buses and you just flashed your card and could do what you wanted to do and it was great.

I was very fortunate to win an Olympic medal in Athens at the Summer Games in 2004. I was so proud to be able to bring home a medal – I was able to deliver that.

Obviously, for the Summer Games in 2012 in London, it was a challenging situation, I came in 4th but to be in the moment and to keep pushing hard - that's also important to not give up and not to drop out! You have to keep going no matter what! Thinking back, I was 21st half way and I ended up finishing 4th. And also to be able to go to Rio for the Summer Games in 2016 and to be able to understand what I did for my daughters by them seeing me make the team.

AM: Wow that’s definitely quite a history that you have had at the games! Do you have a favorite race or course that you like to run?

MK: Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to do 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and full marathons. In terms of my favorite marathon race, it’s the NYC Marathon and obviously I have raced 9 or 11 times there and the crowd really got into it! My most meaningful history is the Boston Marathon that I won in 2014 (editors note: Meb was the first American to win this race since 1983 and this race was a year after the Boston Marathon bombing) and of course equally challenging! Sometimes some of them are hillier at the end. Some of them it’s like on the Verrazano bridge at the beginning you just know you have to take it easy and then to strategize when to make those moves when it counts.

AM: When you’re running, how do you stay motivated and present just like what you were talking about to get to the finish line? We can imagine that there are a lot of mental things going on beyond just running through the course.

MK: It’s a mind game. I always talk about preparation and in training, it’s 90% physical and 10% mental. But once the gun goes off, it switches to 90% mental and 10% physical. You’re physically healthy and ready to go, you have to make good decisions according to your training and what you can and can’t do. Don’t make sudden moves, but you also have to know where you are at certain points of the course to keep driving strong and to never give up. Are you willing to hurt a little bit because you know it’s going to hurt at one point or another – but you’re going to hold on to that person that’s in front of you until you get to that next mile. You know that they’re not going to be able to keep it up the whole way and they’re just trying to break you – so you can’t get broken down.

AM: When you’re prepping for a race on race day, do you have certain things that you have to do before you go to the starting line?

MK: Weeks before the race are very important. You have to do the extra stretching, you have to prep your diet because this is all very important. You can’t eat the way that you used to eat. You have to hydrate and it’s very important. It’s interesting because you might feel a little shaky and eager to go because you’ve been doing 130 miles a week and now you’re going to 40-50 miles and so the energy is there. You just want to be able to go and you have to control the emotions. You just have to know that you have the confidence and that you will do well.

AM: Thinking back in a previous life, we ran the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge for years and it’s a 3K race that takes place in Central Park. In weeks leading up to this event, our team would do small runs and try to prep to take this event on. We were not runners at all, but we always felt so good after completing the race. What is your advice to new runners that are looking to join a race or to simply get into running for fun?

MK: I mean first time runners have to put the dedication and effort into running. If they can do that on a daily basis or whenever you run, you’re going to be ok! You’ve got to pay attention to small things – a small and steady pace will get it done. Don’t panic and try to do the best that you can. Just go at your pace. You don’t know how many years the other competitor running next to you has so just be within yourself and don't try to do what they're doing what they’re doing. Make sure you have the camaraderie and to understand why you came especially if it’s a 5K or anything longer. Pace yourself.

AM: You’re appearing at the Philadelphia Marathon later this year. Why are you coming back to this race and what are you excited about to see all of these great runners there?

MK: It’s great to go back to the Philadelphia Marathon! I think the city is great and obviously, one of my favorite movies is Rocky with the Philly steps and Rocky which I think is pretty cool ha! They’re not a big time marathon, but they are doing a great job with what that week they will have an 8K, a half marathon and then a full marathon.

AM: In many ways, you’re seen as an ambassador or a role model for long distance running and you’re so encouraging to other athletes whether it’s those who race or elsewhere whether they’re professional or enthusiasts. Why is it so important for you to be so positive in supporting athletes?

MK: For me, I came here as an immigrant and I struggled with the language. My dad would sit with myself and my siblings at 4:30am in the morning and we would learn English through the dictionary, one word at a time. I understand that runners work hard and for me to be an ambassador, I know how hard it is. For people to wake up at 5am in the morning to do their run because they have full time jobs and other commitments, I do understand what others are going through as I did when I was a younger kid. To be part of this sport and if we encourage each other, we will support all of us!

AM: You’re also known as a motivational speaker and a NY Best Selling Author, when did you realize that you wanted to add this into your platform as well?

MK: My life has been an interesting one and God gave me the opportunity to discover running in the 7th grade as I said before. But when I was taking English as a second language in 7th, 8th and 9th grade, I saw that I could help others by writing a book and that’s when the seed was planted. Gail and Steven Van Camp, they were my mentors and they helped me when I was in high school and that’s when Run to Win became a philosophy of mine it’s not about winning 1st place but it’s about not giving up on yourself. I felt honored to be able to share my story and to inspire others so that they could be encouraged. Not only for those who are running, but something that’s broader across their lifestyle.

AM: Can you tell us about the MEB Foundation?

MK: The MEB Foundation helps in education and fitness and the sport has given me so much that I want to give back. It’s an honor to give back whether it’s me being able to give shoes to schools or through scholarships for their efforts. I think sports is great for your self-confidence, time management, dedication and commitment to be strong in everything that you do. I love being able to give back in that way!

AM: The MEB Foundation is going to be running at this year’s Boston Marathon and NY Marathon. How can someone participate in these races and are they able to still be involved in this year’s marathon or will they have to wait for next year?

MK: For the MEB Foundation, you can go to my website MarathonMeb.com to find out more details. This year, the Boston Marathon is full and for the NY Marathon, we’re still looking for runners. It’s one way to do fundraising and it’s always great to have people who represent the MEB Foundation and are able to fundraise. That has been the only way to fundraise and we have done amazing work. So head to our site and you can get in touch with me or others who work with me and you can get in touch with us for next year’s Boston Marathon, this year’s NY Marathon and future races.

AM: Are there other projects that you’re working on that you would like to share with us?

MK: I’m spending a lot of time with my daughters as much as I can as they’re into soccer. I continue to do speaking engagements on interests of mine. In 2000 when I came back from Sydney, I coached at a community college which was great to give back and I also knew I wanted to focus on my athletic ability, but I was also proud to be part of that. Down the road, I will probably give back as much as I can. Not only to the elite but regular runners as well.

AM: When you’re not training and inspiring others, what are you doing to take time for yourself?

MK: For me, being dedicated to my athletics as much as I can, but also spending time with my family and friends. Sometimes, I just go biking, riding, kayaking in the water. But I also like to read biographies in the park, so I go there. It’s a great way to get out of the house and have some solitude.

AM: You have had such an impact on so many people inside and outside of the sport. What do you want your legacy to be?

MK: Thank you for asking me that question! I just hope that people have a positive experience when they interact with me. I love that people want to meet me and have waited in lines and even though the conversations may only be 20 secs or a minute, they have waited for half an hour or an hour and I want them to feel positive when they meet or see me. I’m fortunate to be able to connect with them!

AM: We love talking with trailblazers that have inspired others and we want to know who are 3 people that have inspired you to be where you are today?

MK: First and foremost, my parents. They gave up everything that they had and their opportunities not only for me, but for all their kids. They came here, we had to learn the language and we have been positive contributors to society. I feel very blessed that they did that and that they put their life on hold to give us opportunities to step up to the plate and be better ourselves.

In the sport world, I am always inspired by Jackie Robinson breaking barriers in baseball. The Van Camps introduced me to his story and I feel blessed that I read his book and when I was in high school, obviously Jessie Owens (editor’s note: In 2014 at the end of the season USA Track & Field selected Meb’s Boston Marathon victory as the Inspirational Performance of the Year. Later at the same ceremony, he was selected as the winner of the 2014 Jesse Owens Award, the highest accolade given out by the US National governing body for track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking) was the same thing. What he did was amazing!

But also Jim Ryun (editor’s note: Olympic track and field athlete who at his peak was noted as the world’s top middle-distance runner. He won a Silver Medal in the 1500m at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under 4 minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the middle run) the high school phenom and making the Olympics when he was in high school as I have read up on him and watched the documentary. It was awesome.

On an international level Haile Gebrselassie (editor’s note: Haile is a retired long-distance track and road running athlete. He won 2 Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon. In addition, he won four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion. He is known for 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 8 World Championship victories and he set 27 world records and remains the world record holder of the 10-mile run) from Ethiopia has inspired me a lot to do great things in terms of being a competitor. Size doesn’t matter, just keep working hard. Even in challenging situations in UCLA, I always thought if Haile could do it, you just need to put in the work wherever you are. It’s not where you go but what you do there in the time that you have!

IG @RunMeb

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | KT TAPE

Read the AUG ISSUE #68 of Athleisure Mag and see Pace Yourself with Meb Keflezighi in mag

9PLAYLIST | STEELE JOHNSON

Read the JUN ISSUE #66 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Steele Johnson in mag.

A WILD RIDE WITH HEIMANA REYNOLDS

Next month the Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo. While we look forward to seeing a number of our favorites in Track & Field, Swimming and Volleyball, there are a number of sports that will make their debut and skateboarding is one of them! We're excited to catch up with an athlete who has been at the top of his sport for the past couple of years and is an advocate for skateboarding and its community. Heimana Reynolds has showcased his style and creativity at a number of World Championships, X Games and will now take the world's biggest stage in just a few weeks representing Team USA Skateboarding.

We caught up with this Hawaiian native who calls San Diego, CA his home to find out how he got into skateboarding, going pro, the Olympic Trials and the power of recognition.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When we grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, we remember that after school, even though we didn’t skateboard, but we had friends that did. You could see how fun it was. Living here in NY, you see it all the time from a transportation perspective or just people being out having a good time! How were you introduced to the sport?

HEIMANA REYNOLDS: Well, I’m born and raised in Hawaii right? I mean, my state is known as the surfing capital of the world! Originally, my dad he was born and raised as the board sports rider from surfing, skating and snowboard riding when he could. At first, at a young age, he introduced me to surfing. From there, I was very young like 4 or 5 years old and at that age, there are so many variables that have to do with surfing – it’s cold, it’s windy, it’s this and that. So I didn’t fall in love with it at that age. When I was 6 or 7, my dad was like, “ok what’s the next best thing? Skateboarding. Let’s try this." He introduced me to skateboarding and I just fell in love with it. He would take me all day, every day, after school, before school and weekends! It was just history from there you know?

AM: When did you realize you wanted to be an athlete and be a professional skateboarder?

HR: I remember the day that I realized that this was something that I want to be able to do. My very first contest my dad took me to was in California, it’s this contest for all 12 and under skateboarders. He took me out there and I got to meet so many people, I got to compete for the first time and I actually did well for myself even though it was the beginners division! And I actually won a few divisions! I thought, “woah this is cool, this is awesome and I want to be able to do this for the rest of my life!” And hopefully I can! So far so good you know?

AM: You have won so many things from World Championships to being at the X Games and all of these different events. What has that journey been like for you?

HR: Oh my gosh, it’s been amazing! All I can say is that I’m so blessed to be able to travel the world and to meet all of these amazing people and get to do all of this because of skateboarding. Who would have ever thought that I could be traveling the world, I could be competing, I could be winning, I could be making money off of this wooden toy with wheels? You know what I mean? This journey has really been amazing and it’s not done yet! I mean, I’m super excited for Tokyo and it’s going to be the most amazing thing ever.

AM: That is going to be insane! I know you were talking about growing up in Hawaii and you live in California now in San Diego, what’s the skating scene or community like in terms of similarities and differences between where you grew up and where you are now?

HR: Honestly, there are so many similarities and differences. Growing up in Hawaii, I mean the similarities – well the reason why I moved to San Diego is that pretty much it’s the closest thing that’s like being in Hawaii without being in Hawaii. I’m able to still surf and skate every single day. I moved out here mainly because of the skate park and the skate scene out here you know? The cool thing about being out here is that you can stand in a certain area like my house let’s say and point in any direction and I can tell you where the skate park is. I think that is the coolest thing ever because there’s so many skate parks and not only is it about the quantity of skate parks but the quality of skate parks that are out here! Compared to Hawaii, it’s off the charts! Being out here and being able to skate, be at all of these different parks, being able to be out at the entire skateboarding scene out here is honestly the best thing for my skate career.

AM: That’s awesome! What’s an average day like for you when you’re training or doing your tricks? How many hours are you actually on your skateboard?

HR: Haha! Well a normal training day for me would of course be waking up at about 7:15/7:30am, getting out of bed, getting my day started and going straight to the NAKOA Gym where I meet with my personal trainer, Brandon Glade. We run through a bunch of – not so much body-building exercises but building muscle around my joints to prevent injuries. So we do all of those exercises for about an hour. I go home and I get a nice breakfast in me and I go straight to the California Training Facility which is the Olympic Skatepark for us. I go there and my first session will be about usually 3-4 hours just running tricks that I want to work on, trying to learn tricks and hone in on tricks that need work on and I grab some lunch after. Then I go back to the skate park and then I run lines to get my stamina up, to do the tricks that I learned earlier that day or those that I need to work on. Just kind of running my legs together so that’s another 3-4 more hours!

AM: That is definitely a lot! What are the specific workouts that you do to optimize you in your sport as I know you’re focused on building the muscle around joints? Do you have go-to’s that you do?

HR: We’re always changing up a lot of stuff. We do stamina work, we do cardio, we do a lot of agility stuff, landing hard and trying not to land hard on your bones! Also doing lightweight stuff. I don’t know the exact names for everything, but my trainer, he’s awesome! He’s the best in the business in my eyes.

AM: Prior to COVID-19, what was your year like in terms of your competitions just to give people an idea of what your schedule was like and how much you traveled?

HR: Oh my gosh! It was never a dull moment to say the least haha! There was honestly a time before COVID where there was a contest between where it was pretty much every weekend or every other weekend. We were able to travel to China, Brazil and all of these crazy countries and multiple times in that same year! I’d just bring my skateboard along and just kind of go with it. It was so amazing to be able to feel out all of those different cultures and just competing on those weekends. Oh my gosh it was amazing and so much fun. It was definitely strenuous but it was definitely a super amazing ride.

AM: Did you find, because we have been interviewing a number of athletes, that during this time before things started opening up again that in order to keep training and working out, that you had to do weird modifying situations to still stay healthy and on track for what you wanted to be able to do? We talked with Ryan Murphy a few months back and he was pushing his SUV up a hill because he couldn’t get to a gym haha!

HR: Haha yeah! During COVID, it was a crazy time especially being a park skater where you have all these ramps and big concrete – all the skate parks were closed you know? So it was really hard for me to be able to motivate myself. It was really funny, I had to do a lot of my sessions where I was in my living room and literally skating my coffee table and doing tricks off my coffee table and stuff like that! It got down to the point where I had a bunch of cases of Vitamin Water and I literally set them up and I was grinding on them and going over them – it was actually pretty funny!

It was actually a really cool experience to be able to not have to worry about the stress of events and training but to actually fall in love with my skateboard again, you know? It reminded me of when I was 8 years old and I would skate in my driveway for hours on end and just like having fun with literally nothing. I thought it was a really cool experience.

AM: Do you have go-to movements or signature movements that you do when you’re skateboarding?

HR: I do. I have a couple. My main trick that I’m kind of “known” for is called a Frontside Invert and it’s where you go front side up to the coping and you kind of plant your hand on the coping and you kind of do a one handed handstand while holding your board and then bring it back in. That’s one of my favorite tricks and I try to do that in every contest. It’s a super fun one!

AM: It looks awesome and you were in our 9PLAYLIST feature last month and we have that shot as the background of your playlist. That shot looks amazing and it’s impressive, but it must be so hard to be able to do that! Not for you obviously!

HR: It’s a lot of falling down and a lot of getting back up to learn it and to perfect it, you know?

AM: Exactly! What was the Olympic Trial process like and how many events did you have to do to qualify?

HR: The Olympic process was a cool experience, but also there are a lot of similarities and differences compared to contests that we’re used to! There’s a whole new thing with the point system and trying to get as many points as you can because it’s the Olympics and everybody wants to get to it. There are only 3 spots for Team USA, you know? So, we had 3 main events in 2019 and then we had 2 more in 2020 until the postponement and then we had another 2 this year. In 2019, at the first event, I was able to make finals but got 6th place, the next 2 were a Pro Tour event and then the World Championships and I was lucky enough to make the runs that I needed and win those 2 events which really boosted my score a lot leading into 2020 and 2021. Unfortunately, the most recent 2 events, I battled a knee injury and had to pull out of those events, but luckily for me, I had enough points to stay in the top spot and make it to the Games.

AM: Which is amazing! Once again thinking back to growing up seeing our friends skateboard back in the 80’s and 90’s, we couldn’t have imagined that it would be a sport at the Summer Games! How important do you think that this is for the visibility of the sport and then you being a part of the debut of that?

HR: Honestly, just hearing you ask me that question just gave me the chills you know what I mean? The shivers went through my spine because it’s such an amazing thing. First, it’s amazing for the sport to be at the Olympics and I have always thought that it deserved the recognition and that it should be considered a real sport to be at the Olympics. For me to be able to actually compete in the debut of the sport means the world to me. Skateboarding is my entire world. It’s all I’ve ever known and it’s all I ever do. It’s what I’m so passionate about and to be able to make history with skateboarding means so much to me and I’m so honored and blessed to be able to say that I will be in the debut of skateboarding for the Olympics.

AM: It’s so amazing and what are you looking forward to at the Games and what does your schedule look like leading up to heading to Tokyo?

HR: Oh my God – I mean I honestly don’t even know what to expect. I know that there are a lot of guidelines and stuff like that, but I’m really going to be there for the ride and the experience and kind of just making the memories of a lifetime out there!

Leading up to the Games, I am definitely training as much as I can without being injured. I’m just trying to keep my mind and my body healthy. I’m trying to keep my legs warm and I know that there are tricks that I want to be able to do before the Games so I’m honing in on those and not trying to get too crazy learning anything more before the Games. I have my tricks that I want to do and my lines that I want to run and pretty much, just trying to stay healthy and reviewing the park layout and getting ready!

AM: For Olympic Skateboarding, the events are broken out between street style and park style. Can you share the difference between these events?

HR: Of course. When you talk about street skating, automatically you think about the street. You’re skating on the street, but it has a lot to do with what you see around town. Street skaters will be skating stairs, handrails and jumping off of things like that. In park skating, you’re going to see more of ramp style where you see quarter pipes, half pipes, coping and long grinds and it will be really fast and high airs.

AM: In looking at competing in park, can you break down from an Olympic standpoint – how do you accrue points, what are judges looking for? So when we’re cheering you on, we can understand how you’re being scored?

HR: When you’re skating in park, one of the coolest things about park and skateboarding in general is the creativity aspect behind it. So, a lot of the judges are looking for the speed that you’re going at and how fast you’re going, how many tricks they can pull together in their 45 second run, how high their airs are and stuff like that. But it also goes into the creativity aspect. If you’re watching a skate contest, you will never see someone do the same run as another skater. That is the coolest thing because it brings the individuality out of the sport. A lot of the judges are looking for high airs, long grinds, going fast, how many difficult tricks you can pull without falling and the creative aspect of how unique your line was with all the tricks and which ones went back-to-back.

AM: For the Olympics, you have a designated uniform that you have to wear, but do you also have a specific board or shoes that you wear or are you able to choose your own for that?

HR: So yeah, we have the Olympic designed uniforms that we wear, but shoes, boards and helmet go under equipment. So, we can bring our own stuff in for those. I’ll have my The Heart Supply skateboard, I’ll be wearing my Axion Slip On shoes. They’re my favorite shoes and super comfortable – I love them. Also, my helmet will be a black S1 Helmets.

AM: I know that you’re partnered with KT Tape and our readers and followers know the brand and have seen them on athletes such as those in swimming and volleyball and how they use it. How is it beneficial for you when using it in skateboarding and why did you feel that it was a synergistic partnership for you to be aligned with their brand?

HR: In skateboarding and specifically with me, I don’t like to have any restrictions especially with braces and things like that. So, if I hurt my ankle, my knee or my wrist, I don’t want to have this brace that restricts my movement too much and gets in my way with this big bulky brace on my knee. So when I partnered up with KT Tape, they taught me how to tape up my knee, ankle or anything else, it really helped to hold my knee or ankle in place without having to deal with the restrictions of a bulky brace. It was really cool to experience that and to learn how to use the tape. They have a bunch of different stuff. I use the KT Recovery+ Wave that’s this electromagnetic pain relief thing. So if my shoulder is super sore after a long skate session, I’ll tape that thing onto my shoulder and I won’t feel it at all but the next morning I’ll wake up and say, “wow, that really helped a lot!” They also have KT Recovery+ Pain Relief Gel Roll-On and stuff like that. They have a lot of different products that help progress my skateboarding a lot.

AM: It’s always fun to do prep for these interviews and I know you’re in the campaign imagery with Ralph Lauren as well which you have such the look for that. But we also came across the Proper Rideshop. Can you tell us more about this?

HR: Like when I told you earlier about my dad and how he got me into skateboarding, once he realized that this was what I wanted to do – he took into account that if this was something that I wanted to be able to do and that skateboarding would be my life that they would turn their lives into it too! Him and my mom both quit their jobs, got an indoor warehouse, opened a skate shop in the front and a full skatepark in the back. They run camps and clinics to teach skateboarding to the youth. It’s a super cool environment. We have a membership program where we have over 400 members with young kids. We give back to the community and work with some homeschool programs teaching them where this is a form of their PE classes. We work with this program called A.skate Foundation which works with special needs kids in the autistic community. Proper Ride Shop has turned into a full family affair and it’s amazing.

AM: That’s amazing what they do for the community and the fact that you were able to train there while you were growing up!

HR: Yeah that’s true! They opened it up 10 years ago. I’ve been able give back to the community there and then after hours, be there to get training in.

AM: That’s fantastic and because you’re passion for the sport is so evident, in what ways do you give back to the sport and the community?

HR: I teach kids about the sport and I try to go around to help the kids of the next generation. Proper Rideshop is a really cool thing to give back to the community. Once, I was part of the next generation and people gave back to me and now that I’m in that next generation, I want to see the younger generation just strive and help them become what I did. I love giving back to the community.

AM: When you’re not skateboarding, what would we find you doing when you’re just taking time for yourself?

HR: When I’m not skating, I like to be in the ocean. Whether it’s surfing, fishing – especially back at home. I’m always going to be in the ocean because that’s my little zen mode. I grew up surfing and skateboarding my entire life so if I’m not at the skate park, I’m definitely surfing.

AM: We love talking to people that are changemakers that inspire other people. Who are 3 people that have helped you in your career where you are whether you know them personally or follow them socially?

HR: Oh man. The first one that comes to mind is definitely Shaun White! He has been a huge inspiration to me since I was a young kid just watching him at the X Games skateboarding and snowboarding. I knew of the time and dedication that he took whether he was on or off his board. It really just made me see what was out there and made me want to push and be the best that I could be. It’s actually really cool. During the beginning of the Olympic Trials for skateboarding, he was like, “I want to start skating again and do this." From there, I used to see him at the skate park a bunch and I was like, “woah that’s Shaun White, I looked up to him as a little kid.” We actually built a relationship together and I’m able to call him up and go skate anytime I want! It's a really cool thing to be able to do that and to have him as a good friend of mine. He’s an amazing human.

Another person that really inspires me and I know that it might sound cliché, but my dad really inspires me a lot. He was the person who taught me what hard work is and the person that pretty much paved the way for me and taught me every life lesson that I know. He’s the one that pushed me when I wanted to quit and he helped me get back up and he is definitely one of the biggest inspirations in my life.

As a skateboarding standpoint, Tony Hawk – of course he’s been a huge inspiration to me. Not only is he probably the biggest name in skateboarding, he also opened up the doors to show that you don’t have to just be a skateboarder. He designed his own game, he gives back to the community, he travels the world and he gives skateboards to little kids. He is one of the most amazing human beings and he has inspired me my entire life.

IG @Heimana_Reynolds

PHOTOS COURTESY | KT Tape + Ralph Lauren

Read the JUN ISSUE #67 of Athleisure Mag and see A Wild Ride with Heimana Reynolds in mag.

9LIST ROUTIN3S | LAURIE HERNANDEZ

Read the May Issue #65 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST ROUTIN3S | Laurie Hernandez in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | DAVID BOUDIA

Read the May Issue #65 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | DAVID BOUDIA in mag.

IN BALANCE WITH LAURIE HERNANDEZ

We fell in love with Laurie Hernandez's personality and energy when she competed in her inaugural debut at the Summer Games 2016 in Rio! She showcased her skill and commitment to the sport of gymnastics with the Final Five and left with a team gold medal and a silver as an individual.

We wanted to know what she has been up to since we last saw her on the global stage, how she maintained her training during the pandemic as well as a number of projects she has taken on - including, winning ABC's Dancing with the Stars in season 23 with her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy. We're also looking forward to seeing her in Golden, a docuseries on Peacock that takes us behind the scenes on what it takes to make the Team USA Women's Olympic Gymnastic team as she prepares for the Summer Games in Tokyo.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with gymnastics and what was the moment that you realized that you wanted to go professional?

LAURIE HERNANDEZ: I fell in love with the sport when I was watching it on TV as a little girl. The gymnasts were such an amazing mix of power and grace that I looked at my mom and told her “I want to do that!” and not long afterwards my parents started me in gymnastics.

AM: What is a normal day or week like for you when you’re in training mode and do you have go to movements that you enjoy incorporating into your fitness routine?

LH: I practice Monday-Friday around 5 hours a day and Saturdays for about 3 hours. I also have physical therapy twice a week to help with any aches and pains. Before training I use Hyperice tools like a Hypervolt gun to help with warming up my muscles and at home Normatec leg compression for recovery.

AM: Did you always feel that the Olympics would be part of your journey as an athlete and what does it mean to you to represent the nation on such a global stage?

LH: It was always a dream to go to the Olympics but of course when I first started I had no idea where it was going to lead.

AM: In terms of the sport of gymnastics, we’re familiar with the activities that take place; however, do each of you have your specialties that you take on and if so, what are yours and why do you gravitate to them?

LH: Absolutely! Every gymnast has their own strengths that they bring to the sport and that’s what makes it so fun to watch. I love to perform and get the crowd involved so floor exercise is one of my favorites!

AM: At the Summer Games in Rio in 2016, you received a gold medal as the Final Five team and silver individually for beam. What was it like to be there for your first Olympics and competing with your team?

LH: It was such an honor to represent the USA and I will never forget the feeling of standing on the podium, listening to the National Anthem with USA on our uniform. What hit me even more once I got home was the impact it had on the young Latinx generation. I had parents come up to me and tell them that their child had started gymnastics because they saw me at the Olympics and I looked like them which gave them the confidence to start the sport. That has really stuck with me and something I will forever cherish.

AM: Last year at this time, the Olympics was in limbo although it seemed like it would be postponed. We have talked with a number of athletes about how they had to modify their workouts as they didn’t have access to their normal facilities. Did you find yourself doing workouts that were modified (ie Ryan Murphy was pushing a car up his hill, April Ross created a gym in her home, Steele Johnson was walking on his hands in his backyard) in order to get in a good workout and to stay on track?

LH: Of course. I was doing stretches and yoga in my home to keep up my flexibility, going through routines mentally, running in my neighborhood, etc.

AM: You just competed at the Winter Cup earlier this year which you choreographed and was Hamilton inspired – what was that like and what are your personal goals as you anticipate a second appearance at the Summer Games?

LH: I loved being back out on the competition floor and had so much fun with my new floor routine! I did go back and do a few small choreography edits so stay tuned for my next competition. One of my biggest goals this whole journey is to comeback for myself and to have fun with the sport.

AM: Tell us about Golden. I know that LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted are creating this docuseries that includes you and additional gymnast Olympic hopefuls to obtain the remaining 4 spots. What can we expect from this show, do you know when it’s available on Peacock and why did you want to participate?

LH: It will focus on the day-to-day repetition it takes to become an elite athlete in our sport and a behind the scenes look at the ins and outs of our daily lives. I love all the girls that are participating alongside me and some are my close friends, so it made it a fun project!

AM: The Road to Tokyo has a number of events to qualify for being on the team. What’s your schedule look like right now and what competitions should we keep an eye out for?

LH: My next upcoming competition is the U.S. Classics on May 22nd.

AM: Part of the fun of the Olympic Games in addition to the actual competition, is being able to navigate the city outside of the Olympic Village. As we’re all emerging from lockdowns, have you been given a sense of what being at the Summer Games will be like outside of when you’re training and competing?

LH: We have not been given any specifics, but I know that without family and friends in the stands it will feel a bit different than previous Games.

AM: After a successful debut at the Olympics, you took some time off and won ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, published 2 books and were the inaugural host of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior Junior – why was it important for you to take the time off to take on these projects?

LH: It was super important for me to take time off and find out who I was and what I liked outside of gymnastics. Something my mom always told me was you are Laurie who just so happens to do gymnastics, there is much more to you than just one thing. Finding my love for dancing, acting, and hosting was very rewarding and also helped me realize I still loved the sport too.

AM: How important is it for you to balance your competitive nature while also embracing positive mental health and fueling your creative side?

LH: Extremely important. Mental Health awareness is something I am very passionate about sharing and embrace fully. This was actually another reason partnering with Little Words Project was a great fit. Spreading kindness and self-love is huge and I hope others benefit from wearing some of my favorite words and affirmations.

AM: We know that you love poetry and are a fan of words. Tell me about Little Words Project. Why did you want to collaborate with them with your collection of bracelets and how excited are you that it is available at Nordstrom?

LH: Words have always had a big impact on me and Little Words Project was the perfect partner to share my affirmations with others. I loved creating the sayings/words on each bracelet and am so excited to see others showing kindness to themselves and others by wearing them.

IG @LaurieHernandez

PHOTOS COURTESY | Laurie Hernandez

Read the May Issue #65 of Athleisure Mag and see In Balance with Laurie Hernandez in mag.

IN SYNC WITH STEELE JOHNSON

This month’s issue marks another interesting milestone within the past 15-16 months. Last year, our May Cover Issue #53 was 2 X Team USA Beach Volleyball 2X Medalist April Ross and at that time, we were unsure of whether the Olympics were going forward or if they would be postponed. A year later, we have navigated a pandemic, vaccines are being administered and we have a number of sports and events that have come back. The Summer Games in Tokyo is moving ahead and although it’s been a strange year, it’s amazing to think about what this year has been as we all have our individual stories.

As an athlete, there have been a number of challenges to continue to train in advance of the Olympics whether that has meant modifying their workouts, and/or waiting for training centers to reopen; however, with Olympic Trials ahead for Team USA Swimming next month, we caught up with Team USA Diving Silver Medalist, Steele Johnson. He competed in his first Olympics in Rio in 2016 where he competed in the 10-meter Synchronized with his partner, David Boudia (you can see the 4 X Team USA Diving 4X Medalist's in this month's issue for our 9LIST STORI3S) where they went to the podium with a Silver medal and he competed in the 10-meter Individual. We talk about his Olympic experience, training and qualifying for the upcoming games, what this past year has been in prep for it, Olympic Trials and the importance of creative outlets.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was a pleasure to see you a few weeks back during the KT Tape Virtual Press Day with you and a number of Olympians that are ambassadors for the brand. When did you realize that not only did you like swimming, but the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a diver.

STEELE JOHNSON: I spent a lot of my time in the summers as a kid in the neighborhood pool. This was at the age of 4, 5, 6 and every time, instead of swimming in the shallow end with my friends, I would always go into the deep end and just jump off the diving board. My mom and dad said it was just all day long and they couldn’t get me off of that diving board. Year after year, I just started teaching myself different flips like front flips and back flips. It got to a point where I was 7 years old and my mom was getting super nervous with the things that I was doing at the neighborhood pool. So she signed me up for some diving lessons just so that I could learn how to be safe with the sport and maybe to give me a sport to do in high school. Overall, it was to learn how to do it safe and if I liked it, I’d be able to keep doing it. The rest was kind of history! I enjoyed it, I stuck with it and I got really good at it from a young age. I just got seen by the right people in Indianapolis and started training in Indianapolis full time by the age of 10.

AM: Diving is a fun sport to watch at the Olympics and obviously, it looks like a very technical sport and you compete solo as well as in a team. Can you breakdown the event in terms of how you go about obtaining points and the fact that you’re doing it with someone else at the same time?

SJ: So, the way it’s scored, especially in Synchro than in Individual – in Individual you have 7 judges, they watch the dive, you get a score. The top 2 scores are dropped and the bottom 2 scores are dropped so that you of course get the middle average. It’s the same for Synchro except, each diver has 3 judges, the high and low are dropped and the middle score stays for each individual diver and then there are 5 Synchronized judges and they keep the middle 3 of those as well. So, it’s a little different score wise, but it’s ultimately the same thing of when you’re doing Synchro.

I mean across the board you pretty much see that everyone chooses one person who just counts – like 1, 2,3, go. Everyone has their own variation of it. For David and I, we just count 1, 2, 3, go and when we say go, we do our dive as normal and it’s in training that you learn the timing of each other, the way we walk down the board, the way we jump and stand and eventually, that stuff becomes second nature the more that you do it. So, it just takes a lot of repetition at home and since we’ve been doing Synchro for a long time, David and I have had the same coaches over the years, all our mechanics are similar all our foundations are similar so syncing up with David is especially easy just because we dive so similarly.

AM: That’s amazing and when you’re outside of the Olympics and doing Championships and other meets, is he always your Synchro partner or is it someone else and is that difficult if it is someone else?

SJ: Over the past few years, especially with 10-meter Synchro, I have competed with multiple different partners – all of who have been my teammates that I train with full time at home. So, it’s been easy for me because the people that I have done Synchro with, I have been able to train with them every day of the week! Whereas, some Synchro teams don’t live in the same city or the same state even and they can train together maybe once or twice a month for a few days. But now, when I compete with David, I only compete Synchro with David so all of our timing – we’re training together every single day.

AM: What are your favorite dives to do?

SJ: On 3-meter, I really enjoy the 3½ Tuck mostly because you start standing backwards on the end of the board so there’s no walk to the end of the board. It’s in that walk to the end of the board that we call the hurdle, that more things can go wrong. I like standing on the end and doing that 3½ and that’s my favorite dive on 10-meter as well. Being able to do it on 3m as well was just a bonus.

AM: We know that you and David are partners, but what are the things that you look for in a partner and what is your training like when you’re together?

SJ: I mean when looking for a partner, it’s typically that you look for and find 2 of the top divers that are in the US and you pair them up!

AM: Oh wow!

SJ: Luckily for David and I, we live in the same town and we have the same coach. Training for us was pretty simple. It was, “hey do you want to do Synchro? Let’s try it out.” We tried it out and if we’re good at it, we can start perfecting it and training more. It all starts with trying it out, trying a couple of jumps and dives – simple stuff to see if we even have a natural ability to time up. If we do, that’s great! Because a lot of times, you don’t have a natural ability to time up and you can work at that and make it better. Typically, you take a couple of the best divers in that event, pair them up and see if they work out.

AM: In 2016, you won the Silver Medal in the 10-meter Synchro at the Summer Games in Rio as well as participating in the 10-meter Individual. What was that like for you with that being your first Olympics, going to the Opening and Closing Ceremony games?

SJ: It was honestly one of the most coolest experiences! My goal when I realized that the Olympics could really be a reality for me, was to make the Olympics. So going to the Olympics, I was just ecstatic to be there. I was excited to go to the Opening Ceremonies, be able to compete and to represent Team USA. To be able to walk away with a medal in my first Olympics ever was just icing on the cake. It was something that I had always hoped for, but I wasn’t holding too tightly to because I didn’t want to walk away from my Olympic experience having my head down if I didn’t achieve what I had wanted to achieve. But rather, I wanted to walk away being excited that I had gotten an Olympic experience. So walking away with the medal, I was just beyond excited and so happy that I could share it with David because he and I have trained together for so long! When I was 10 years old, he actually drove me to and from practice because both of my parents worked. It was cool to actually have that relationship going into a Synchro pairing and going to a podium finish.

AM: We always like asking athletes about the workouts that you do to optimize yourself for your sport. What do you focus on for diving?

SJ: Yeah, the biggest things that I do is core workouts and leg workouts. That’s pretty much 90% of everything I do whether it’s in the weight room, at the pool in dry land. We do pretty intense core workouts because diving is all about having tight form, staying tight through the water so that you can have a small splash. So, all of that tightness starts at your core. If your core is not tight, your dive is not going to be tight and the dive is not going to be pretty. The legs – you just need to get as much out of the board as you can. The jump has to be as high as you can to generate as much force as you can and that comes from the legs. We don’t really do too much arms or upper body because if your upper body gets too big, it makes it harder to make a small splash going through the water. So it’s important to have healthy shoulders and to keep them stable – stable but not to work them too much where you’re building a lot of muscle mass.

AM: This time last year, it was up in the air on whether the Olympics would take place as scheduled or if it would be postponed, so it forced people to not even train in their normal places that they would do. What were the alternative exercises that you had to do to still be ready or at least to maintain what you needed to do?

SJ: We weren’t able to do normal practices because the sport of diving, you obviously need a pool and you need a springboard and platform – which in my small apartment, we don’t have! What I had to do was just a lot of core workouts on the floor. I had mats at home that we would lay out in our spare bedroom and I would do just as much core workouts as I could.

Just trying to keep it fresh and to make up variations. Luckily, we had a bench and some dumbbells, so I was able to do some light squatting stuff, but nothing near as much as being in an actual weight room with a squat rack and things like that. It’s tough to be out of the pool or not to be able to do all the diving specific stuff. Thankfully, our sport is so technical and core focused, there was still a lot that we could do out of the pool that would still benefit us. Thankfully, we were only out 3 months total out of the pool. That’s the longest break that I have ever had in a long time. In hindsight, that’s not too much time to miss. We were able to pick things up kind of right where we left off.

AM: Now that we’re a few weeks out from Tokyo, what does your schedule look like leading up to the Summer Games in terms of qualifying, Championships and other things that are going on?

SJ: We just have our Olympic Trials coming up in the 2nd week of June. So right now, I’m just training fulltime for that. I also work a fulltime job as a videographer for a foundation repair company in West Lafayette. So between the training and the work, I’m pretty busy all the time whether it being at the pool for 4 or 5 hours – doing my workouts, stretching, core and all those things or running off to the office to film videos or sitting in front of my computer for a few hours a day editing and things like that. I’m keeping pretty busy, but with all of that being said, it’s been nice to be able to work from home during this time so I feel like I can get rest and be off my seat when I need to be off my seat.

AM: With things reopening and vaccines being available as I know you just got your second shot, do you have a sense of what the Olympic experience will look like in terms of whether you have to quarantine prior, will you freely be able to move around the Olympic Village? What will that look at as this Olympic experience will be different than any other!

SJ: Right! I don’t know much of any details at the moment. Honestly, I’m not trying to focus too much on those details right now. My goal is to keep my head down, keep my eyes forward, train as hard as I can these next 4-5 weeks to prepare for the Olympic Trials and to just get through the Trials first and do the best that I can there to put myself on the Olympic team. Then, once I qualify for the Olympics, that’s when I will start to look at all these details and to see what this is going to look like!

AM: Looking at the Summer Games in Tokyo, what do you anticipate will be the events that you will participate in?

SJ: So at the Olympic Trials, I will be competing in the Mens 3-meter Individual and the Mens 3-meter Synchronized. Those are the only 2 that I will be doing. I’m hoping to qualify for both of those events and I’m feeling really strong for them at the moment.

AM: How do you decide in terms of Synchro and the Individual – the types of dives that you are going to do?

SJ: A lot of the dives once you get to the Olympic level are pretty standard for each event. In the Mens event, you have to do 6 dives total, 1 from every category – so you’ve got, a front facing dive, a backward, a reverse, an inward and on 3m you have to do 2 twisting dives. Whereas on 10m you do 1 twister and then a handstand dive. With each direction, there are tons of dives that you do, but each of them have a specific degree of difficulty. Once you get at the Olympic level, you pretty much have everyone do the same exact list because we’re all reaching that maximum degree of difficulty of dives that are humanly possible.

AM: What’s your routine like the day of an event – heading into competition. Do you have certain things that you just have to do – what’s that like?

SJ: A lot of it depends on what time the event is. I like to wake up early and getover to the pool and get into the water pretty early in the morning. I like to do maybe half of my competition list just maybe 1 of each of them – something quick. Just to wake up and get my body moving.

It doesn’t necessarily matter how those dives go in the warmup because ultimately, the competition matters. I’m using it as a way to wake my body up and get ready for flipping. Then, I like to get away from the pool, go out and get coffee/breakfast whatever and then come back to the pool for the event warmup and do the other half of my list and then touch basics for whatever I think that I need to work on right before the event. Then I just listen to music and get in the right headspace for the event and hope that I do well!

AM: As we mentioned earlier, we saw you at the KT Tape Virtual Press Day and we know that you are sponsored by the brand. Why did you feel that this was a synergy for you to be with them? Have you always used their products and how does it optimize your work that you do?

SJ: I have been a huge fan of KT Tape for a long time now. From as early on as I could remember. I even remember as far back as the 2012 Olympic Trials which were the first Olympic Trials that I competed in, I had a pretty major ab injury. At the time, the team doctors and the trainers were putting KT Tape on me and I realized that it was helping a lot and it helped me to get through the competition and to feel good enough to keep diving. Over the years as other injuries such as my shoulders and my triceps and back have popped up, my first line of defense has been my KT Tape because I’ve seen it work for me. Even at the 2016 Olympic Trials, I was competing with KT Tape on. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, I have been using KT Tape for 8-9 years now and I just love how useful it is and how helpful it has been for me. So when the opportunity came to partner with them, I jumped on that because it was a no brain er and something that I use whether they are sponsoring me or not. Being able to be supported by that company and to represent them was kind of a dream partnership for me.

AM: What are your favorite go-to KT Tape products?

SJ: Definitely the KT Tape Pro Extreme which is their Pro Tape, but it’s got much stickier adhesive so obviously being in and out of the water constantly, I need tape that is going to stick while I am doing flips in the air, I’m underwater, drying off, getting wet again and that stuff has just been so great for training and in competition. It’s knowing that I can do a full training session and it’s not going to fall off, just gives me the confidence knowing that I’m taped up and that I’m not going to have to worry about it the whole training session.

AM: In prep for talking with you, we saw via your social that you love to play music and that you’re into photography and videography. How important is that to you to have these creative outlets and what do you do when you’re not pool bound?

SJ: I think that having creative outlets even if you don’t classify yourself as a creative person, is vital for people! Me being a creative, I think that that is a pretty cliché thing to say. But there is just a lot of freedom of being able to sit down after a rough day of practice and to just sit down and play guitar and play base or to edit a video that I have been working on in the previous days – edit photos or to go out and take a film camera and to take pictures with my wife. It helps you separate the sport you’re doing or the main thing you’re doing which in my case is diving, it helps it separate from the rest of my life. I’m able to leave diving at the pool as much as I can when I have these creative outlets. I’m not just diving, diving, diving and then coming home and watching diving video, talking about diving and thinking about diving because then that gets exhausting and you’re subconsciously tiring yourself out. By having creative outlets and having hobbies that you can kind of be a little out.

By having creative outlets and having hobbies that you can kind of be a little mindless with, it helps me naturally relax and take my mind off of the stressors that diving can be sometimes is I have a bad day or week in the pool.

AM: Clearly you have a lot going on and I know you’re moving to Nashville with your wife soon. How excited are you to go to this city and what are you looking forward to?

SJ: We are super excited. We have family that lives just south of Nashville so we have been visiting the city many times every year for the past few years. My wife has been going there even before she and I met. We just love the city, we love the culture, we love the people and for me, I love the coffee scene. I’m a huge coffee snob so the coffeeshops there are unmatched! The food is great and it’s just a great environment. You know, I have been in Indiana for over 25 years now so it will be nice to have a change in scenery and a change of pace, but we’re just really excited to be close to family and close to friends and be in a new environment that we get to explore together. Just getting to learn what it’s like and to love the city and the surrounding.

IG @SteeleJohnson

PHOTOGRPAHY COURTESY | KT Tape

Read the May Issue #65 of Athleisure Mag and see In Sync with Steele Johnson in mag.

9PLAYLIST | MEB KEFLEZIGHI

Read the Apr Issue #64 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Meb Keflezighi in mag.

WINNING IS A HABIT WITH KELLEY O'HARA

Soccer season is upon us and our eye is on the US Women's National Team's Olympic Gold Medalist, 2 X FIFA World Cup winner - Kelley O'Hara who also plays for the NWSL Washington Spirit. With a season that kicks off next month, we took some time to talk about how she fell in love with the sport, being able to play for the DC team, what it's like when she's in training, her schedule when competing with the national team as well as her home team, joining KT Tape as one of its newest ambassadors and of course her upcoming projects in film, podcasting and her beauty brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with soccer?

KELLEY O'HARA: I think I fell in love with soccer in high school. I played a lot of sports growing up, and soccer was one of my favorites, but it wasn’t until I decided soccer would be the sport I wanted to pursue full time and wholeheartedly that I really fell in love with the game.

AM: When did you know that you wanted to go pro?

KO: I always knew I wanted to play for the USWNT, however I didn’t think much about turning “pro” because for most of my high school and college career there was not a professional domestic league to play in. My goal was always to continue to play post college, but I always thought that would mean having to make the national team as my only option. Once the WPS came around, I realized I had the opportunity to get drafted and play not only for the national team but also for a pro team.

AM: What is the role of a defender?

KO: Technically I play defender, but I play it in a very attacking minded way. My number one priority is keeping the ball out of the net for the other team, but my next biggest priority is contributing to our attack in a meaningful way.

AM: The season is about to start next month for your team, Washington Spirit which you recently joined. I know that you also live in DC so how exciting was it for you be able to play for your city?

KO: Honestly, it’s a dream come true. I feel like every pro athlete would probably love to be able to live where they play. I have spent the last 10 years of my professional career moving from city to city - spending season in one place and off season in another - it’s nice to be in one place and living at home full time! Plus, DC is such a soccer city! I am really excited to play for the fans here and try to win a championship for the District.

AM: What are the weeks leading up to the start of the season like for you in terms of training and getting ready to get back on the field?

KO: We just spent three weeks down in FL for spring training to prepare for the Challenge Cup, which is the NWSL preseason tournament this year. That starts in April and then regular season starts in May.

AM: What are your workout routines like when you’re training for the week for the next game versus off season?

KO: In season training is all about recovery, preparation, and then execution in the game to get a win. So, most of the training is focusing on making sure you’re physically ready, i.e., your loads for the week are enough but not too much, and you’re tactically prepared for whoever you’re playing. In the off season, my workout is very individualized and is about working on weaknesses. It allows me to create a quality base physically for the season ahead and offers me the luxury of working on technical aspects I want to specifically focus on.

AM: On game day, what’s your routine like leading up to hitting the field?

KO: Game days are pretty chill. My main focus is preparing my body to perform, so eating and drinking the right things leading into the game, while also mentally preparing for what needs to get done.

AM: You joined the KT Tape team earlier this year, what does this partnership mean to you and how will you partner with them?

KO: I’ve been using KT Tape pretty much my whole career, so it’s cool to turn it into an official partnership. I love that their product is athlete focused and really works! I’ve relied on their tape throughout the years to give me the extra assistance my body might need, so to know they are now supporting me not only on the field but off of it is pretty great.

AM: What are your go to products?

KO: I have primarily used their KT Tape Pro, both for performance and recovery. I just tried their newest product the KT Recovery+ Wave and it was incredible! It helps to relieve pain in tissues and joints with sensation-free electromagnetic waves. You don’t feel anything from the device, but it modulates nerve activity to give you pain relief and it really works! I was blown away.

AM: In addition to being on the Washington Spirit, you’re also on the US Women’s Soccer Team. How is it managing both of those schedules and are there differences for you when you are competing?

KO: It definitely makes for a busy schedule, but I feel lucky to have that problem! When it comes to competing for my two different teams, I don’t approach them differently. My goal is always to win - whether that’s in an off-season pickup game, practice, an NWSL match or an Olympic final - I aim to bring the same competitiveness to everything. Winning is a habit, so it’s something I am cultivating.

AM: We're looking forward to seeing LFG which comes out on HBO Max which focuses on the US Women’s National Team’s fight for equal pay and has you, Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Mews and others on the team speaking and advocating about this issue. Why did you want to participate in this film?

KO: We wanted to tell our story in our own voice. I think a lot of people really only know what has happened or is happening by what or how the media writes about the lawsuit, but most people don’t know the amount of time, energy, and persistence this legal battle has taken. Plus, we know that our fight and hopefully win has the potential to create important change we need across all industries.

AM: The past year has definitely been one that we have all been navigating. With the Olympics postponed to this summer, what are you looking forward to with the upcoming games?

KO: Definitely the joy that is competing and chasing after a goal with my team. I’m also looking forward to the Games hopefully giving the world something to look forward to and to showcase the unity and joy that sport can provide not only for athletes but for their fans

AM: Outside of the sport, you’re the host of Just Women’s Sports. Tell me more about this podcast and why you wanted to have this included in your platform?

KO: The Just Women’s Sports podcast was born out of the desire to give female athletes a space to tell their stories. Only 4% of media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports, and it’s something I have personally felt my whole life. Haley Rosen, the founder of JWS, wanted to change that. I came on board to help advise the company, but that quickly turned into wanting to be involved and do the work to help change the future of what covereage looks like for female athletes.

AM: What other projects are you working on that we should keep an eye out for?

KO: I am an owner and partner in Tame the Beast - a company of grooming and shower products with a focus on sustainability and reducing plastic consumption. I am creating a unisex skincare line with them that will be launching this summer, which I am really excited about!

AM: You have so many accolades from being a 2 X FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist and receiving the Hermann Trophy in 2009, what do you want your legacy to be in the sport?

KO: A winner and a good teammate - the type of player and person you always want on your team.

IG @KelleyOhara

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 36 KT TAPE | PG 38 - 40 USWNT |

Read the Mar Issue #63 of Athleisure Mag and see Winning is a Habit with Kelley O’Hara in mag.

9PLAYLIST | APRIL ROSS

Read the Jan Issue #61 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | April Ross in mag.

RAISE THE BAR WITH ALYSHA NEWMAN

Across a number of sports, competitions are beginning to start again. We talked with Team Canada Olympic Track & Field Pole Vaulter, Alysha Newman on her sport, prepping for next year's Summer Games and Zenni Optical X ESPN's The World's Greatest USA Track & Field sanctioned event this month.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What brought you to being in Track & Field as an overall sport and specifically, the pole vault?

ALYSHA NEWMAN: Track was my second love and gymnastics was my first. I felt that gymnastics would take me to the Olympics. But when I turned 10 or 11 years old, I had a huge growth spurt and went from 5’4” to 5’8” in a couple of years! It just got hard and I fractured my L5 vertebrae and my body couldn’t keep up with it. I was forced into retirement at the age of 13. I mean, as a 13 year old, training 32 hours a week, in a gymnastics gym, going to school half days – I was having so much fun and it never felt like a job to me.

I took a year off from all athletics to heal myself, but my mom knew that I still wanted to be an athlete. She wanted to put me in diving and in swimming and in more track and field. I ended up dropping the water sports and focused on track and field. In elementary school in Canada, you do Pentathlons, so I did a number of different events. I ended up loving hurdles - the start, the finish and the training. But going from 32 hours to 8 hours a week, I was going crazy at home and wanted to be at the track more.

My manager at the London Legion club, said I should do 2 events which would give me 16 hours on the track. He felt that since I was a gymnast, pole vault would be a good idea. Within 6 months, I started competing. The very first competition that I did, I jumped 3.15m and it was the league record. From that day on, I fell in love with the sport, forgot about gymnastics and found my new passion. first competition that I did, I jumped 3.15m and it was the league record. From that day on, I fell in love with the sport, forgot about gymnastics and found my new passion.

AM: How does the sport of pole vault work in terms of the rules and how you know you have won?

AN: Every bar you get 3 attempts at each bar. Every athlete can pick at what height they want to go in. The meet usually schedules the height of the increments and after that, it’s whoever is jumping the longest. Once everyone is done, you can then pick heights that you are going for for a personal best or a national record. You can pick once everyone is done. You win by being the last man standing.

AM: How do you train for something like this? What workouts are you doing that optimize you to flow through this sport?

AN: You never want to do too much of one thing. With pole vault, it is fully head to toe – which means 90% mental, 10% physical. We’re definitely doing a lot of running, sprint workouts, plyometrics etc. Then we have the technical side which is 2-3 times a week and you are trying to get better, faster and stronger. One thing about pole vault is that it is a development. You’re not going to go in jumping on the highest pole and the stiffest pole right away! You've got to slowly get better, year after year. That’s why they say that it is important that you put in those 10,000 hours of pole vault training. This way, you’re body can get the experience and you learn mostly from your failures. If you talk to any pole vaulter, they will tell you that we end in failure every single time. That is what is so mental about it. You go to the track feeling like you can jump to the sky and because of “x” factors, it might not happen that day. It’s not because you were off your game that you couldn’t win, it could have been that your poles didn’t show up or anything. It’s one of those things that’s very mental. If you can be mentally tough in this event, you will do pole vault for a very long time.

AM: With the Summer Games in Tokyo being postponed to next summer, how are you focusing in terms of making sure that you are on track for your fitness goals and what you want to achieve to compete next year?

AN: Initially, I was really hurt. I mean every athlete waits 4 years to show the best of the best and be around the best of the best. I think what was really positive was that I had to switch it as fast as I could and to not take it as a negative. Usually, you don’t have time to work on anything you know? You put those 10,000 hours in, you go pro, and then you go to meet after meet. I competed 40 times last year and I only had 4 weeks off. You don’t have as much time to work on or change things which then may effect something else.

We have worked on my speed, listening and feeling the pole out. Doing those repetitions over and over makes me feel even better than I did 6 months ago. That’s at I'm bringing to the meet in Greenville, South Carolina.

AM: That meet is on July 15th, Zenni Optical and ESPN are presenting The World’s Greatest Live which is the first USA sanctioned Track & Field event this year with attendees that will be socially distanced, You can watch it on ESPN’s YouTube channel. Can you tell us more about the event hosted by Team USA Pole Vault Medalist, Sandi Morris who is hosting it on her custom built runway?

AN: It’s going to be a really awesome event. Zenni is providing all the athletes with eyewear. When all the girls are together with that positive adrenaline, that is when we're at our best for these meets.

Sandi has always been the leader in Women’s Pole Vaulting and has been someone that keeps pushing the bar very high. She’s a firecracker, she’s always on and always putting out high heights to keep us motivated.

AM: What’s your routine prior to a meet?

AN: I eat really healthy leading up to the meet. It’s something that I always do. The day before, I’m on the phone calling my coaches for an hour or two just to have a game plan. I will always have a glass of wine with my agent the night before I compete. I’m at my best when I’m having the most fun, relaxed and have a good sleep. In the morning, I call one of my coaches before I go out to let them know about the height increments and what we are going to do. I put my makeup and lipstick on which is like my war paint – when that goes on, there’s no looking back.

IG @AlyshaNewman

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Oscar Muñoz Badilla

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see Raise the Bar with Alysha Newman in mag.

Hear Team Canada Pole Vaulter, Alysha Newman on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

BINGELY STREAMING

FYRE

Netflix

Debuts 01.18.19

It seems like at any given point, there is a festival of some sort. Groups plan on attending these music events from where they will stay, what attire they will bring, enjoying performances and of course, to capture the perfect Instagrammable moments. When the Fyre festival hit the Internet, everyone saw a number of the world's top models and influencers who rocked swimwear and enjoyed a number of activities that were on an island estate formerly owned by Pablo Escobar.

What was built as a luxury festival ended up being an epic disaster that left guests stranded and confused. Netflix's Fyre documentary shows how Billy McFarland looked to launch his musical booking app with the festival and partnered with Ja Rule. In addition, we see other vendors and team members that worked with him to bring his vision to light.

Throughout the documentary, viewers watch the mounting problems that forced the venue to change, push decision makers to consider unsavory decisions to bring water to the event and more. Billed as, "The Greatest Party That Never Happened" - you get the benefit of a bird's eye of all the details that led to this avoidable disaster.

LIFE ITSELF

Amazon Prime Original

Fans of NBC's, "This is Us" are aware of Dan Fogelman, who also directs this Amazon Prime movie, Life Itself. This film focuses on a young couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) that begins as a college romance, to marriage and the birth of their first child. With unexpected twists along the way, this story is a multigenerational love story that spans decades as well as continents that includes NYC in the US and the Spanish countryside. Interestingly enough, everything is connected by a single event throughout various lifetimes.

THE ROAD TO TOKYO 2020

Spotify

Athleisure Studio

Our avid readers have enjoyed reading our previous 36 issues. Over the holiday season, we launched Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network for Athleisure Culture which has a number of shows within its slate. Our programming focuses on the inspirations, stories and shared moments with athletes, designers, artists, celebrities, entrepreneur changemakers creating dynamic impact.

What does it take to be an athlete that dedicates years to making a national team and to compete on a global stage for the coveted medal that defines their career. We all enjoy watching the Olympic Games whether it’s a sport, a specific athlete or just getting into the competitions. Before they hit the stadium, there are years of work, drive and focus that take place with countless training session, coaches, and qualifying competitions. Athletes come from various backgrounds and walks of life. They sacrifice their lifestyle, homes, jobs and personal life to prepare for and win these monumental moments and leave a lasting legacy.

The Olympics is a registered trademark of the International Olympic Committee.

Read more from the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

NEXT STOP, TOKYO WITH DAGMARA WOZNIAK

This month's cover is a 2 X Team USA Olympian, Dagmara Wozniak who won a Bronze Medal in fencing as a member of the Women's Saber team. With the the Olympics a little less than 2 years away, Athleisure Mag is excited to turn our attention to the upcoming summer Olympic games that will take place in Tokyo 2020. Our shoot took place at the Manhattan Fencing Center where she has trained with her coach since 2005, and we talked about her goals for the upcoming season, what drew her to the sport and the importance of bringing positivity to the game.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When we met you at your shoot, you made a great analogy to what fencing is - can you share with our readers?

DAGMARA WOZNIAK: I look at fencing as a sport with three different weapons (Epee, Foil and Saber) and you specialize in one because the tactics and training is so different in an of itself. I compare Saber, the one that I do as the Sprinter of the sport. If you look at the sport like Track & Field you have sprinting, hurdles and marathon, it’s completely different. You may have some athletes that do both, but you’re working on specific techniques for the sport itself which is very similar to fencing. People think it’s one sport and that we just change weapons, but it’s like 3 mini sports within the sport. It differs by target area, differs by tactic, and differs by training, so it’s very specific and different then what most people think.

AM: What drew you to fencing initially and then the discipline of saber?

DW: I actually started off with the original weapon which is Epee when I came first. My dad just took me to a fencing class one day and it was at the Polish Cultural Foundation and I think it was more to keep me busy and to help me practice the language as my coach was Polish. It was an after school program kind of thing and I did it once or twice a week and I just started falling in love with it.

AM: What did you like about it after you started playing in the sport?

DW: I liked how different it was. People laugh, but I was definitely a tomboy, still am and beatng up kids and not getting in trouble was great. I did karate before that and I had a lot of fun with that. I had friends who were in it with me and when I had to go up to get a new belt or whatever, they would say, “don’t hit me too hard.” I was very ready to go all out. There is something on the line, “sorry we’re not friends right now.” The whole aspect of combat sport is just very appealing to me and I liked it a lot and it’s challenging. One of the things that I have grown to like about it is that there’s a lot of unpredictable factors. You might know what someone generally does and let’s say they are having a bad day or they’re fencing much better than they have ever done before, you need to be able to adjust to things like that. So the fact that you’re not sure how someone is going to necessarily compete, you can make a plan, but that’s not what’s going on and you need to adjust or you are going to lose.

So not to take away from swimming or track and field, but the ground is never going to move from you, the water is never going to dip and become a crazy wave. It’s the fact that it’s really a battle against you and yourself. And fencing and combat sports is a battle against you and yourself and you have the variable of someone else who also has a brain and can adapt to situations and make mistakes as well and capitalize on your mistakes. I like the cliché way of explaining fencing that it’s a physical chess game and it’s spot on. I love that about it.

AM: So what was the moment that you went from enjoying this personally to realizing that you could compete professionally and go to an Olympic stage?

DW: It came very late for me I guess! It was only when I qualified as an alternate for the Beijing Olympics that I even thought about it because people said that that would be my next step to go to the games and I would say, “you’re crazy.” But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it. I was nev-er upset or felt forced that I was going to practice – I was excited. The losses were so personal for me that I would cry for hours and keep telling my mom that it would never happen again, but even though it did – I was just driven to it without having a goal. I just wanted to win and that was the first goal. But then when I was graduating highschool, I had some teachers that were like, “you know what’s next – the Olympics,” and I was like, “no my God, don’t push it.” But shortly after that, my coach was like you should start thinking about it and I thought, “wow I didn’t know that this was possible for me.” Once my coach and I kind of made a plan, it was up from there.

AM: Your first trip to the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 was as an alternate, how did that affect 2012?

DW: I qualified in 2008 as a replacement athlete and the only way that I was able to compete is if someone from my team got injured. That didn’t happen and they got the Bronze medal and because I never set foot on the actual playing field, I went home with nothing. I remember a lot of people were saying that that was as far as where I could potentially reach and what was I expecting and why I was so  upset. They kind of wrote me off from ever being an actual Olympic athlete and I told my mom, "I was there for the experience and I saw how it was and these next 4 years it will be different.” I made sure that I made a plan that was going to get me there as an actual competing athlete. So qualifying for the team for the Olympic Games in London 2012 was a highlight and so much more meaningful because of the people that said I couldn’t do it.

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“But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it.”

— Dagmara Wozniak

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AM: We know that you have a 4 year gap between each Summer Games. There are a number of championships and tournaments that you do in a given period of time to get onto the team for your sport (the process is different for each of the Olympic sports). What is that snapshot like for you in terms of qualifying when you are getting into the next Team USA as we’re looking for The Road to Tokyo 2020?

DW: Right so there are many sports that just went to one competition closer to Rio and it could be as soon as just a month out! But that’s just what they are used to and it’s a completely different stressful situation. For us, it’s a year long process so when we start the actual Olympic year, we go to about 10 International competitions where we compete and we get points based off of that. Because now, all the team events are allotted under one big medal, before in 2012, our team event was rotated out so the IOC didn’t allow all of the events to compete at the Olympics so 2 of the team events – all of the individual team events were there so that’s 6 events and then we only received 4 team events the - relay. So in 2012, Women’s Saber got rotated out and we only got to qualify individually. In 2016, we had the opportunity to qualify as a team and we did. It’s a different qualification process, but now we have team events for everyone which is amazing and everyone has the opportunity which is more chances for Team USA as we’re doing well right now and we can bring more medals home, and it’s great for fencing, the sport and the development.

The qualification process is different. We go to competitions, we get points based on how high we rank and it’s the first 4 teams that qualify automatically and then to finish the bracket it goes by zone!

AM: So your Olympic year would start summer of next year. But yet, you are still doing championships and competitions leading into that.

DW: Yes.

AM: You’re having a well deserved rest.

DW: Right. Our season typically started in Oct and then we have 1 competition every month. It was ok, but then I felt like it never gave me an opportunity to necessarily peak. Now, they're giving us quite a bit of an off season which is going to let us have more competitions condensed together, but right now there is an opportunity to kind of change the training style, to change the schedule and to be able to capitalize physically and mentally and then just to ride out how much work you have put in through the season. You won't feel the need to play catch up and your peeked and you're ready to go.

AM: What is your training like when you’re preparing for a typical tournament, an Olympic one and then just maintaining in general?

DW: I don’t necessarily treat the Olympics any different then any other competition. I just think that you can’t treat it differently because of the environment because that is when you are going to put the pressure on yourself and I know that there are differences as there are more people, there’s more press and more points – everything that’s for sure. That’s why going into the Olympics for London 2012 which was my first time competing, I told myself that I wasn’t going to do a lot of interviews because we don’t usually get a lot of that stuff usually during the competition and I know that that’s at least how I work as an athlete as I would get distracted by trying to give everyone a story and all of that. I felt that if the result was going to be there, then people would want to talk to me after.

I focus on preparing just like I would for any other competition. I know that a lot of people function better when they are exposed to something for the first time. I’m not going to say beginner’s luck as they go in with no expectation and for me, it’s the opposite I put more expectation in when I am doing something for the first time. Now if I qualify for Tokyo which I am very confident that I will and that it’s going that way.

I feel more confident the more times that I have been on the Olympic stage.  Through loss, through heartbreak, through everything all together it’s learning experiences that make me stronger.

AM: What does your workout look like?

DW: Right now, I’m not fencing so I am taking a small break from that, but I am working with my trainer on capitalizing on endurance. Fencing during competitions lasts throughout a whole day. There is a lot of stop and go! You compete and sit around for an hour and a half, then compete and sit around for another hour and a half. Not necessarily until you get into the finals you win and keep going and you have about an hour and a half and maybe even 2-3 hours before the next match. So it gets tedious in terms of keeping up the endurance, the stamina and the focus. What we have been doing right now as you can’t really simulate an actual competition, but we have been training really early in the morning, I have been doing a lot of crossfit lately and catering more to fencing specific stuff. I’m not going really crazy with the weight, but focusing on building short muscle and fast push muscle – going down and up. I am driving really fast up and again focusing specifically on what will benefit me and my sport, but at the same time, having the intensity of the class and the timer. The repetitiveness is all there and that benefits me. I like to change things up when I feel that I am pushing myself a little too hard. There was a good portion of the time that I was doing pilates with the reformer and some mat work. What’s great about fencing and in fitness in general. Your body is always changing whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, a women, a male, come down with a sickness etc – there are so many things that are constantly changing. I never really like to stick to something all the time and kind of plateau. Keeping the body not in a rhythm in terms of a workout which is why I like crossfit so much as there is always a way to challenge yourself. It’s not more weight in terms of taking more time if there is a 12 minute gap, so maybe you get less rounds in or you put less weight and you gauge how many rounds you get in and next time you can keep the same weight and just try to push how many things you can do to fit in the time frame.

I like pilates, I was spinning for awhile but it’s about more sport specific stuff. Making sure that the right muscles are firing.

AM: What are three go to foods for the gym and what are your splurges?

DW: You say splurge foods and it’s the first thing that comes to my mind! I love donuts – I have loved donuts forever and if you give me one, I can’t resist. The homemade ones are amazing. I love how pretty they are and how creative they can be. I’m not a fan of cupcakes or cake, but donuts – yes donuts are my thing. It’s first, second and third. I can’t choose ha!

My go-to in terms of what I’m eating when training. I like protein shakes. They are something that I definitely include post workout as a meal replacement. There is a company I like, Athletic Greens and they are safe for athletes to use and they have dehydrated greens that you can throw in your smoothie as well or in your shakes and it’s easy on your stomach and doesn’t have a metallic aftertaste like most of them do. I’m all about safety and a clean sport. Having a trusted product like that makes me feel great and since I started using that which has been awhile now – maybe a year. I have really decreased how much coffee I have been drinking. I love the taste of coffee but sometimes I forget when the last time was that I had it because the proteins and the greens give me so much energy. Thats what I'm about.

Clean food yes – I think I’d have to say that I am a Paleo/Ketogenic diet – obviously not Keto like what people are doing out there limiting carbs etc., as I think after what I have read a lot about as athletes, it's not the best things especially for women. But keeping high protein and high fat and carbs is something that I have found has given me the optimal training and recovery.

AM: We enjoyed shooting at the Manhattan Fencing Center. How long have you trained here and do you have responsibilities there as well?

DW: There aren’t necessarily responsibilities, but I do think of it as a helping hand in terms of talking to my coach about athletes and my opinion. I am more of a mentor. My fencing gym is my second home. I’m a big stickler for organization, cleaning up after or organizing the lost and found and even small tasks. I love to be respectful of it and take care of it. I hope that others do the same.

I’ve been with my coach since 2005!

AM: Beyond your sport, what else are you interested in doing?

DW: For me, I feel like I have definitely gotten involved in and interested in clean eating and watching documentaries about processed items that are in our foods and how we are slowly killing ourselves with the items that are in our foods. Like a bunch of fries that are really filling is $1 but healthy vegetables for a little snack pack is $6 or $7. A family that can’t really afford too much will go for McDonald’s and fast food stuff. It breaks my heart that there are all these monsters in our country that are destroying food. So healthy food has been a huge working area for me. I love learning about it and I am very intuitive with my body. The second I eat something, I can feel how upset my stomach is and I know it's not good for me. It sucks because donuts have a lot of sugar, not just in terms of weight gain, but it upsets my gut bacteria and I am in tons of pain. Just seeing that I want to spread the knowledge because even healthy peanut butters are actually not healthy. People think that they always have to work out and work out to do so 2-3 times a day to get to whatever your fitness is, but there is so much that can be achieved through diet and what you put into your body. I’m passionate about that.

In terms of athlete preparation, I would like to be a strength and conditioning coach myself and it has become dear to me. Not necessarily just for fencing. I think being able to compete at the highest level mentally and physically – I may not always do it, but being there and known what it takes, and having that knowledge because of my experience, I would like to take that step and prepare those athletes that want to take it to this level and if not higher.

AM: You travel a lot. What have been your favorite places?

DW: I get that question a lot and people are always surprised at my answer. I have fallen in love with Belgium. I’ve never said that I could retire and live in Europe but it’s the first place I went to when I was like, I could see myself living there in terms of the food, the culture, the people are so nice and the architecture is beautiful. There’s a coffee shop and then there is a castle around the corner, you don’t get that in the United States. It’s very interesting to see that kind of setup. This past summer, we had a training camp in Japan before our World Championships in China and I have to say that Japan is such a cool place. The people are so cool and it's just a different world over there! I enjoyed my time in Japan and you know, my heart is in Cuba and I love that place and it's the top three of where I would love to go to.

AM: Where can we find you eating and shopping?

DW: The things that I love about Jersey City and Hoboken is that there are a lot of boutique places in terms of clothing that you can find great stuff and I'm not into labels, but when I do shop for that, I love All Saints - they're rugged and raw with colors that aren't too bright. I love denim with raw materials in terms of dressing up. So I love jean shorts and a black tank top which is my go to. I'm about comfort while still being able to express myself.

There are a lot of cool cafés here. Recently, my boyfriend and I got interested in some refreshing drinks, cheese and meat platters which I love. There is a place called The Archer which has a great selection of this. Down by Grove there are a lot of cool restaurants. We don’t go out too much because we try to just focus on eating healthy and when we go out, I love outside dining and the gardens. There is a lot of that here and it’s fun to jump around.

AM: Do you do any philanthropy?

DW: I find myself getting involved with the athletes in my club and giving advice. I have worked one on one with girls in my club. The pressure of being a female athlete and it’s interesting as everyone always deals with their problems and I don’t necessarily showcase what is going on with me as I  have gone through some troubled times. When they talk to me and say, "how do you seem so calm and confident?" I'm like, "woo you have no idea! That's so far from the truth." I am a thankful that I come across that way and everyone is dealing with their issues and I try to impart some wisdom on the girls and the guys at the club.

I talk to my middle school in Avenel, NJ and I have done a few high school talks in terms of setting goals and how many times that people have come and said I couldn't do something. If you listen to what people say, you're just going to dig your own hole and never crawl out of there. Especially when you're doing well, people seem to have more things to say. I think I did a lot of listening to those people for a long time and at 21, I thought that I had it all figured out, by 26 I thought I knew more and now at 30 I'm like, "damn I'm so far from when I thought I did have it figured out!" Life is a constant learning experience and being able to walk away from people that aren't good for you and are negative – I just get involved with the kids at my club. I have had the harsh talks with other coaches on what I am capable of and am supposed to do but when you follow your own plan, that’s when you can really blossom!

AM: What are your goals for the Summer Games?

DW: I’ve set the goal of coming home with 2 gold medals for individual and the team. It’s that goal or no goal for me. Maybe it’s my last time competing or I go another 4 years, who knows. I’m doing everything I can now and not looking back to say shoulda, coulda, woulda and I have a new game plan now. I don’t have injuries, there are a lot of things that are different then when I was training for Rio than how it is now. I may not be the kid that went to every Olympics and medaled in every one, but I have the opportunity to go out there and do some damage with an individual gold medal and team gold medal - even if it's one time. That's very important to me and that puts the icing on my cake in terms of a career.

IG @DagmaraWozniak

Listen to our conversation with Dagmara Wozniak on an upcoming episode of The Road to Tokyo 2020 on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Next Stop, Tokyo with Dagmara Wozniak in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | AUG ISSUE

Our issue is covered by Dagmara Wozniak, who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic games and received the bronze medal in Rio. As she prepares to return to the Team USA team in Tokyo, we shot our cover girl at the Manhattan Fencing Center. We talk about her Olympic journey, how she fell in love with the sport, and where she has enjoyed traveling around the world.

Additional interviews include NASCAR's Ryan Reed and how he manages his diabetes; we sit down with Louisville based interior designer Natalie Officer; the power of olive oil and health is shared by restaurateur and author Chef Seamus Mullen; we talk about yachting with Adventure Chef and star of BRAVO's Below Deck Mediterranean's Chef Adam Glick; composer, guitarist, producer and entertainer Tetsuro Oda shares his love for creating music for anime as well as Rock & Roll; for fans of USA Network's The Sinner - we talk with Ellen Adair about acting, the scene of scenes in the show and how she gives back to a number of great causes; and we chat with Tia Mowry about how she and her family stays organized.

We have a number of features that are in each month's issues including The Art of the Snack - focusing on NYC's City Kitchen, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Something You Should Know, Athleisure List, Athleisure Beauty and more roundups that focus on how to dress for Labor Day Weekend, 5 must have sneakers to wear in and out of the gym. 

Read more from the Aug Issue here.