RIDING THIS WAVE | CARISSA MOORE

There is something empowering about seeing those who dominate their area of expertise regardless of the vertical as well as putting good back into the world! This month's cover is 5X World Surf League Women's Champion, Olympic Team USA Surfing Gold Medalist and winner of countless accolades, Carissa Moore. This powerhouse takes to the waves with a focus and competitive spirit that we can appreciate. When we had the chance to talk with her as she was waiting for her call time for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach earlier this month. We were also struck by how she brought the Aloha spirit with her as she talked about her love for the sport, going pro, walking us through her surfing schedule, her documentary and how she strives to inspire the next generation of women through Moore Aloha.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited as we have been a fan of yours for awhile. So to be able to chat with you as well as for you to be this month’s cover, is so exciting and our readers are going to want to know more about you and the sport as well as what you have going on!

CARISSA MOORE: Perfect! Let’s do it!

AM: So when did you fall in love with surfing?

CM: I started surfing when I was about 5 years old and it was my dad who pushed me into my first wave at Waikiki. I think you know that it was a love that deepened over time, but I really fell in love with it at the very beginning. Being in the ocean, spending time with my dad. In the very beginning, it was just something that I loved to do with him and then over time, it became something that was more my own and I just love being in the ocean and it feels like a bit of escape from reality at times. It brings me back to the present moment which I feel like that sometimes, there are so many distractions and our world is going at such a fast speed sometimes that it’s hard to stay present. I think that that is one of the greatest gifts of being in the ocean. Just being here and now. It just brings a lot of joy.

AM: Was it hard for you because you do love it and it’s your passion – to know that it’s also your profession? Do you see it differently and how do you navigate that?

CM: I just feel extremely fortunate and grateful that I get to do something that I love as a profession! You know, the sport has evolved to a place that we can make a living out of it as professional athletes. At times, it’s definitely more intense than others, but what’s the coolest part is that in a jersey or not, I still want to go to the beach everyday and see the ocean which is awesome!

AM: That’s really cool! What’s an average day like when you’re training?

CM: An average day pre season, is waking up early. The crazy part about surfing which you were a little bit shocked to learn is that you’re kind of at the whim of Mother Nature right? So every day, you’re trying to find the best time to surf and whether that’s based on the tides, the wind or the swell that’s coming in and hasn’t arrived yet. Surfing is very fluid as the schedule depends on where the waves are. So I find the best waves that I can train on. I train with an on-land trainer 3-4 times a week and we’ll meet at a park or sometimes a gym at her house for like an hour or so. My day definitely includes a time to eat, refuel and to rest. Rest is very important for me so I like to set up at least an hour a day to read or go for a walk or watch some TV with my husband. Then maybe I surf again in the afternoon or check in with my sport psych so that’s kind of what a day looks like. Sometimes it includes sponsorship stuff or interviews like this!

Actually, between surfing and the ocean, it has taught me so many lessons and that's just one of them. There is so much that’s out of our control so you have to let go and surrender and say, ok, this is what we’re doing today – so yeah!

AM: It’s very cool. So what do you do, in terms of workouts that allow you to optimize yourself in the sport? Obviously, you’re in the water and surfing, but what other kinds of things do you also do to assist with that?

CM: I mean it’s pretty cool that as a surfer, you have to be fit in all different kinds of areas. Depending on what kind of event or wave we’re surfing at, some waves are big and powerful. Like the next event we’re competing at, we’re going to be on Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu and it’s a very big playing field. So I like to say that endurance definitely factors in as well as power and strength, I don’t use a lot of weight, but we have been using a little more weight. Most of the workouts that we do are a lot of bodyweight stuff. I love HIIT workouts, stuff that’s fast paced for me is really mentally engaging, but we also work on agility, strength, cardio and core. I do go to Pilates once a week and incorporate yoga every morning for at least 30 minutes. There are a lot of different things that I do and I kind of do it all.

AM: At the Tokyo Olympics, that was such an amazing Olympics as both surfing and skateboarding were both brought in for the first time for the Summer Games. You won the first Gold medal which is amazing as it was the first time for that sport! What did it mean to you to have that Olympic experience?

CM: It was such a special experience. I didn’t really have that many expectations because surfing had never been there before. So, I was just excited to be part of it all and to be in a team atmosphere and get to go to the Village. Everything was a bigger and grander scale than I imagined. But just getting to be in that arena is the epitome of sports. I think that for the surfing community, it was a really huge moment to be elevated on that level and to get to perform on that platform. As a native Hawaiian, it means a lot to us and surfing is kind of our sport. It was really great to see and be able to get that representation of our people and our sport. That was really cool too.

AM: Are you thinking ahead to Paris?

CM: I kind of think that we all are because this season on the Championship Tour is a qualifying season. So for countries like America, Australia, Brazil, and some other countries, we qualify with our rankings at the end of the year through the 10 events through the season. So we are definitely all thinking about it. It’s really exciting, it will be quite a battle because there are so many Americans on tour and so many Australians on tour – it’s just a focus of doing our best on this season and hopefully it works out.

AM: You’re a 5X World Surfing League Women’s Tour Champion, you’ve won so many different accolades, how important is it to you to have balance and to implement self-care into your mental and physical practices?

CM: Oh, it’s huge! I think that for me, from a pretty young age, I realized how important it was to have a balance. For me, I finished school, I was getting to have a social life and being grounded at home was super important. It definitely gave me an appreciation for the time that I got in the water and it helped me learn how to use my time wisely and to train efficiently. Also, my dad has always stressed to take the time to rest because then you can come back stronger. Taking that time physically and mentally, I am definitely learning over time that in order to love others and to share more love with the world, you have to love yourself and take time to fill your cup so you can fill others' cups. I definitely think that it’s super important to slow down, take the time to appreciate the little things that you have done to improve yourself or to better yourself and it helps to give you momentum and the confidence to go forward.

AM: Absolutely! We were just talking about the surfing season. What is the surfing season in terms of when it starts and stops and what are your favorite tournaments that you like participating in?

CM: So our season just started at the end of Jan and goes all the way into Sep. We compete in 10 events and then we have 1 final event. We go all over! So we start in Hawaii, then we go to Portugal, then Australia, California, El Salvador, Brazil, South Africa and Tahiti.

AM: Wow!

CM: We get to go to some pretty cool places.

AM: Um yeah! We want to go!

CM: There are a lot of great ones that I look forward to. I really love Western Australia. There’s something about that place, the raw beauty and there isn’t much fuss. It’s about surfing and getting in the ocean. I really like Tahiti, it reminds me a lot of home and the people there are just full of Aloha and good vibes! South Africa, it’s definitely a bit of a trek but once you get there, the waves are incredible and it's just like awesome!

AM: This month, you’re competing in the Hurley Sunset Beach World Championship, what are you looking forward to in this tournament?

CM: I’m super excited that my sponsor Hurley has stepped up to sponsor a World Tournament event and to see their support of all of us on that level. It’s really cool! I guess that being able to compete on home turf in front of my family and friends on beaches that I have grown up surfing on my whole life is super cool. I think that just trying to push myself competitively and to put forth some good performances hopefully, I’m just looking forward to getting in the water, putting the jersey on and competing at home.

AM: That’s awesome! You were just talking about all of the places that you travel to, because you do so much travel, how do you make your hotel rooms feel like home, and then when you’re on the road, are there things that you like to do when you hit certain cities or do you just focus on hitting that tournament?

CM: Since I have been traveling, you know it’s the 13th year that I have been on the Championship Tour, after doing it for a little bit of time now, out with the hotel rooms in with the Airbnb’s that have kitchens and living rooms – places that can feel like home and feel more homey. Just having kitchens which is so nice because you can eat what you want to eat and know what you are putting into your meals. I think that is super important and just having the room to spread out and train. Because we do have a lot of downtime and we have a 2 week waiting period most of the time. But then it only takes a day and a half – two days to run the women’s event. So there is a lot of downtime. Like you mentioned, the beauty of getting to do this is that we get to go to some amazing places and getting to go sightseeing to really get to immerse yourself in the culture, the people and the towns – it’s such a gift! I definitely like to take those lay days and take advantage to see those places.

AM: You’re sponsored by Hurley, you have a collection coming out in March. What can you tell us about this as you shot this in your home and hometown which seems amazing!

CM: Ahh thank you so much! This is my 3rd collection with them and I couldn’t be more excited as I think that it keeps getting better and better. This one is super sweet because we actually got to partner with a local artist, her name is JT, and her art name is Aloha de Mele. So all of the prints that are incorporated in the collection are from her. So it just felt really synergistic to get to use my platform to also uplift another woman who is from Hawaii and is very talented.

Look her up, her artwork is amazing.

I got to work really closely with the team at Hurley to create designs, patterns and colors that are really important to me as well as silhouettes that are very feminine, very beautiful and flattering, but also super functional. I think that it’s really come together in this line and it’s a quality line. Like you mentioned, we got to photograph the collection at home and we actually did it in my backyard!

AM: Oh nice! We’ve had the pleasure of doing collaborations and there is nothing better than when it’s something that comes from you and your home, your backyard – that is so cool!

CM: Thank you so much! I can’t wait for you to see it. Hopefully there are a couple of pieces that you like from it that you can wear!

AM: Oh yes! I’m sure. Also as fashion stylist, it’s always fun to see items that you can style into shoots that we work on!

CM: Sweet!

AM: Yeah! Obviously at Athleisure Mag, we love things that are functional but when it’s great for transitional wear – life just moves so quickly, you want to be able to be prepared for anything. So I love anything that’s like that!

You had the Red Bull documentary, RISS. A Film About More Love with Carissa Kainani Moore, that talks about you and your life. Why did you want to do this and how does it feel to have your lifestory available so others can get to know more about you?

CM: Thanks for checking it out and bringing it up! I have always wanted to do a fun piece and it was important to me work with a director like Peter Hamblin who had kind of a different eye and an approach to things. It was super fun to work with him, we got really close in the process so it didn’t feel like it was really invasive at all. It was like just hanging out with one of my friends.

I think that those kinds of things, when I’m watching sports docs or sports movies on incredible athletes or athletes that have an inspiring story, it’s cool to see that they’re human, that they’re relatable and they’re tangible. I think that there is something so inspiring about someone being vulnerable and open. I’ve found that through other people sharing their stories. If it can help 1 person that is going through something, that’s the goal. If someone can relate to the story or take one little thing from it, that would be awesome.

AM: I just watched a sports documentary with NBA Legend Bill Russell last night. I’m always watching things like that. It’s great to get to know more about the sport but you get to see it and the person in the time that they grew up in. You then get to see how things have changed or progressive movements, it really lets you realign yourself and think about things in a different way.

CM: Totally!

AM: So when you’re not surfing, how do you take time for yourself?

CM: Number 1 is hanging out with my husband! He’s my pride and joy.

AM: You guys are so cute!

CM: He’s actually right here. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. It doesn’t need to be much. Just hanging out with him and the dogs makes me super happy. My family lives really close to me so my sister, my mom, my dad, my grandparents so being able to check in with them and I still have some friends that are still in town. I think that surrounding myself with good people makes me really stoked and besides doing that, other things that make me stoked and fill up my cup, I started a charitable foundation, Moore Aloha in 2018. So, I spend a lot of time in investing in how to make it grow, grow programs and events that can make a positive impact on the next generation of females which is something that is near and dear to my heart.

AM: Are there projects with Moore Aloha that we should keep an eye out for?

CM: You are so sweet – thank you! I’m in the middle of competing and stuff so the bandwidth is pretty low at the moment. What has been fun is that we’re doing more online things. So we’re doing essay prompts where people are awarded scholarships every month; we just launched our first paid internship program this year; and we just did our 1st 6 week internship program with a former professional surfer Megan Abubo. So being able to connect the dots and create those meaningful mentorship programs for young girls is something that while I’m competing, I’m hoping to do at the same time! When the season is done, I have some really cool fun in person events planned on Oahu and in California. Hopefully, depending on if I make the cut, there’s a cut mid-season, so if you make the cut, you get to do the second half of the season. I would really love to be able to do an event before South Africa.

AM: Wow!

CM: Yeah! So if you want to be able to check anything out, please check out our website Moore Aloha.com.

AM: You’re a fan of scrapbooking. When did you start doing this and how do you approach putting one together creatively?

CM: I started scrapbooking in 2011/2012, but it was pretty close to when I started competing on the tour. You know, you lose more than when you win in this game. I think that for me, It was really important to be able to look back at all of the wonderful things and experiences that I had that still made the trip worthwhile. Because it’s easy to look back at an experience that you didn't win and say, "oh crap, I lost." But in reality, there is so much to be be grateful for and so much to celebrate. So it’s a little bit of time that I get to reflect and to see that we did this, you did that and even though I didn’t get the win, all of these other amazing things happened.

My process is, I don’t know – I get it all out and make a mess with stickers and colors. I get my scissors out and then I just lay out all of the photos and then I slowly just have them fit together like puzzle pieces.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in the sport and even in life in general?

CM: Oh gosh! My legacy! I think that through my surfing, I want people to feel something. I think that the greatest athletes, at least for me in watching the greatest athletes – you can feel the joy. You can feel that they are having so much fun and love it. In return, it sparks that passion in yourself. I hope that I can leave that feeling with people. Not necessarily the wins, but how did I make them feel. I hope that if I can encourage people to just be kind, loving, patient, understanding and more empathetic with each other – that would be a huge win, you know? It’s like carrying that Aloha spirit. Aloha, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s so hard to put into words.

AM: I was just going to ask you if you could put it into words?

CM: Yeah it’s something that I grew up with and It’s engrained in me from my childhood. Just being in Hawaii, it’s how you treat people with this unconditionalness and not wanting anything in return. There’s no judgment, it’s being open and I think that if we can do that more with each other and the world around us, I think that there would be more harmony.

IG @rissmoore10

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 19 + 25 - 28 Hurley | PG 16 + 31 Billabong Pro Pipeline Jan 2023 - World Surf League/Tony Heff | PG 20 + 22 Hurley Sunset Pro Beach Feb 2023 - World Surf League/Brent Bielmann | PG 32 Red Bull |

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see RIDING THE WAVE | Carissa Moore in mag.

BEYOND THE RING | LEAH VAN DALE

It's always great to reconnect with our faves and see how they continue to blaze new trails as they navigate the intersectionality of their lives. We first met Leah Van Dale back in 2019 for her SEP ISSUE #45 with us at the Mondrian Park Avenue Hotel. In this month's issue, she talks about her routine to the ring in WWE as Carmella who always knows how to bring the drama and athleticism, the importance of self-care, her recent marriage to Matt Polinsky/WWE's Corey Graves and her approach to fashion as she's always rocking amazing looks unapologetically.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so good to re-connect with you again and to catch up! To connect all of our readers at Athleisure Mag, what have you been up to, what are you looking forward to in terms of this year as you navigate your upcoming matches in the WWE?

LEAH VAN DALE: Yeah, I just had my first match back in about 7 months on Feb 6th! That was really exciting to be able to be back in the ring with a new look and back to my Moonwalking, trash talking, Princess of Staten Island character! It’s been a minute since I have been able to do that. I’m really enjoying that. I just really want to be able to focus on being the best version of me that I can and to have a lot of fun. That’s really my goal this year, to have a lot of fun and to not put too much pressure on myself.

AM: That’s great! In terms of the WWE, are there any events that you’re looking forward to that we should mark our calendars for?

LVD: Absolutely on the 18th, we have the Elimination Chamber, a Premium Live Event. I’m going to be in the chamber, there will be 6 of us, we’ll all be facing each other. The winner will face Bianca Belair at WrestleMania for the Raw Women’s Championship. I have never held the Raw Championship. I have been Smackdown Champion, I’ve been Tag Team Champion, but I have never held the Raw Title so I’m really hoping that I can win that match and go up against Bianca Belair for that match at WrestleMania.

AM: Obviously, we hope that you do! When you know that you will be heading into the ring, are there routines that you do before and after the matches so that you can prepare for the fight and do you have things that you do when you’re coming down after exerting all of that energy?

LVD: Oh yeah! I have a huge stretch routine. I have to stretch! I was a dancer in the first part of my life and I feel like I lost my flexibility because of the regimen that I do, being in the ring and the injuries that I have gone through. So because I feel like I lost a lot of my flexibility, stretching has been something that I have been focusing on a lot more lately. So I do a huge stretch before the match and then I really like to listen to Megan Thee Stallion. I put my headphones on and I just get in the zone and remind myself of what a bad B that I am and try to channel my inner Megan Thee Stallion and just get into character. Because Carmella is a lot different then Leah so I feel like I have to really remind myself of who I am and what I’m going out there to do.

After my match, something that I have learned through acupuncture because of my acupuncturist is that with WWE, it’s just go, go, go all the time, so it's to be more in the moment. It’s on to the next thing, hurry up and get to the airport, hurry up and land and get your rental car, hurry up and get to the hotel, hurry up and try to get some sleep, try to go to the gym. It’s always go, go, go, so I feel like I want to try to focus more on being in the moment. After that match and coming down from being on that high and adrenaline that took place out there which is running through my veins like that, I want to come down from that and just take a few minutes backstage by myself, unwind, recognize what I just did, being out there and performing in front of all of these people and then come back and just kind of take a minute and breathe! It's just about recognizing what I did, to be present and then to be able to move on to the next thing without being in such a blur.

AM: You’re clearly a fit person and especially in what you do. We have a great mild winter that has been taking place here in NY, which makes us think of the Spring and the Summer. What are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider adding into our own routines?

LVD: Ooo that’s a good question! I’m a huge advocate for [solidcore]. It’s basically Pilates I suppose, but Pilates to the 100th degree! It is insane and I’m really huge on that. So, I used to lift heavy for most of my career and most of my life, and I found that doing Pilates and doing [solidcore] has really transformed my body as it’s more resistance-based training as opposed to lifting heavy. It’s been so good on my muscles and my joints and I just feel like a new person. I feel strong and prepared when I do [solidcore]. So, I would definitely say that!

I’m huge into yoga I’m a big yogi. I really enjoy what it does for my body and my mind, both inside and out, huge fan of yoga. I think that honestly, I live in the city of Pittsburgh and I do a lot of walking. I think it’s pretty underrated. I love to go out for a nice walk, I bring my dog with me and I just walk all over the place. I walk to get coffee, I walk to go to the store. Anywhere I go, to get lunch, to get a juice – it’s so underrated, go outside, take a walk and get going! The steps add up.

AM: Oh yeah when you’re with your dog or your friends, it’s a nice thing to do. Totally agree with you.

As an entrepreneur, what do you look for when it comes to brands you’re thinking of launching or even partnering with others?

LVD: Great question! I feel that it has to be something that is super authentic to you. Anyone can go out and try to make a business out of something. But if you don’t love it and you’re not passionate about it, it’s going to feel like work, it’s gong to be work no matter what – but you’re going to notice how hard it is and how difficult it is if you don’t love it. I even look at it that way with the WWE. There’s no way that just anyone can walk off the street and do what we do. Not only because of the physical toll that it takes on you in the ring, but the travel! It’s so demanding! If you don’t love it, there’s no way that you’re going to last.

AM: I couldn’t agree with you more! I have to say that I have such a respect for you and the other WWE people. When we’ve shot with you, Nattie, Trinity and Danielle Moinet, when you guys came to set you’d share that you just drove 3 hours to get there, you had a fight the day before, a fight later on that same day after our shoot and the amount of schedules that you guys juggle and yet to see how happy you are and how you still interact with fans is insane!

LVD: It is a lot, but I think that you have to have great time management skills and like I said, if you love it, it doesn’t feel as difficult because you’re doing something that you’re enjoying. So you get an instant gratification from that.

AM: Are there ventures that you’re exploring that you’re able to share? Something that you’ve done which is really great, is that in addition to us knowing you as an athlete, you cover other areas in business because you’re truly an entrepreneur.

LVD: Well, I actually have something in the works that I can’t say just yet. When we’re able to announce it, it will be exciting! I’m really trying to focus on fashion right now and explore it. It’s something that I’m passionate about, I love it and I enjoy it. I’ve always loved clothes since I was a kid. I just think that it’s fun to be able to express yourself and to show who you are by what you’re wearing. I think that that is something that I will really try to focus on this year. I would love to have an athleisure line and to get more into that realm. I’m putting that out into the universe because it’s something that I really want to be able to do and to dive into.

AM: I could see you doing that as your IG always shows you killing a range of looks!

You recently got married to Matt! How is it juggling your busy lives with both of you part of WWE, working, traveling and your family? It’s so exciting.

LVD: It is so exciting! I think that we have really found our way into the groove. We both have such demanding and crazy schedules! Luckily, we’re both on Raw, so we’re on the same show; however, we both have separate commitments outside of just Raw. I have live events, he has currently been working with NXT talent. So we’re just kind of all over the place. FaceTime is great, we’re always communicating via text, all day every day. It just makes our time when we’re together, that much better because we get to be in the moment and present and enjoy each other. We have things that we can catch up on, but if we’re together all day every day, we already know everything happening in each other’s lives. It’s great to have a little bit of separation because then we can come together and chat about the things that we have going on with each other.

AM: It’s always fun to see you guys on IG or when you were doing your podcast show together, are there other projects that the two of you will do together that you’re able to share?

LVD: There’s actually nothing in the works right now. We love working together. It’s funny because we truly complement each other so well. We are truly opposite from each other. He’s more quiet and you know, a little mysterious, whereas I’m more kind of like obnoxious, annoying and just in your face. It’s funny the way that we compliment each other. We are thinking about bringing our podcast back. We had to take a break with getting married, then work was just insane and then life just got in the way. But our fans are really asking for it so I think that when the time is right, we will eventually go back to the podcast. There’s so much to update everyone on.

AM: It was so fun to listen to and I love a whole peanut butter and jelly aspect!

A few minutes ago, we were talking about fashion. How do you approach your closet? You wear items that are sporty to those that are chic, you play with proportions. You can truly tell that you just embrace playing and seeing what works and just enjoying that. How do you approach your closet in terms of the looks for the day and events when you’re going out?

LVD: I think that if someone were to ask me how I would describe my style, I don’t have a specific style. I like anything and everything. When I’m just at home, I’m usually in sweats. But I like for it to be something cute like a matching set or just a big baggy sweatpants and a crop top. I feel like I really try to just do the most. I don’t care if the look might offend someone. I’m always in a crop top, even if it’s in the winter, I really don’t care. I’m going to do the most, I just want to do something that makes me feel good and to just make a statement. I think it’s important that when it comes to my closet, that I don’t spend a lot of money on trendy items. I like to spend my money on a classic piece and something that I can wear forever and something that will last forever and won’t go out of style. If I’m going to go for something that’s trendy, it’s going to be a lot cheaper. I like to pair something cheap, with something expensive. If I have a nice pair of Louis boots and then I wear it with my $20 Fashion Nova jeans, who cares?

AM: How do you take time for yourself in terms of self-care so that you can reset and be present for whatever it is that is on your agenda?

LVD: As I mentioned earlier in working with my acupuncturist, that’s something that I have really been focusing on for the last few months. I think that it’s so important to take time for yourself. It’s not selfish. It’s a great way I think to be able to reset and to just be present in your everyday life. If you’re taking time for yourself, then you’re going to be a better wife, a better daughter, a better friend and a better employee. That’s because you’re not all over the place. I think it’s important to stay in the moment. I really like to schedule appointments. So if I have an appointment for my yoga, for my acupuncture, for a stretch, PT or the chiropractor then I make that commitment and I have to go. If I say, “oh I will stretch out when I’m at home,” there’s no way that I am going to do it. I’m going to get wrapped up in work or a phone call that is going to distract me. So I feel, that for me, when I make appointments, I have scheduled something and I know that I will be paying for it. I have to commit and I have to do it!

AM: For sure! There’s nothing worse than seeing a charge for a no show fee because you weren’t there. You’re just cheating yourself.

LVD: That’s the worst, legitimately the worst!

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in terms of the sport and the world? What’s that mark that others can look to and say that they know that that was what Leah Van Dale did and/or contributed to?

LVD: Oh my gosh, that’s such a huge and crazy question to hear! I think that when it comes to that, I want women, especially young women in general just to be able to realize that you don’t have to be just one thing. I think for a long time I thought that I was just a WWE SuperStar or I’m just the girl that comes out and dresses sexy on TV or I’m the girl that was the last Draft Pick in 2016. I’m so much more than that and I don’t have to fit into just one box! As women, that’s sort of what we are taught in society and it’s made us think that we are just one thing. No, I have so many more things to me and different aspects and sides of me that I want to share and I don’t have to be just the girl that dresses sexy or the girl in WWE. I’m also a step mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend and there are so many other things that define me! I’m not just one thing. I think that if I can pass anything on to women and using my social media platform and my following, that’s what I want women to know. You don’t have to be that and your thing can change by the way! Who I was in 2017 is a hell of a lot different then who I am now and that’s so different from who I am going to be a year from now! It’s ok to change, evolve and grow.

AM: And sometimes, circling back!

LVD: For sure! Absolutely!

AM: There have been things that 8 years ago you did it and whatever and then last year you think about it and realize that you want to bring it back to the front burner again. Things are fluid and we shouldn’t be beating up on ourselves.

IG @carmellawwe

PHOTOS COURTESY | PG 40 - 47 + 9LIST STORI3S PG 48, 49 + 51 Leah Van Dale

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see BEYOND THE RING | Leah Van Dale in mag.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY | CHLOE KIM

The importance of sport brings people together as they accomplish amazing feats, learn the importance of being dedicated to their passion and continuing to push the sport. Chloe Kim is one of our favorite snowboarders who is the first female to have won a back-to-back Team USA Snowboarding Olympic Gold Medalist in Half Pipe, ESPY winner, 5X Gold Medalist of the Super Hald Pipe in the X Games to name a few. She's also been included in Mattel's Shero Barbie, appeared on the box of the special edition Kellogg's Corn Flakes where this version was the fastest selling cereal box in Kellogg's history, made it to the semi-finals as the Jellyfish in FOX's Masked Singer and in March 2022, she was added to Fortnite as a playable character as part of the game's icon series.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’ve been a fan of yours for years. When did you start snowboarding and when did you realize that you wanted to do it professionally?

CHLOE KIM: I started snowboarding when I was 4, my dad actually took me up to the mountains because he wanted my mom to go, but she didn’t want to go. So he took me and he told her she was a terrible mother if she didn’t come so that ride turned into a professional career somehow!

But I think at the age of 6, I started competing at junior events with other girls my age and I started winning these events. My parents saw that I had potential and funny enough, they knew nothing about snow sports and so that was the only measure of my skills and to see how good I was. Shortly after that, I started training and now I have 2 Olympic Gold medals.

AM: Which is amazing! You’re the first female ever in the Olympics to win your Gold medal back-to-back in the Half Pipe. It’s always fun to see you out there! What are some of your most memorable moments from your career?

CK: I think that my most memorable moments are that they're always the firsts. The first time on a snowboard or the first time I won a contest, my first time traveling for a contest! All of the firsts are so memorable to me because I never expected my life to look like that.

Everyone was always like, “oh I don’t know what to do about my future,” but I always knew what to do in my future you know? This is what I wanted to do and it’s pretty cool.

AM: We’ve been a fan of Mucinex and we’ve been using it for the last 10 or 12 years as it clears things up which is amazing. So it’s great to see that you are partnering with them. How did you come on board for this project and tell us more about the “Small But Mighty Campaign.”

CK: I was super excited to partner with Mucinex on the “Small But Mighty Campaign,” and recently, I had the flu. My Mucinex Fast Max just really helped with everything that I had going on. I had a bunch of sinus things, my nose was running like crazy, I had the worst sore throat and it was just this tiny dose that I took, it was so much better! I felt like a human again – so this works. I highly recommend the Mucinex Fast Max whenever you’re sick, because it saved my life.

In addition to that, Mucinex is partnering with me and supporting 5 YMCA chapters with donations totaling $100,000 in 2023. I think that that is kind of why I decided to partner with them as well because they are giving back to these communities in need. That’s very important to me.

AM: That messaging is awesome as well. How do you see that message “Small But Mighty” in your own career?

CK: Yeah, you know that I think that “Small But Mighty” really resonates with me as a young woman who has always been looked down on or no one really believing in me on where I am today and proving everyone wrong has been my favorite part about my career! It’s like ha ha – look at me now, you know? I think that my career has always been about breaking boundaries and stereotypes and all of these things. To see how big of an impact that I have been able to make in other people’s lives and to also be able to change people’s perspectives on women in sports as well. Seeing how big of an impact that I have been able to make is incredible.

AM: You’re always doing so many things and it’s great to see it on IG as well. What are some things that you’re working on this Spring or things that we can keep an eye out for?

CK: I am relaxing as I’m exhausted. But you know, I think that I have just been trying to figure out what I want to do post snowboarding career as well. Knowing that I can partner with brands such as Mucinex for their “Small But Mighty Campaign” makes me really excited about the future because I see how the impact of my career can help these communities. Especially with this one as I started with very humble beginnings and knowing how this kind of support from these brands and how they care about our communities is really important because we had a really hard time when I started out. Snowboarding is not cheap, you know what I’m saying? I received a lot of support through a few charities and organizations so this means a lot and also inspires me to want to do more.

IG @chloekim

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | 9LIST STORI3S PG 36 - 39 + PG 140 - 145 ROXY

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see SMALL BUT MIGHTY | Chloe Kim in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | THE OVAL

There's nothing like having a truly unique culinary experience where you know that the utmost attention to detail is being done when you're seated for your next meal. We headed to Chelsea Market in NYC, to find out more about The Oval and how they present their pasta dishes to enthusiasts of this cuisine. We had a moment to talk with Giuseppe Di Martino, CEO and President of Pastificio Di Martino, to get to know more about this restaurant and where it sits in the larger space that it occcupies.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You’re a 3rd generation pastaio. Can you tell us what that is and you’re the CEO & President of Pastificio Di Martino which began in 1912, can you tell me about the company?

GIUSEPPE DI MARTINO: The Oval, the interactive chef’s tasting table at La Devozione has been named one of the Top 50 Italian Restaurants Abroad by 50 Top Italy and is the first New York restaurant to be awarded three forks by Gambero Rosso, Italy’s top food guidebook. The Oval was conceptualized by me, a third generation Owner of renowned Pastificio Di Martino, to express his life’s devotion to pasta. The offerings are designed by Chef Peppe Guida (Michelin-starred Osteria Nonna Rosa), then reinterpreted by The Oval’s Executive Chef Alessio Rossetti (Tony May’s SD26 and Blackbarn) who uses innovative techniques and top seasonal ingredients to transform classic Italian recipes into avant-garde dishes. Chef Alessio pushes flavor boundaries in a multicourse format; the experience runs like an incredibly paced and well-oiled machine, plated with the finest Italian tableware and silverware to accent the lavishness of the meal. Each pasta course is cooked in its own pan and served al dente and a la minute, underscoring the duo’s commitment to even the smallest detail.

AM: You’re known as a heritage pasta company and this is the first brick and mortar that you’ve had in the US. Why was Chelsea Market the perfect destination for this multi-concept destination?

GDM: Because it is a destination where 50 million foodies pass by every year. It is also a great source of inspiration because of the multiethnic presence of ingredients. We have a dedicated exclusive main entrance at W 428 on 16th street for our guests but we like to be a genuine part of the neighbourhood so the entrance from the course of the market is also possible as we feel part of Chelsea Market and what it represents.

AM: There are over 126 distinct pastas – what is the process that goes into creating a new pasta and how do you decide how a shape would work with a specific ingredient or sauces?

GDM: The 100 shapes of pasta are an answer to the need of intrigue to the creativity and fantasy of Italians when it comes to food. Italians use seasonality and territory technique to have pasta everyday on their tables. To be knowledgeable about the pairing of a shape with a recipe is a process that is natural to pasta natives but we invite everybody to come to the store to meet our pasta genius that will tell you every secret about it and so that you can really enjoy the richness and the variety of the offer.

AM: The Oval is a restaurant that has a beautiful 30-seat bar. What can you tell me about who designed whit and why you wanted to seat guests in this way?

GDM: The Oval is a project that brings pasta and the person that will eat it at the center of the stage. The pan when pasta is finished it’s closed to the diner than to the chef. The dish will be served second after being cooked and finished in order to catch a few seconds in which the dish is at its best. You will be watching the recipe being made step by step and learn how to cook and serve interesting and innovative recipes such as the most traditional carbonara.

AM: The restaurant also has an open kitchen. Why was that important to you?

GDM: The transparency during the cooking process and the interaction with the chef are a crucial advantage when you cook pasta from scratch. Every dish served is cooked from scratch and pasta is cooked express each and every time. The chef has no intermediary with guests so it can read the reaction and accelerate or retard the next plate.

AM: Michelin Chef Peppe Guida’s menu for lunch and dinner has a pasta tasting menu, pasta for vegetarians, those who are looking for meat and the sea. Can you tell us more about the menu?

GDM: Our menu goes from traditional ingredients like lemons from Sorrento olive oil tomato from Campania Sicily and all south of Italy but also the best meats you can find in town from small distributors such as wild boar, lamb, duck, beef pork, pharaoh and imported red shrimp from Mazzara, lobster from Canada, fresh tuna belly from Sicily and sea urchin from California and Japan together with fresh fluke and snapper from Nord Atlantic and all the fresh vegetables from Union square fresh market with priority to organic local seasonal producers.

AM: For the tasting menu, is this seasonal and how does lunch differ from what is offered for dinner?

GDM: For both lunch and dinner we offer a la carte menu along with 7 course tasting menu, La Tradizione 5 course and A Peek 4 course; The seven course is the highest expression of creativity and technique and has made as be awarded 3 forks from Gamabero Rosso the most prestigious food guide in Italy that for the first time has awarded the 3 fork in NY. It is inspired to fine Italian dining and seasonality. The rhythm of the menu is studied so that the guest can have a total experience in 90 minutes. DISHED are very refined and technically complex it takes 6 to 8 weeks to develop a menu that last 9 weeks, this makes the Oval a continuous lab in search of beauty and taste. The traditional 5 course menu brings everlasting Italian classic to fine dining experience. A peek menu it is like the word says a stort taste of the 7 course tasting menu it is a way to let customers get acquainted to our vision of cuisine.

AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest?

GDM: We have developed and produced a salad that is enriched with duck prosciutto, or red Mazzara del Vallo shrimps or lobsters. We will be serving as an appetizer the Sogno Rosa a signature dish of great success that is coming out from the tasting menu and will be finally available a la carte.

AM: What are 3 desserts that we should try when we come with friends and family?

GDM: The seasonal Oval desserts are chestnuts mousse with port wine reduction and vanilla oil and toasted elzenhout. Millefoglie with red oranges mousse and white chocolate - Coffee Jumbo shells with elderflower mousse.

AM: Tell me about your wine program. What are 3 of your favorite wines that you offer and what pasta would you pair with each one?

GDM: Our wine program is centered on small and independent producers mainly. Italian wines are obviously very well represented in all the 21 regions with a very deep focus on Piedmont, Tuscany, and Campania - our region. We have one the largest collection of champagne in NY, over 50 producers are always available from every corner of the champagne regions covering different style and seepage, we give higher attention to RM producers that reflect the territory and the tradition of the area; a great attention it is also given to Borgogna that it is closer with it’s bouquet of the tastes and scents.

I will start with champagne Henri Goutorbe 2008 special club 70% pinot noir grand cru from AY 72 months on lees, incredibly complex and persistent, it will be lovely paired with our pasta mista with potatoes saffron and sea urchin.

Fiano Pietramara I favati 2019 one of the highest expressions coming from Campania Irpinia region, Fiano is very complex elegant persistent white wine with agrumes (citrus), toasted almonds thousands flowers honey and an acid backbone mixed with a nearly salty minerality that will make every sip a perfect match with our Linguettine with red shrimp from Mazzara del Vallo and his head bisque and Campari.

Barolo 2012 Cappellano silky elegant noble but with great intensity and a very big heart just like a hunter, how not to enjoy it on our powerful pappardelle with wild boar and white truffle.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have when dining here?

GDM: “Che Fico!”- Low ABV - Finocchietto, Toasted Fennel, Aloe, Grapefruit, Olive Oil, Black Pepper

“Figli dei Fiori” - Highball - Malfy Rosa Gin, Elderflower Tonic, Grapefruit, Lime, Edible Flowers

“Vetiver Negroni“ - Classic Italian - Occitan Gin, Boatyard Gin, Braulio, Campari, Blend of Vermouths

IG @ladevozione_nyc

PHOTOS COURTESY | La Devozione

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | The Oval in mag.

CHEF'S PLAYBOOK | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO

We've enjoyed eating at Tom Colicchio's restaurants in NY as well as hearing his wisdom as the Executive Producer, host and judge of BRAVO's Top Chef. Our favorite episodes are when he creates a dish to share with the chefs. Right before the Big Game, we took some time to talk about how you can prepare your dishes, how we can include sustainable brands within our menu and getting the scoop on Season 20 of Top Chef: World All-Stars that premiers on Mar 9th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into the Big Game and all of the good food that we’re going to talk about. When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: Oh, when I was about 15, I always cooked at home and my dad suggested that I become a chef. Actually, if you look in my yearbook, circa 1980, on the bottom of my photo, it says, “plan to be a chef.”

AM: Love that!

Clearly we’re all excited for the Big Game coming up on Sunday. It’s all about people coming together and the foods that we’re all going to eat. What are you excited about when it comes to watching the game and who are you cheering for?

CHEF TC: I’m an NFC guy so I guess I’m cheering for the Eagles. Also, the owner of the Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie, did us a great favor, he and his ex-wife at the time, they were our first investors in a film that my wife made about hunger in America, so I have a soft spot for the Lurie family.

AM: Noted!

CHEF TC: Yeah, we’re just going to enjoy the day with kids, some family and maybe some friends will pop by. We keep it pretty simple around our house and you know, it's the typical stuff that you would want to find around game day – nachos. There is this little steak dish that I do that’s almost like a salad and of course, there's wings. They're a favorite in my household almost every night and not just reserved for game day.

AM: Same!

CHEF TC: This particular recipe has a barbecue sauce that’s a little bit different which has sour cherries. So there is some garlic and some ginger, there’s onion, serrano chilies for some spice, lime juice and a little bit of vinegar for some acid and then the sour cherries provide a little bit of sweetness. Since it’s sour cherries, there’s a little bit of tartness as well. So it’s really well balanced.

More importantly, is the chicken that we’re actually using. This is a new company called, Do Good Chicken and it’s in your market, you can find it. What we do is that we take food from supermarkets that would normally go in the garbage and end up in a landfill and create methane, which then creates greenhouse gases and hurts our environment, we take all that surplus food on a massive scale, process it and turn it into an odorless, flavorless powder that we then turn into pellets and in turn, feed our chickens. We give them to our growers who are growing our chickens for us. So you can actually help save the environment by simply just buying a different chicken. So when you’re in the supermarket, you have a lot of different choices that you can make in chickens. You can just buy Do Good Chicken knowing that you can help the environment. So people, I think that they want to be able to do things whether they’re buying electric cars or maybe something else. But this is very simple, buy a different chicken! You can help save the environment! In fact, every chicken that you purchase from Do Good Chicken, takes about 4 pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere.

AM: Oh wow!

So obviously, you just shared with us this chicken recipe that looks amazing. What tips do you have for people that are entertaining their friends or family for the Big Game and how they can make it easy for them and enjoyable as well.

CHEF TC: Yeah, you have to start a couple of days in advance. Make sure that your shopping is done by Thursday. Make sure that your prep, you’ve started on Sat at least! Don’t wait until Sunday morning where you’re running around. Get all of that chopping out of the way. So if you’re doing this sauce, you can make it on Thursday or on Friday – it’s going to hold. Get your chicken wings. This is really important when you’re making chicken, you want it to be really really dry. So buy it a couple of days in advance, take it out of the package, keep it open, do not cover it in your refrigerator so it dries out. That’s how you get crispy crispy chicken. So that’s really important. But anything that you’re chopping, if you’re making salsas and things like that, just do it ahead of time. You don’t have to wait until the last second. Typically, when I’m cooking, if I’m making a dinner party at home, I want to get all of the chopping, the cutting and the prepping out of the way early. When I’m cooking, I’m not using a knife anymore, I’m just cooking and you can really just focus on that. Also, you want to keep this really simple because you want to spend time with your friends. The worst thing that you can do is have a bunch of people at your house and you’re stuck in the kitchen the entire time. You want to get out there and to enjoy the game as well.

AM: We couldn’t agree more and those are great tips! It’s kind of like Thanksgiving – prepping in advance!

CHEF TC: Absolutely! You’ve got to prep in advance and sometimes, a couple of days in advance! I think the other thing is that too often, I don’t think that we think about what we’re doing ahead of time. By now you should have your plays written out, you should know what your moves are going to be. You don’t want to call an audible the day of!

AM: Well, we’re sure that you have an awesome playbook coach!

CHEF TC: Haha you’ve got to read the defense too!

AM: Without a doubt!

We’re so excited for Top Chef to come out next month! It’s always exciting and we love when we get to talk to people that have been part of that universe. We’ve talked with Gail Simmons, Chef Justin Sutherland, Chef Kristen Kish and other people that have been cheftestants and Chef Nyesha Arrington is our cover for the JAN ISSUE #85.

CHEF TC: Oh yeah, she’s great!

AM: We love her to pieces!

So what can we expect for the All Stars, next month in London?

CHEF TC: Well, what’s really cool about this one is that it’s International All Stars. So, there are Top Chef productions all over the globe and so we’re taking the best over those regions – either winners or runners ups and bringing them all together. So we have contestants from Poland, Germany, Thailand, France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and of course, the United States. It’s a great competition, it was a lot of fun shooting in London and it’s going to be fantastic!

AM: We’re definitely looking forward to that! Are there any other things that we should keep an eye out for because you’re always doing so many positive things and using your platform to let people know what you think about the state of things.

CHEF TC: Yes, I will continue to work on things for issues that revolve around hunger. There is the Farm Bill which is where all the hunger policies are contained. That’s happening and every 5 years, it’s debated so that’s coming up and I’m focusing on that and I am working on a new restaurant in Washington, D.C. that will hopefully open around Nov.

AM: That’s exciting, I always love when I go by Craft as we’re based here in NY. It’s amazing to be able to connect with you and to see what you’re doing and to watch Top Chef as well as to try out this chicken recipe.

SOUR CHERRY BBQ WINGS

• 4 lbs Do Good Chicken Party Wings

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed

• ¾ cup sour cherry preserves

• 1/3 cup lime juice about 2 limes

• 1 lime, zested

• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• Salt and Pepper

• Flavorless oil, such as avocado or vegetable

Preheat the over to 450F and Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings in 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the wings to the baking sheets skin side up and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked through and crisp.

While the wings are baking, make your BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the minced serrano pepper and smashed garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened and garlic is fragrant.

Add the onion and pepper mixture to a blender along with the sour cherry preserves, lime juice, and ketchup. Blend until smooth.

Return the cherry BBQ sauce back and to the pan and stir in the remaining serrano pepper. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the BBQ sauce to a bowl.

Remove the wings from the oven when finishing baking and add them to a large bowl. Toss with one third of the cherry BBQ sauce.

Return the tossed wings back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized.

Transfer the glazed wings to a serving dish, sprinkle with lime zest, and serve with the remaining glaze on the side.

If you’re looking for a sauce to cool you down, mix some cherry glaze with mayo for a cooler dipping sauce!

IG @tomcolicchio

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Tom Colicchio

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see CHEF’S PLAYBOOK | Chef Tom Colicchio in mag.

THE ENERGY INNOVATOR | JENNIFER MAXWELL

It's always good to pay hommage to those that created categories that started with a product that we continue to enjoy to this day. We enjoy energy bars and there are so many to choose from; however, back in 1985, this category started with the PowerBar. In the 90's, we threw these bars into our bag. Jennifer Maxwell and her husband, created this brand and after selling the brand in 2000, she came back to this category that she created to add JAMBAR into the conversation! We took some time to talk with this innovator about how she came to the industry, creating PowerBar, introducing JAMBAR and the ethos of this company.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of your work in the industry for a number of years! Tell me about your background as I know that you’re a mom, an athlete, a musician and a food science nutrition expert.

JENNIFER MAXWELL: That’s right! So I started as a young girl being very athletic in high school and in college. I’ve always been interested in nutrition and how that plays into overall wellness and performance as an athlete. I was at UC Berkely as an athlete on the track cross country team that my future husband, Brian at that time. We started a project together to create the PowerBar. So this was all the way back to 1985 and this was before energy bars were even a thing. We worked in our duplex apartment to come up with the formulation and launch PowerBar. We started the company in 1985 and we launched it 1987 and created a whole industry. It was really the love of athletics and performance that we were able to do that. We grew the company to be really large and then we sold it to Nestlé in 2000 and that was my initial interest in this industry.

AM: I remember in the 90s then I was in middle school and in high school, I would throw a PowerBar into my bag and it was great to keep my energy going. The fact that this was the first and it opened the door to the energy bar as a category, how does it feel to know that you started this and to see how it has grown?

JM: It’s very satisfying. It gave me the interest to go from what was PowerBar to JAMBAR. Now there are so many energy bars on the market. So I thought, what can I do now that so many years have gone by and I wanted to re-enter the category because I’m very passionate about organic nutrition. JAMBAR is an organic energy bar. I was really interested to see what was out there and what else that I could create.

AM: You launched JAMBAR in 2021. I have to tell you that I am obsessed with Chocolate Cha Cha. I love that flavor. We got the variety box but that one is my favorite. Can you tell us more about JAMBAR and the flavors and the ingredients that you have in them?

JM: Ok. So there’s 4, Cha Cha like you mentioned, Musical Mango, Jammin’ Jazzleberry and Malt Nut Melody. The thing about JAMBAR which is really interesting is the quality of the ingredients. We didn’t sacrifice and make any short cuts in the creation of it. I spent over 4 years looking at what is available in the marketplace for proteins, gluten-free grain, etc and what were the best quality ingredients using real sweeteners which was really important to me – sugars that are inherent in nature. I wanted to provide options for people. So within those flavors, 2 are plant-based proteins (Musical Mango and Jammin’ Jazzleberry) and 2 are whey based (Chocolate Cha Cha and Malt Nut Melody). We have options for people that want to eat plant-based protein which is 10g per bar. So it’s a pretty comprehensive product and it has 4g of fiber and that’s what I wanted to do. The taste is great! When I looked at a portfolio of products, I wanted to have not just a product that was kind of the same. At JAMBAR, the chocolate is a very deep and rich chocolate which is very different from the Malt Nut Melody which has peanut butter and vanilla. The Jazzleberry has a lot of freeze dried berries – raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. The Mango has big pieces of mango in it. So it's a lot of fruit and a lot of quality of ingredients in each one.

AM: I love it and I love the texture too. It’s a very flavorful and satisfying bar to have. It’s really exciting. I love that there is this sentiment of this energy artisan bar. I love that phrase, what do you mean by that?

JM: So artisan means that we take time to produce in order to create these bars. It’s not something where we have mass mass production. We do make a lot of bars, but we have a production facility here and we make our own product. We don’t have a copacker because they make tons of products for other people. We make our own product and we take the time to craft the quality.

AM: Each bar has a musical name which I love. Why is music part of the ethos of the brand?

JM: Well, music is really important to me as a musician. I play in 2 bands now. Music came into my life a couple of years after my husband, Brian passed away in 2004. Music was a savior to me and I have always been interested in music. Something called to me to be a musician in 2007. I’m a drummer, mostly jazz – music is a huge part of my recovery. After the passing of my husband and raising my 6 children, I needed something that I could feel good about, keep working on myself, meet people and to be happy. Music provides all of those things.

When I got the formulation of JAMBAR now and decided to launch this company, I wanted to have more than just a great product. I wanted to have a company that had more of a purpose. Since music was important to me, I thought well, I want to support organizations that support music. That’s what JAMBAR does. We donate 50% of our proceeds to organizations that promote music and active living. Active living would be running races. Music is music performances, schools, kids music programs, live music programs, etc. That’s a huge part of the company. You get your jam on and that’s a music connection! It's a big purpose and JAMBAR exists as an all organic fantastic tasting and healthy energy option for consumers, but to also have that greater purpose and to contribute to the community for music and active living.

AM: I really like that. I love music, here at Athleisure Mag, we cover a lot of artists, my great uncle was a jazz tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson.

JM: Oh really! Oh my ok!! I know Joe Henderson. In fact, I have played many of his tunes oh wow!

AM: Yeah so music is something that I grew up with and I have styled a number of music artists and just as someone who enjoys listening to it, it fuels the soul and even when I have traveled to other countries where we don’t speak the same language, the notes, the music, the rhythm and the melody really connects people as a language on another level. I think that it’s so amazing that that’s what you do with the brand as well! It’s great messaging on top of the fact that I literally love this product.

JM: Thank you!

AM: Of course! Are you going to have additional flavors or limited edition flavors that you’ll do with this brand?

JM: Yes. That is something that interests me because we’re small enough, nimble and make our own product that we would be able to do that for a limited edition or seasonal offering. I am working on another flavor and when we launch it, that’s definitely going to be something super fun.

AM: We will have to keep an eye out for that one!

JM: Oh yeah and with our consumers, we ask, what flavors do you guys recommend?

AM: You’ll be at the Natural Products Expo West in March. What are you looking forward to at this tradeshow which focuses on natural and organic products?

JM: Yeah, it’s JAMBAR’s debut! It will be our first big tradeshow. We have done other ones, but this is a big debut. To be able to connect with everyone from retailers, distributors, brokers and interested people that want to learn more about JAMBAR, our mission and our product. We’re really excited about it.

AM: I know that the brand is available in the Bay Area, Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. What’s the distribution strategy and will you be available here in NY and where can we get them online?

JM: We sell on Amazon.

AM: Nice.

JM: As well as our own website so that’s pretty easy. Since we’re based in California, most of our distribution is on the West Coast like you mentioned. We’re in larger retailers in the Bay Area because we’re here. We’re opening up our distribution in Southern California and in the PNW. We also have some distribution in North Carolina. We have a little bit coming east.

AM: Are there any partnerships or collaborations that you will do this year that we should keep an eye out for?

JM: Well we do between 20-25 events a month. We just did the San Francisco Half Marathon which was about 1,000 runners. It was fantastic. It rained a little bit but the runners had their JAMBAR after the event. We have the Silicon Wellness Summit, San Diego Half Marathon, the La Jolla Half which will be in May. We also have some Ultra running events, the Jane Fonda Women’s Icon Event that’s really fun. We have the Asheville Marathon in mid-March as well as the Oakland Marathon. So we have events like that that have let’s say 5-10,000 people. Then we also have very small events like a girl's softball opening day event that has 250 people. So we go from 250 people to 5-10,000 people.

IG @eatjambar

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Jennifer Maxwell

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ENERGY INNOVATOR | Jennifer Maxwell in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | DAWN RUSSELL

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Dawn Russell in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | THE JUICY LOUNGE

When this juicery's partner always wanted to open a lounge and the other wanted a juice bar, The Juicy Lounge was born! The fact that in addition to juices, they wanted to have pastries, espresso and more - the name was perfect. They also want to be able to change the Juice and Smoothies concept.

This partnership wants to bring something different and healthy to the neighborhood. Its a new, unique concept that's been well-received by the community.

The space was designed by Peter Sibilia who curated a mid-century Italian meets modern aesthetic, with a seafoam green candy-striped floor that allows the millennial pink paneled half wall to pop. Above the paneling is hyper modern pink, gold, and white wallpaper of circles and their cut outs on one side, a white-washed brick wall with shelfing displaying pink books and rotary phone among other design elements on the opposite wall above the iconic Salvador Dali Mae West Lips Sofa. The juice bar itself is lined with hanging baskets, each with a different color fruit, adding a line of tropical tones to the space, accentuated by top-of-the-line juicing machines.

Three slow pressed juices that we suggest trying include: The Fennel Twist, made with fennel, celery, ginger, lemon, and apple; the Sweetox, with kale lemon, kiwi, ginger, orange, and apple; and Can't Beet It, with beets, carrots, cucumber, lemon, and apple.

Three juice shots that we enjoy are Top-G, with ginger, lemon, honey, and apple; the Wheat Baby, with wheatgrass, pineapple, and orange, and also the T-Shot, with turmeric, lemon, honey, and apple.

For your smoothies, this week, we suggest Sunny Tropical, orange, peach, carrot, and yogurt; Green Dream, mango with spinach, banana, and lemon; and Berry Banana, raspberries, strawberries, banana, chia seeds, and almond milk.

When you want to grab a bite, they offfer two açaí bowls for guests: The Juicy Lounge, açai with strawberries, blueberries, banana, coconut flakes, and granola; and Hollywood, açaí, mango, pineapple, banana, coconut flakes, and granola.

The açaí bowls, juices, and smoothie selections will be updated and vary based on seasonal produce and availability.

THE JUICY LOUNGE

493 9th Ave

NY, NY 10018

thejuicylounge.com

IG @thejuicyloungenyc

PHOTO CREDITS | The Juicy Lounge

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | The Juicy Lounge in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | LA PULPERIA

La Pulperia opened in early April of 2021 and offers Latin American Cuisine that is simple yet refined with influences from Peru, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. There are also influences from Europe which includes places like Italy and Spain. It's named after the general stores found throughout South America.

La Pulperia, designed by Andres Gomez (Red Rooster, Whitehall, SoCo) mirrors the authentic pulperias of South America with a nautical theme that matches the restaurant’s seafood-leaning menu with hooks hanging from the ceiling. The interior is anchored by a large marble bar and lined with exposed brick. The back wall is overlapped with different shapes and sizes of framed mirrors to evoke a vintage rustic look. Floor to ceiling windows on the far side of the restaurant gives eaters a clear view of the streets.

La Pulperia's Executive Chef Miguel Molina suggests that we have the Tuna con Tomate, inspired from Spain with his personal touch of Seared Tuna. The Empanadas Mixtas: beef, cheese & corn, or crab meat and every single empanada is hand made with a unique folded edge to distinguish their filling. His Crispy Lobster Taquitos, made with main lobster, Japanese mayo, fresh vegetable salsa that has roasted pineapple, peppers, onions, salt and pepper, topped with avocado mousse, in a crispy wonton shell gives your taste buds the feeling of being by the sea.

For the raw bar, try Hamachi Tostada, his original one-of-a-kind appetizer that combines the delicacy of Peruvian-Asian influenced ingredients with the hamachi fish spread with the piquillo romesco topped with crispy leeks. Ceviche Mixto, is very fresh and contains a mix of seafood like white fish, shrimp, and fresh squid. He also recommends the Tuna Tartare because of its freshness, it’s a sushi grade tuna, the best tuna for any sushi. The carrot ginger leche de tigre sauce enhances the flavor of the tuna tartare giving it a sweet and sour tropical taste, to which we also top with crispy red quinoa.

For your entree, we suggest the Murray’s Roasted Half Chicken because it is made with a 24 hour marinate of orange capers sauce! The Moqueca Mixta is a fusion of Brazil, with the freshest seafood. We also like their Argentinian Parrillada, a family dinner served alongside with homemade roasted potatoes and market salad.

The beverage program is created by Daviel Villanueva. We suggest South American spirits like Pareero Old Fashioned, Del Callao and The Mean Julep.

We're keeping an eye out for NXT Room, an intimate space that will open for mixology classes, allowing you to bring your own guest bartender.

LA PULPERIA

623 9th Ave

NY, NY 10036

lapulperianyc.com

IG @lapulperianyc

PHOTO CREDITS | La Pulperia

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | La Pulperia in mag.

ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS | WHITNEY CUMMINGS

We love a good laugh and Whitney Cummings has been giving us that in front of and behind the camera as a creator, writer and comedian. She created and wrote 2 Broke Girls, Executive Produced the Roseanne reboot and appeared in Crashing, Made of Honor, The Wedding Ringer and more. We talked about her partnership with Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, how she will celebrate St. Patrick's Day and upcoming projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you knew you wanted to be a comedian?

WHITNEY CUMMINGS: Oh wow, woo. You know what? It’s interesting that you say that because I could answer this a lot of different ways, but I truly because I am doing this partnership with Baileys, this actually folds into it! I found myself as a child, always fighting very hard to get my parents attention. They were watching TV, they were always doing other things. So I had to fight really hard, I was not planned, my sister is 13 months older than me. So sometimes when you’re the youngest or not planned, you’re trying to fit into an already established system and I was always trying to get their attention. My dad and my mom, they loved comedy and they would watch TV and I would see what they laughed at and I would try to make them laugh!

I was just talking to the Baileys people and I was like, this is kind of blowing my mind, because as soon as I posted that I was partnering with Baileys, a lot of my family members reached out and said, “oh my gosh you’re working with them? We're a Baileys family!” I was like, “we are?” They were like, “what do you mean? All we do is drink Baileys.” I didn’t remember that and didn’t know what they were talking about. Then I realized that that’s what was in all of the mugs that they wouldn’t let me have! I remember that I was competing with mugs of coffee and I would tell them that I was going to drink coffee and they’d say no – no coffee! So I wasn’t allowed to drink coffee, but that’s not what was in there! So I started putting it together that I became funny competing with Baileys as a kid and here we are and now me and my childhood nemesis are now partnering up! Now that I have incorporated Baileys into my life, I get now why they would have rather done that as opposed to talking to me!

AM: Well, it is a tasty beverage!

WC: I just remember in my brain as a kid, that coffee was supposed to make you have energy, be jittery – you know jump off the walls like a Tasmanian Devil. But when my mom and dad would drink coffee when they would come home from work, they enjoyed it.

As you get older, you sort of put all of the pieces together and this was one of the missing pieces. I always wondered why they would want to drink gross coffee instead of hanging out with me. But nope, that’s not what was happening!

I also come from a Virginia/DC area where every part of the world has their own unique set of circumstances that provides a little bit of adversity and looking at things in a different way. I think that I get a lot of it inherited from my family. I found out that I am half Jewish and part of me is Irish. I always knew that I was Irish and that I am the only brunette that will dance on a bar, I have to wear so much sunscreen and I’m not afraid of snakes! Do you know that Ireland doesn’t have snakes?

AM: Really?

WC: Nope, no snakes! They never introduced snakes to the island and I’m obsessed with this and this is part of the reason that they’re able to have such a good time and to chill. Baileys is made in Ireland and now, my only bucket list item for me to do now is to go to Ireland and to try to meet with my relatives.

AM: Why do you think that everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day?

WC: I’m a little Irish on every other holiday because I Irish Goodbye all the time. Every holiday I show up for 5 mins and then I leave. Everyone is like, “Irish Goodbye Whitney,” it’s my thing.

Every other holiday, there is so much pressure. It’s about finding gifts, crazy schedules and cooking all day. To me, St. Patrick’s Day is the only holiday that doesn’t make you feel guilty, go broke and you can actually enjoy it! I love the thematics of it where it’s about luck, it’s about fortune, gratitude and celebrating about just being alive. As someone who has been called a saint and someone who does have a few exes named Patrick, I feel like there is something magical about it and that this day brings out the best in everyone. It didn’t always bring out the best in me in college, but now that I have figured out a way to do it, it’s fun and a little bit glamorous. It’s delicious! I have never been the type that when I drink, it’s like oysters. They bring them out and then they have all of these sauces and people say, oh just eat them. But if you have to do that much, it’s just too much and it doesn’t taste good! You shouldn’t need so many sauces to be able to do it and then just the way that you have to eat them by swallowing and doing it as quickly as possible – no. I like things that I can savor. So for me, adult beverages you have to figure it out. There are those that burn, you then have to shake it with a lemon, add lime, put sugar in it – it’s too much. The Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake was a game changer for me because I can just enjoy it! For me it’s the perfect element to add to the magical and whimsical warmth of St. Patrick’s Day. It’s like, if a Leprechaun had a blender, this is what he would make.

AM: How are you going to celebrate this year? Obviously we know that you’ll enjoy the Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake, but is there an outfit situation?

WC: Well yes. So Baileys and I worked on getting the perfect outfit. To me, it’s like I'm always struggling the GRWM videos, I don't really dress up to do stand up too much. I’m in sneakers, I jump around, I don’t dress up that much. So this is the holiday where I really want to go for it. I do look amazing in green, it’s weird. But I have never really put it together. Do you know why? I wanna say that when I was 15 or 16, I didn’t have a Halloween costume one year and I just panicked. We had to dress up as something for school. What I did was that I just dressed in a green turtleneck and green pants and I went as jealousy. I thought it would be easier to go as a concept and no one got it and it was very dramatic! I guess it has taken me 20 years to get back into the green wardrobe phase! I really want to go out and to make it a fashion moment because I’m a Virgo and green is my color. I want to celebrate and I tour. We were inside for 2 years straight and then we had to make up all of my tour dates so I have been out on the road for like a year in 80 cities so I haven’t really gotten to be a person! I’m probably going to have people at my house and we’re going to do sort of a cocktail party, hang out and do a hot tub and just fun stuff at my house! I’m a dork! On Etsy, I bought a bunch of puzzles and we’re just going to do Baileys and do some puzzles.

AM: That totally seems like such a fun way to spend the evening!

What projects do you have coming up as you mentioned that you’re still touring, but we know that there are other things that you’re doing as well!

WC: Oh yeah! There’s this show on FOX called Accused.

AM: LOVE THAT SHOW!

WC: Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to hear you say that! It’s intense right?

AM: Yeah it is!

WC: My episode, thankfully the Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake will be out when my episode airs. You’ll sort of need to take the edge off when you watch it. My episode comes out in a few weeks. It’s very dramatic! I have been very careful about doing drama and when I was going to do drama. With comedians, there is a very tall order with us where no one ever gives us a chance to do dramatic acting, but when they do you know, it’s always a Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I'm Dying Up Here, Kidding) or a Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, A.I. Artificial Intelligence). We’re kind of cut out to do it, so I was very picky but Howard Gordon (The X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tyrant) who made the show who did Homeland and 24, he was the first person that I could trust doing this incredibly traumatic subject matter. It was wild to shoot so I’m just bracing myself for that.

In addition, what the roasts used to be, the Friars Roasts where it evolved into the Comedy Central Roast, and I’m bringing those back on OnlyFans TV. We’re doing the roast for Bert Kreischer (This is Not Happening, Something's Burning, Go Big Show), we already shot it, it’s going to air on April 1st and the roast of me is going to air on Mother’s Day, May 14th and I’m in post on those. Then, I’m working on an animated movie and more info to come on there. It’s about making up those tour dates and I’m going to get back into digging into more scripted stuff and of course, there’s the podcast that I do every week that people are really enjoying that. I’m glad they like it even though I have no idea what I’m doing!

BAILEYS VANILLA MINT SHAKE COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

3.5oz Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake

PREPARATION

1. Pour Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.

2. Strain into a coupe glass.

3. Garnish with chocolate shavings

4. Enjoy!

Garnish

Chocolate shavings

IG @whitneycummings

PHOTO CREDITS | Angela Pham

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS | Whitney Cummings in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

THE 8GREENS COOKBOOK

Preface Publishing

Dawn Russell

We have been a fan of 8GREENS for a while now. We love that by drinking a tablet each day as well as having gummies that's packed with our must-have greens, we're effortlessly contributing to our good health.

In The 8Greens Cookbook: The Simple Way to Get Your Greens, founder of this nourishing brand, Dawn Russell shares how navigating her health issues led to a journey on the power of getting your greens! The recipes include items that include products from her line as well as those that include our favorite veggies. This book is one that is great for those that want to incorporate ways to great health.

ICE COLD. A HIP-HOP JEWELRY HISTORY

Taschen

Vikki Tobak

Ice Cold. A Hip-Hop Jewelry History takes us through how this accessory is the cornerstone of Hip-Hop from Patek Philippe watches, Tiffany necklaces, Rolexes and more! This coffeetable book is filled with diamond encrusted grills, truck style chains and a number of blinged out pieces that your favorite artists have worn as well as performed in.

This book looks at these statement pieces from the 1980s to today. In addition, artists share their stories through ice and how this is an extension of their identity and self-expression. We get to hear from as well as see Run-DMC, Eric B., Rakim, Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane and Cardi B to name a few. We see the pieces that they love and how street style was transformed into a new era of design culture. The book also shares collaborations, the use of unconventional materials and of course, over the top pieces.

In reading this book, you'll learn about jewelers that paved the way for the industries pioneers from Tito Caicedo of Manny’s, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler as well as artisans including Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and more.

Make sure to read the foreword by Slick Rick and essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J and more.

THE HOUSE OF EVE

Simon & Schuster

Sadeqa Johnson

We find ourselves in 1950s Philadelphia in The House of Eve and meet Ruby Pearsall who is on track to being the first person in her family to go to college. But a love affair threatens to keep her where she is.

We also meet Eleanor Quarles who comes to Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets her handsome love interest who attends Howard University and comes from an elite wealthy Black family, she realizes that she has a lot to navigate in order to be accepted by his family. This is the life that she has always wanted and she simply wants to fit in.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

YOU

Netflix Series

Netflix

We've been a fan of YOU since the beginning and Season 4 drops this month for the first half of the season and the remainder will continue on Mar 9th! We continue to follow along with Joe (Penn Badgley) as he starts a new life as he tries to find love while also living the life that he feels he needs. After Season 3, we saw how he finally found a way to leave Love (Victoria Pedretti) and other portions of his life.

If you have yet to watch the previous seasons, you definitely need to binge these episodes. For those who are caught up, we won't spoil what takes place this season, but we meet an entirely new cast of characters and a few of Joe's ghosts! But true to Joe's ability to adapt in any environment, we see how he gets into a number of issues and finds ways to get out of it.

MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN

Paramount Original

Paramount+

Not everyone who runs a town and has the ability to connect others in an official capacity. Mike McClusky (Jeremy Renner) was formerly incarcerated and since being out, has worked in his brother's business which helps those in the community to get things done when the proper channels aren't available to him. For those that have yet to see the 1st season or need to catch up, you'll see how Mike works whether it's interacting with Kingstown's gang groups, the police and more.

Mike is in constant fixer mode and in coming off of last season, there continues to be unrest as the city tries to heal itself and put order back on the table while also making peace with the gangs as well as those that are still in jail.

Although Mike always seems like he's moments ahead of everythign falling apart and on the cusp of deals falling through, he always finds a way to make things come together to fight another day. The Mayor of Kingstown is yet another Taylor Sheridan (1883, 1923, Sicario) series that much like Yellowstone's universe as well as Tulsa King, looks at the intersectionality of communities, the players who run things and the need to see who is on the verge of trying to become the one that grabs the power to create a new kind of order.

STOLEN HEARTS

Wondery

Spotify

We love a good true crime story, it takes on another level when someone whose job it is to investigate crimes finds themselves in the midst of a scandal. In Stolen Hearts, we meet a police officer who falls in love with a man who treats her like royalty. It's only after she starts a family with him and meets his friends and enjoys his lavish lifestyle, where she learns that he's arrested for a robbery. In this podcast we hear how she learns about what he lied about, his real family and the implications of how this boyfriend has affected her job and has left her in a cloud of suspicion.

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

CREATING SPACES | ELAINE WELTEROTH

When we hear the name Elaine Welteroth, we think of someone who continues to place herself in spaces where she leaves the door open for others that also want to have a presence in. When she took the position of Editor in Chief at Teen Vogue in 2016, she was the 2nd Black person to have held this position in the 107 years of Condé Nast's history! This journalist, editor, New York Times Bestselling Author of More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), BRAVO's Project Runway host continues to inspire others. We connected with her right after the Big Game to find out about hosting CÎROC Stands For Black Excellence which was held at the NFL House, the importance of representation and upcoming projects that she has coming up.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You just came off of a panel for CÎROC Stands For Black Excellence which took place during Super Bowl Weekend at the NFL House. Can you tell me about this event and why you wanted to be part of it?

ELAINE WELTEROTH: The event was amazing! For me, it was an easy yes! Being able to go and spend time with some influential Black women in sports media during Super Bowl Weekend in Phoenix where the sun was always shining – we were surrounded by the local chapter of National Association of Black Journalists. I just felt like I was around my people. I didn’t know any of the people prior to being there, but it felt like a homecoming in a sense because we have all walked similar paths professionally and we all in some way, shape or form understand what it means to be what I say in my book, first, only and different. So FOD which is a Shonda Rhimes term from her book, but I really felt this kinship and I think everyone did. It was really necessary because we’re all doing this work and in different spaces as journalists and it can be isolating to be the only one that looks like you and navigating those worlds. I think that it was very nourishing and energizing for everyone that was there. I have to give a lot of credit to the panelists because they brought it! I can bring my juicy and hard-hitting questions, but if I’m not met with openness, vulnerability, and transparency, it can just be a run of the mill event. This was anything but, I went really deep and there were tears. I joked that people came for the Super Bowl, but they got Super Soul conversations instead. It was like testimony time, it was incredible.

AM: You were also able to highlight the next generation of Black sports journalists, what was your biggest takeaway from the event as a whole?

EW: My biggest takeaway is that we all share so much in common no matter where we’re working or what side of the business we are in. There are some commonalities to our struggles and our triumphs. I think that the major takeaways were how important community is along the journey and I think that we definitely cultivated a deeper sense of community with at least 1 other person. My charge to them before they left, because the last question that came up from somebody in the audience which by the way I have to say, ain’t no Q+A session like a Q+A session with NABJ folks in the audience because every single question that came up was hard-hitting, thought provoking, complex or even beautifully simplistic! The last question was that – how is your heart? It left us in this really kind of reflective and heart filled space. My charge to everybody was to find somebody at that event that they did not know walking in and ask them, how is their heart?

We’re trained to ask the right questions and to be really buttoned up and to be focused on being very professional, but I think that when we’re with each other and in a safe space, we need to gear shift and learn how to ask the questions that open up our humanity and allow us the safe space to be just human and to show ourselves the softer side of each other. We need to cultivate that sense of community. That felt really good and I would say that that was a standout moment from the event.

AM: It’s great that this took place obviously during Black History Month, how can we continue to support and celebrate these objectives not only this month, but year around?

EW: Absolutely! Well one of the things that I loved about partnering with CÎROC is that they have made a financial commitment to NABJ to help fund the important work throughout the year. I know that NABJ is such a worthwhile organization that we rely on their work in terms of scholarship, mentorship, career advancement opportunities to keep the pipeline alive for the next generation of Black journalists. I just really love that CÎROC is taking a stand and making sure that they are supporting an organization like NABJ which is keeping Black journalists in the jobs. NABJ really does place young or emerging journalists in jobs. So we need them to stay funded, to stay supported and for me that was the most important connection. It’s not that Cîroc was just doing that one off event, they’re putting their support where their mouths are by really investing in NABJ in this way.

AM: What’s your go-to CÎROC cocktail?

EW: Ok so, I’m a terrible bartender, I don’t know how to make a cocktail myself, full transparency. I know how to do a lot of other things ok?

AM: You do all the things! But there is that one.

EW: Exactly! I wear a lot of hats, I do a lot of jobs – bartending ain’t one! But I will say that I do love a minty, cucumbery, light refreshing drink.

AM: Oh, the CÎROC Thyme Spritz.

EW: Yes, they had them at the event and it was so refreshing! It was perfect for a sweltering day in Phoenix right before the Super Bowl. I think most of us, but I definitely descended from a much colder climate so I was still thawing out and needed some refreshment! It was bomb and you should get the recipe because it was great.

AM: I have been a fan of yours of years. I remember when you became the Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue, my mouth literally dropped open and all the barriers that you have broken as a co-host on BRAVOS’s Project Runway, your best selling book and all of these accomplishments. What does it mean to you to not only be able to break barriers, but to unapologetically be you in these different spaces that we’re still making our presence known in those places?

EW: Well thank you first of all, I appreciate that so much. I think that it means nothing to break a barrier if you’re not doing so as your authentic self. I think that that’s what keeps the door open for the next Black woman to come through those doors as herself. We are not a monolith and I think that while we do represent for our community, we also represent the individuality of our community. I think that it’s important that we understand. You can feel the pressure as someone who is the first to blaze a certain trail. You might feel the pressure to be a certain way and to fit a mold or to break it in some kind of radical way. It’s important for you to be able to figure out how to be authentically you and how to tell the stories, those stories, if you’re journalist in only the way that you can tell. I think that by doing that, you are giving the permission to others to do the same.

AM: You are always so busy doing a number of projects. I know that you have an advice column with The Washington Post. What are things that we should keep an eye out for that you’re doing? I know that every time I see you taking on something that it will be amazing.

EW: That’s so nice! I am shooting a new show that I can’t fully talk about yet, but that’s why I’m in NY this month. But it’s going to be really good in terms of the conversations that it’s bringing to the table proverbial and literally. I’ll leave it at that, but I am excited about that. I feel that everything that I do, it may seem like I am doing a lot of things, but to me it is the same mission and the same spirit that I bring to everything. I always say that purpose can be multiplatform. You can find a way to work in your purpose across many mediums, especially as a journalist and storyteller in this era. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be able to explore different mediums and going deeper into television. Also, finding a way to use my skill set as a journalist to raise awareness to issues that matter to our community and to me a lot as well personally.

Recently, I have been getting very involved with raising awareness and working towards hopefully, reform around the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis and trying to recontextualize that conversation because it can be so heavy. It’s just hearing that term, Black Maternal Mortality Crisis sometimes people just turn off. There’s so much going on in the world and there’s so much trauma, I can’t handle one more thing. But I think that if we reframe the conversation around celebrating the joy around childbirth and reminding us that we deserve to have joyful, safe births, then it opens up the conversation to how we go about achieving that! What are the different options that we have that we didn’t even know about? I want to come at it with this kind of fix it spirit; with this optimistic lens that’s very much so solution oriented and it’s really about showcasing these choices that we have along this birth journey that we really don’t know about and sometimes when it’s too late. So before we become another sad statistic, how do we get the right information to the right people and especially to Black women who are disproportionally affected by this crisis in this country. So that's my passion project in the non-profit space. I think that because it’s Black History Month, it’s worth mentioning!

You can support NABJ as well as Black owned business in a number of ways!

• To stay informed on all NABJ related news you can register for their newsletter here.

• Making a habit of supporting Black owned businesses all the time.

• Share information online/engage in conversation surrounding pro-black efforts.

• Finding your local NABJ chapter online to become a mentor, get involved and more.

• Making a donation to NABJ through their website to help further their mission.

• Registering for the NABJ newsletter to stay informed on all NABJ related news and future events.

CÎROC THYME SPRITZ

INGREDIENTS

1.2 oz CÎROC Vodka

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz Thyme Syrup

1 oz Fresh-Pressed Cucumber Juice

GLASSWARE

Footed Spritz Glass

GARNISH

Cucumber Ribbon and Thyme Sprig

PREPARATION

Add CÎROC Vodka, fresh lime juice, thyme syrup, and fresh-pressed cucumber juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Serve in a footed spritz glass. Garnish with cucumber ribbon and thyme sprig.

IG @elainewelteroth

PHOTGRAPHY CREDITS | Bre Johnson

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see CREATING SPACES | Elaine Welteroth in mag.

9PLAYLIST | MARTIN JENSEN

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | DJ/Producer Martin Jensen in mag.

9DRIP | LEAH VAN DALE

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see 9DRIP | Leah Van Dale in mag.

DROP THE BEAT | MARTIN JENSEN

With a number of festivals already on our list to attend, it's always good to catch up with DJs that we will see throughout this year. We caught up with DJ/Producer Martin Jensen to find out how he turned his love of music into a career, how his production background assists him when he is in the studio or about to perform, who he has collaborated with and his latest release with Days Like This with Jay Sean.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music?

MARTIN JENSEN: From a very young age, music was always around me and playing in my home growing up. I never knew what direction I wanted to take – if it was in the industry behind the scenes or even being a DJ or lighting engineer or whatever – was doable. It was only when I first started playing smaller parties that I really got the bug.

AM: In terms of working in the music industry, I know that initially you thought that you would be behind the scenes in terms of lighting engineering and stage design; however, what made you decide that you wanted to DJ?

MJ: That is true! I think it was just a passion for the music, that is something you can’t bottle or capture, only try your best to communicate through your music, whether that be in person at a party or through your productions that people can enjoy. I originally went to go into my fathers family business to work, so taking a step back from that to pursue music as a full-time career felt a little challenging at first but if anything, it made me strive to want to succeed even more as I knew I had the self-belief.

AM: Because of your production background, how involved are you in the design of your show in terms of aesthetics?

MJ: As much as I can be! I always have the final sign off on design, my logos, my press shots, how I want a live show to come across from the concept to the finished product.

AM: How do you describe your sound?

MJ: Feel-good, fun, ready for the party!

AM: What’s your creative process like when you are working on a song?

MJ: It really can vary, inspiration can first come from a melody or even a direction of genre that I want to go in – I might want to go big-room and bombastic one day, or work with a really cool vocalist or writing partner, and take a more house or radio-ready pop route. Its all relative and I let each bit of inspiration, both solo and with collaborators, guide me.

AM: You have collaborated with Nicki Minaj, ALOK, Jason Derulo and more. Do you approach these creative projects differently than those that are solo?

MJ: With Nicki Minaj it was a remix I did, but I have worked directly with ALOK and Jason on our track Don’t Cry For Me. Each project is going to be different, not just in sound but depending on each artists outlook, how we individually want to approach it, so yes. With collaborations its important to have your own signature sound present but for every artist to collaborate in a way that’s effective and brings new ideas to the table.

AM: Days Like This was released with you and Jay Sean. Tell us more about this song and what was it like working together on this with him?

MJ: We really wanted this track to be a feel-good, as we say on it “No one can fuck with me on days like this!”, so we wanted people to feel that essence exactly how we aimed to deliver it. Energetic, confident and unapologetic! It was so much fun to work with Jay, he’s a real veteran in the industry and has worked with so many great artists before so to have him jump on the track with a great collaboration.

AM: Tell us about Me, Myself, Online which was the biggest livestream worldwide as well as a mini documentary.

MJ: It was! It was an idea born out of the pandemic as it was originally meant to be ‘Me, Myself, Live’ where we livestreamed shows around the world but obviously, coronavirus put a stop to that. We decided to bring the shows to people online instead, we streamed on Facebook, Twitch and had some super cool brands involved from amazing locations. Our first edition was from the Telia Parken stadium which is the national stadium in Denmark and we were blown away by the response… so we kept going! It’s definitely something we want to continue on in another direction in the future.

AM: Are you working on songs?

MJ: Yes! I have a brand new single out this February with VAMERO and Gibbs called What A Night, lots more will be revealed soon and I’ll also be announcing more tour dates as we move out of the Winter and into Spring.

AM: You were the first judge that is a DJ to be on X Factor’s Denmark! What is it like to be on this show and to see the talent that hits the stage?

MJ: It was a brilliant experience, to be the first DJ/ producer to ever hold the role of a judge also blew my mind, it was such an honor. When it comes down to it though, it's a really crazy concept when you think about it. The music industry is for sure fast paced and for these young talents to go through such a fast process full or pressure is for sure difficult and I see a lot of those come out stronger, but some don’t. It’s a fine line you really have to balance in ensuring everyone can work together in harmony to do the best they can in their roles. But yeah, it was a crazy time for sure.

AM: Critiques are a major part of success regardless of the industry you work in. When you have your judge hat on, what are you looking for and how do you approach telling people what you liked and didn’t like for each performance?

MJ: Being a judge it is not so much about personal taste, its about breaking down the talent, the attitude, the work ethic and so much more of an act. Sure, one judge mightn’t be a huge rock fan, or another pop, another electronic and so on, but to be able to look at an artist on an elevated level as someone in the industry, helps you to then guide them with exactly what they need – even if that might mean good news or bad news.

AM: We’re looking forward to hitting the festival circuit what are your favorites to play at and where will you be performing this year so that we can keep an eye out?

MJ: I’ll be announcing all my tour dates nearer the time as we still have some finalizing to do but my social media is where you’ll be the first to find out!

AM: Do you have any routines that you do prior to or after a show?

MJ: Its not very “rock n roll” but, no! I like to relax, have a beer, think about what direction I might want to take my sound in during the set (depending on if I’m headlining a club or playing a festival, for example), but its important to also let the crowd guide me too.

AM: As someone who is always on the go and travels a lot for what you do, how do you take time for self-care so that you’re taking time for yourself and getting a bit of a reset?

MJ: I like to play sports, see a chiropractor when I can – 'cos it can be crazy on your body touring all the time! – and mostly just spend time with my friends and family, work on music. Just pretty normal stuff nothing too crazy.

IG @djmartinjensen

PHOTOS COURTESY | Martin Jensen

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