THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT | JULIAN WORKS

For the past 4 seasons, we have enjoyed 9-1-1: Lonestar which allows us to follow the work and lives of first responders that are in Austin Texas! With an engaging ensemble cast, we took some time to talk with Julian Works who plays Mateo Chavez. We've watched as he's grown with his fellow fireman, become involved in a relationship, and really coming into his own!

We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for storytelling, being in 9-1-1, how one trains for this role, his movie The Long Game, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the show or movie that made you fall in love with storytelling?

JULIAN WORKS: I’ve been a movie buff since I was really young and loved so many classic films like Rear Window, La Dolce Vita, Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden, On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Rocky, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Midnight Express. They definitely lit a spark in me, and after hosting a YouTube Sports channel called Mun2 with my uncle as a teenager, I decided to audition for a rendition of The Odd Couple at my high school. I ended up booking the lead role of ‘Oscar Madison’ and the rest is history!

AM: Prior to you coming to 9-1-1: Lone Star, I first remember seeing you on The Affair. What is your creative process in approaching the characters that you have played?

JW: I do extensive research for any role that I play. In the case of The Affair, I came into the recurring role of ‘Angel’ after the show had been airing for 3 seasons, so I took it upon myself to binge-watch as many episodes as possible before the audition so that I could grasp the tone and the rhythm of the show. In the case of 9-1-1: Lone Star, on the other hand, I had the privilege of developing the character from its inception and the writers have molded the character around what I’ve brought to the table over the past 4 seasons. For The Long Game, I first read the novel by the great Humberto G. Garcia, then researched what it may have been like to be a Mexican American in 1950’s Del Río, Texas and of course brushed up on everything golf-related (including playing the game quite a bit before we began filming). Doing a deep dive into script and role analysis is also a part of my process. It always helps when you have a great director like Julio Quintana (Blue Miracle, The Vessel, Disgraced) or television showrunners like Tim Minear (9-1-1, Ratched, American Horror Story) and Rashad Raisani (Burn Notice, 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star) at the helm who guide you and put all of the pieces of the story together.

AM: What drew you to 9-1-1 Lone Star?

JW: Producers Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk (Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens, The Politician), and Tim Minear. As soon as we saw their names attached to the series, my team and I knew we had to do everything in our power for me to work with them. It has been one of the most rewarding work experiences of my life.

AM: What is the training like to be on this show in terms of wearing the gear and being able to be in the mindset of a firefighter?

JW: It definitely takes some getting used to and ample training time. The gear is super heavy, so you have to be physically fit to handle the long hours with bulky clothing and able to handle sizable equipment, sometimes in hot weather. We’ve gone through extensive training with real firefighters and incredible consultants with our production team to make sure we honor the real firefighting heroes who risk their lives every day for us.

AM: Tell me about how you came to the 9-1-1 Universe as you actually had a few episodes in the flagship and how did that then bring you to 9-1-1: Lonestar?

JW: I booked a memorable Guest Star role opposite the legendary Angela Bassett (Waiting to Exhale, American Horror Story, Black Panther universe) on the flagship show, 9-1-1. A year later, when 9-1-1: Lone Star was casting, I read for ‘Mateo Chavez’ late in their casting process, fresh off of filming a TV show in Canada. Luckily, much of the creative team and the producers were the same on both shows, and they thought I’d be a great addition to the cast. I thank my lucky stars for that, since playing ‘Mateo’ has been one of the greatest experiences of my life until now.

AM: You also get to play a twin every now and then - what do you love about Marvin?

JW: I only played ‘Marvin’ once on the original 9-1-1 show. I love that he’s a very genuine and charismatic person who just lacks direction in life. To his benefit, Angela Bassett’s character, ‘Athena,’ gives him the tough love that he needs. She is the reason he reflects on his life and looks to change for the better at the end of the episode.

AM: For those that need a refresher where do we end with Mateo from last season and what can you tell us about where we pick him up again for next season?

JW: Without giving away too much, let’s just say that he and Nancy (Brianna Baker) are a part of the fifth season’s storyline. Stay tuned for new and big climate events, explosions, amazing rescues, and the evolution of old and new relationships! Like all previous seasons, ‘Mateo’ will have a breakout episode where new and exciting things will be revealed!

AM: For fans of the show, what are the takeaways that you want viewers to feel about Mateo's arc or the show in general?

JW: I love ‘Mateo’s’ humor and optimism, even when faced with great adversity or personal challenges. He keeps getting back up and trying again, until he achieves his goal and I’d like viewers to really take that positive attitude and indefatigable outlook with them, into their own lives.

AM: You are in The Long Game which hit theaters last month and debuted at SXSW last year where the film earned the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award. What drew you to this movie?

JW: The incredible novel, Mustang Miracle, by Humberto G. Garcia, the script, and our indomitable director Julio Quintana. I almost worked with Julio before on another movie right as I was offered 9-1-1: Lone Star, and after watching that film, I knew I had to work with him. The stars aligned and I had an incredible experience working with him and the entire cast and production team that made the film possible.

AM: For those who have not seen this movie. Tell me about it and who do you play?

JW: I play ‘Joe Trevino,’ a young Mexican-American caddie who ends becoming the San Felipe High School’s most valuable golfer and a champion, along with his team, for the Texas State Championship in 1957. The film is based on a true story and tells the story of the racism and prejudice of our country’s past, but also the hope, evolution, and inspiration that everyday Americans have demonstrated to make America a better home for us all. Simply put, it’s a story about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and illustrates the lesson for people of any background that you can do anything if you believe in yourself, work hard, and have a strong team around you to reach your goals.

AM: You have an incredible cast that's also in this film from Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad, Magnum P.I., Last Resort), Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Full Circle, The Day After Tomorrow), and Cheech Marin (Shotgun Wedding, Machete, Nash Bridges). Canelo Alvarez is an Executive Producer of the movie. What did you enjoy about being in this film?

JW: Besides having the privilege and the honor to embody the late ‘Joe Trevino’ and work with our talented director, cast, and production team, I loved the preparation, both physically and mentally. I also loved our filming locations, from Colombia to Texas, and learning from so many wonderfully talented people. Of course, having Canelo Alvarez executive produce our film was phenomenal, and meeting him at his most recent fight in Las Vegas was surreal.

AM: When you're not on set or when you're preparing for your next role, what are 3 workouts that you do to stay in shape?

JW: I love to box, train in mixed martial arts, and go on long-distance jogs and hikes.

AM: How do you take time for yourself?

JW: Music is an important outlet for me. Listening to it and creating. I love a variety of music, from Nipsey Hussle, Drake, and Dr. Dre, to Elvis, The Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson, and compose lyrics for future songs that I’m looking to record.

AM: Are there and upcoming projects that you can share?

JW: I am currently filming the 5th season of 9-1-1: Lone Star and the entire cast is very excited to be back on set! We look forward to sharing the continuation of our storylines and our characters’ journeys with fans this Fall. Stay tuned!

IG @julesworks

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Dylan

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT | Julian Works in mag.

IN & OUT OF THE POOL | NATHAN ADRIAN

We are 1 year away from the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024! There is nothing like that time of year when we cheer for our favorite athletes as they make their dreams a reality! This month, we caught up with Nathan Adrian 8X Team USA Swimming Olympic Medalist (5G, 1S and 2B). We enjoyed seeing him in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. We wanted to catch up with this freestyle swimmer to find out more about how he got into the sport, competing in it, his Olympic experience, safe sun that allows swimmers to enjoy being in the water without sacrificing their aesthetics, how he gives back to the sport, and how he continues to advocate for men's health.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with the water?

NATHAN ADRIAN: Oh haha, you know, I think before I was even old enough to make memories to be honest. Some of my earliest earliest memories are my mom going and doing laps and I would just turtle on her back and just cruise around. It was something that was just always deeply engrained in all of us as a family. My sister is 8½ years older than me, my brother is 6 years older than me, so it’s something that I was born into and it wasn’t just something that us as a family picked up.

AM: That’s amazing!

When did you realize that freestyle was going to be something that you wanted to continue to do and excel in?

NA: Oh yeah, good question! So like, swimming overall – freestyle is what I gravitated towards and I had a really good situation and set of coaches that gave me what I needed at that particular time in my life and my development as an athlete. So when I was young, it was just fun times and it was all games, happy smiles and lots of energy. That transitioned into games and also, “hey, let’s set some goals and try to focus while we’re here. Let’s try to show up more,” and that kind of thing. Then, eventually, it was, this is my life and this is how I did it. I set goals, I worked really hard, and through that, that’s how I think that I fell in love with that process. It also me as an individual, looking back, swimming was the perfect thing for me. I had a lot of energy, it helped me focus and it also allowed me to set those big goals and then you set those little goals and if you’re good at it, you can set little goals for every month of practice, every week of practice and down to everyday of practice. If you achieve that, whether you achieve them or don’t achieve them, if you reflect and then you figure out how you can be better, that’s just like a little puzzle that you’re trying to optimize and to figure out how you can be the best athlete that you can be.

AM: So true!

Did you always dream about going to the Olympics?

NA: So that started when I was watching the 2000 Olympics. I was about 11 and then in 2004, I was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials and I did not and then in 2008, I was like, “hey, I’m 19 and I know that it’s kind of young, but maybe I can do this if the stars align.

AM: We enjoyed watching you and to know that you have participated in the Olympic Games of Beijing, London, and Rio where you medaled as an individual as well as a team of where you swam along with Lochte, Phelps, Murphy, and all of these amazing people, what was it like to work with those people and those various teams?

NA: Oh that was awesome! I feel very very blessed. I really got to experience what I consider to be one of the highlights of Team USA dominance in the sport. You know, people who were around during the 70s and stuff, they would argue back pretty hard core, but that’s ok. This is what I would call the modern era of swimming let’s call it that. There were guys like Michael Phelps (28X Medalist 23G, 3S, 2B), there was Jason Lezak (8X Medalist 4G, 2S, 2B), Aaron Peirsol (7X Medalist 5G, 2S), Ian Crocker (5X Medalist 3G, 1S, 1B), Brendan Hansen (6X Medalist 3G, 1S, 2B) – oh my gosh, these guys had world records in each of their events and then in my 2008 team, I was with Dara Torres (12X Medalist 4G, 4S, 4B), Katie Hoff (3X Medalist 1S, 2B) at the peak of her game, I was with Natalie Coughlin (12X Medalist 3G, 4S, 5B) when she won. There were so many athletes for me to watch and learn from. It was absolutely incredible for me to be part of that and especially on that 2008 team, that was a transition for me from being a fan to actually doing it on that international stage. So I got to see my heroes and watch them, talk to them, hang out with them, and be a part of their team. As you move on from that, as with all things, you see the times that swimmers are going so fast as they are now. You take what they did and try to bring it in to what you’re doing and make it better!

AM: What were some of your favorite moments in competing or just being with them?

NA: Oh gosh, I think that there’s a lot! I mean, I have 8 medals so those are obviously a favorite moment. The ones that aren’t just as public, are those that happen when you are with a team or a group for 3 or 5 weeks all day everyday – like summer camp for adults! But we’re all there for a job with a very, very serious purpose so there’s not much messing around. Whether it be someone I think playing a prank in 2008 and they put a cicada in the trail mix bag which was pretty funny. I mean it’s pretty gross because they’re so big!

Another one in 2012, I roomed with Matt Grevers (6X Medalist 4G, 2S) which is one of my best friends to this day. He looked at me and after we both won, he was like, “dude, think back to a year ago, who would have bet on us besides our parents?” You know? Special moments like that are awesome because in 2011, I didn't medal in any of the individual races and Matt didn’t even make the World Championships team – so we weren’t even on the radar for winning. But here we are at that point, we won gold and we’re preparing for the 4 X 100 medley relay after that. So that was really awesome.

Just eating in the dining hall and experiencing that. World Championships is similar, but not the same as the Olympics. The Olympics are just that special feeling because you have every sport there and to just people watch and to enjoy that. You can watch the pride that people have in their country and as they are getting ready to compete and do what they can to win those medals that’s just something that’s really special.

AM: Obviously swimming is such a great way to meet your fitness goals. Here at Athleisure Mag, we like to ask athletes what you like to do in and out of the water to stay fit that we can add to our fitness routines?

NA: You know, I actually think that one of the things that we did was a lot of good mobility. I actually find myself that after pouring that first cup of coffee, I will just do a really deep lunge hold. My hip flexors, I’m sitting in a chair right now, I need to stretch these hip flexors out. I’m probably not going to do it here at work, but in the morning is a great time as you’re getting your mobility going. Same thing with doing some thoracic spine mobility. Again, this is before my daughter and my wife is awake, I’m just sitting in the kitchen doing Spider-Man stretches which are different rotational stretches. It really is that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! I want to be able to keep that mobility and then I do my best to get pops of strength in.

Certain days when I can’t get into a weight room, you need to activate those muscles, you do a push up, a bodyweight squat, you can do a single leg squat – find an overhang and do a pull up. Do something just to activate it and keep those muscles moving. I’m in a pool right now, I work in a pool, but I just try to do it. I’m telling you what I want to do, and I don’t always live by it. But I do try to get into the pool and do some aerobic stuff because you’ve just got to keep that heart rate up and keep it moving.

Definitely another thing that if you don’t use it, you lose it! That’s where Dermasport really comes in nicely because I’ve used it. My break is usually smack dab in the middle of the day and we’re coming in on a California heat wave right now so it’s about to be bright and sunny and I’m swimming in it. So I need to wear my sunscreen and then afterwards, I need to be able to take it off so that I don’t look funky when we’re talking to kiddos and giving them lessons and things.

AM: How did your partnership with Dermasport come about and what was it that you felt was synergistic between you and the brand?

NA: Well, the partnership came about because I was actually working with somebody with some goggles and they knew about Dermasport and they introduced me to the team. They sent me a trial package and I loved it. I grew up in Seattle, so we were doing sunscreen over the summer, but I didn’t have that 365 exposure to the sun that we have here California now. So when I moved down here, it was like, what do I do? Everybody was just like zinc, zinc, zinc – everyone looked like a ghost, the creases in your elbows looked all white even though you scrubbed and did that whole song and dance. I tried this and it’s zinc sunscreen, but it also moisturizes my face and I feel better after I put it on as well as more hydrated than I did before – which is awesome. Then, you do the cleanser which gets it all off and then the moisturizer afterwards as it’s very refreshing. I mean, it’s a product that’s made for swimmers. Even though I’m not still swimming internationally, I'm still very much so a swimmer. I'm a swimmer in California that needs to protect my face. My sister is actually a derm PA so she’s constantly reminding me on my sunscreen. I’m like, “no, no – I got it covered. I’m doing what I can to protect my face from the sun.”

AM: What will you be doing with the brand in terms of clinics, partnerships etc. that people will be able to see?

NA: I think that we’re still working on that and developing it. There’s actually a meet coming up here that I’m hoping – I mean we just got the product launch happening, so if I can get my hands on some, I’d love to go and see some of those master swimmers and let them try. I mean, this is one of those things that I know that people just need to go and try it. You need to just get your hands on a sample, try it, and it will absolutely blow you away with the way that your face feels when using this sunscreen as opposed to the other ones that are made to be in the water. I will say that certainly other people have made sunscreens that make you feel hydrated, that make you feel nice, but this is something that’s taking a beating! We’re in chlorine water and the sun so it has to have some staying power and it does!

AM: Are there any projects that you’re involved in that you would like to share that we can keep an eye out for?

NA: Honestly, right now, I’ve got my hands full. My life has changed a lot since I was done competing. I have 2 daughters now, so that’s definitely a project, I’m here at the Swim School and we’re running swimming lessons trying to teach as many kiddos to swim as we can. I still do a lot of stuff with the USA Swimming Foundation, traveling around especially during Water Safety Month talking about the importance of swimming lessons and how it can save lives.

I also do a little bit of men’s health advocacy. You know, I was diagnosed with cancer and it’s kind of an uncomfortable thing to talk about for some people and I’m pretty comfortable talking with people about it especially because it was testicular cancer (Editor’s Note: At the age of 30 in 2018, Nathan was diagnosed, it was caught and treated.) and I think that there is just a cultural barrier for people – for men specifically to 1, see the doctor and 2, to talk about an issue with their reproductive organs. Most of the time, when testicular cancer is diagnosed, the patients know that something was wrong pretty well in advance. It’s really sad in that way when you talk to doctors and they’re like, “yeah, so many people wait and wait and they wait until their lower back is hurting or they’re coughing up blood because it spread and they just didn’t know.” You can just be out there whether it’s a blurb on the bottom of the ticker tape on ESPN or whatever it might be and say, “hey, testicular cancer is a thing and it affects young people too.” That’s something that means a lot to me.

AM: How do you give back to the sport to the next generation of people coming up?

NA: Well, I was in the water for about an hour today teaching kids how to swim! I have another couple of lessons coming up later on today around 1pm. I mean, just doing what I can! I feel very blessed. Summer is an absolute marathon, just because it’s summer time and that’s when we can run all day long because kids aren’t in school. But it’s an absolute dream come true to be able to do something that I love, to be able to spread my love for the sport and to maybe ignite some passion in some others as well as give a life saving skill. It’s the only sport that is a life saving skill! I just feel so lucky to be able to wake up and be excited for what I’m able to do and to feel good about what I do every day.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in the sport or in general?

NA: I don’t know. People who ask me that, I thought that I would have a better answer by now. I think that just thinking about it off the top of my head, like I was talking about in 2008, me taking what other people were doing at that time, making it their own and making it better. Just being a small piece of that – maybe the athletes of today saw something that I did or how I approached my swimming. It doesn’t have to be that every athlete has to do their swimming the way that I did. I think that that is something that I learned back in 2008 where I said, “oh, ok I can’t do that.” I can try this, or this might work or I can see myself doing something like that could work. For those that see themselves in something that I do, them taking it and then working with their coaches and then bringing that further and further. The cool thing about swimming is that we’re still setting World Records pretty regularly. I mean track and field is pretty fun and super exciting, but – the 100 meter dash there hasn’t been a World Record in quite some time. So that’s what I love seeing. People pressing it further and further.

IG @nathangadrian

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 52 + 55 Courtesy Narthan Adrian | PG 56 Stephane Kempinaire KMSP DPPI Icon Sportwire | PG 59Zumapress/Icon Sportswire |

BINGELY STREAMING

THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THRONES PODCAST: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

HBO Original

Spotify

As our readers know, we are fans of companion podcasts that give more insight to the show, reflect on where the program sits within our world and hearing interviews by those that are part of the show! It adds an extra layer and should we have missed an element, we can pick up what is missed. THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THRONES PODCAST HOUSE OF THE DRAGON does this and much more as we listen to its hosts Jason Concepcion and Greta Johnsen walk us through each episode. Both have watched Game of Thrones (the sequel to the prequel that is currently airing) and at various times during the podcast, Jason will say how the House of the Dragon and the books by George R. R. Martin support one another. In addition to each episode recapping the episode, there are interviews with those in front of and behind the camera as well as telling us more about the characters and what we can expect later in the season or in future seasons.

DAHMER MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY

Netflix Original

Netflix

There are a number of true crime stories that we are familiar with; however the ins and outs of what made some of the most notorious serial killers do what they did, may be lost due to when it happened and the lack of media scruitny that exists today where people can learn very quickly about something that is taking place.

In Ryan Murphy's DAHMER MONSTER: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, we learn about how a man went from growing up to become one of the nation's most grizzly serial killers. We also see that the crimes that he committed had racial aspects to it due to the killings of black and brown gay men were not seen as something to investigate despite those who realized something was wrong telling them about it.

It also delves into how Dahmer's family navigated what happened once he was arrested and during his time in jail. We also see how the city decided to move on despite nearly 20 victims being affected by these horrific crimes.

RUBIROSA

Witness Docs + Stitcher

Spotify

We are big fans of James Bond and there has always been a question as to who this character is molded after. The Broccoli family has always stated that he is a blend of various inidividuals; however, people continue to try to find the inspiration(s). In Rubirosa, Christopher Rivas shares his journey in finding out about Porfirio Rubirosa a diplomat, race car driver who drove in Le Mans, a playboy and Dominican who was known for having wealthy wives.

In this podcast, Rivas tells us about how he became who he was, how his paths and exploits crossed Ian Flemming, being friends with The Rat Pack and how identity and being aware of who you are is important no matter who you are.

Read the SEP ISSUE #81 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

ON THE SCENE | BRIAN MICHAEL SMITH

Over the last few years, Brian Michael Smith has been a man that has had clutch characters in shows that are part of major cultural moments. We love the way he embraces the shows that he's in as well as really being into the process of movie making magic behind the camera. We catch up with Brian to find out how he gained the love he has for the entertainment industry, we chat about his process to approaching playing his roles, we talk about him being one of our faves in FOX's 9-1-1: Lone Star and his advocacy in the trans community.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?

BRIAN MICHAEL SMITH: I’ve always had an inclination towards acting. My family was pretty close knit and full of people who couldn’t tell a story without acting it out, and I learned at a very young age that I liked to entertain. I truly fell in love with acting when I was in fifth grade and our class put together a play where we made up the plot and characters. I remember how powerful it felt to step out there and have everyone respond to and believe in my character without question. It felt like anything was possible and I loved it. I stayed involved with acting a bit throughout school, but it wasn’t until I was in my 20s living in New York that I decided to really commit to acting professionally. In fact, I remember it was a day I was working background in one of the battle scenes of the Dark Knight Rises. It was something I started doing to learn more about working on set and earning some side money. It was a Saturday, and Wall St. was shut down, there were like 600 people dressed as cops or warriors, IMAX cranes, Batmobiles, fake snow blowing around. Christopher Nolan (Tenet, Justice League, Interstellar), Tom Hardy (Inception, Legend, Venom) and Christian Bale (Vice, The Big Short, American Hustle) were a foot away hammering out the scene. I’m standing there with my partner, and they call action and all these guys start yelling and doing their fight choreography and it's FUN! They yell cut after what felt like 15 minutes and we're all standing there panting and I just remember looking around thinking this is exactly how it felt when I was a kid at my happiest, outside playing with my friends on Saturday mornings and I love this and would do it for free. Then I’m looking around at all the people involved to make this, the hundreds of different jobs, and it hit me that yes this is a real industry, a profession, a day-to-day and this is all I want to do.

AM: You have been in a number of phenomenal shows including Toine Wilkins in Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar on OWN, Pierce Williams in Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q and currently, you play Paul Strickland in 9-1-1: Lone Star just to name a few. When you’re selecting projects that you want to be part of, what is your process and what are you looking for?

BMS: My process has depended on the project or what my career or creative goal has been at the time. At first, it was about getting experience and learning the craft and industry. And then as I started to earn more credits and get my career going, I shifted my focus to developing a body of work that spoke to what was important to me as a person and defined who I am as an artist. Around 2016, when looking for work, I started asking my myself, “What story do I want to tell right now? And what part of myself or being a person do I want to explore in my work?”

And then right before I booked Queen Sugar, I was asking myself, “as an artist what do I want to say?" What can I do with a character, a scenario that no one else can do?” And these are the questions I still use when seeking out work.

AM: I have been a fan of 9-1-1: Lone Star from the beginning and have enjoyed Paul and seeing his contributions to his team as well as sharing his life as a trans man on the show. Can you tell me about him and what drew you to wanting to play him?

BMS: I love Paul, he is a great aspirational character. He possesses a lot of qualities I admire like bravery, tenacity, aptitude, and a great sense of humor. He’s definitely a guy you want on your team. You know he will have your back. He has a fierce love for people in his family including his chosen family and the community that he serves. He is an enigma in a way, and it has been really interesting for me to discover more about him as the seasons develop.

What drew me to him originally was that he was a character I pretty much manifested for myself. At the time the audition notice came out, I was working on the L Word and really enjoying playing Pierce who was very different from me in a lot of ways that I enjoyed exploring. He was reserved, he was methodical and very corporate. And while I enjoyed that, I was in a space where I really wanted to play someone more physical.

I was at an event in the summer of 2019 and a friend had asked me, “If you could be playing character right now what would you want to be playing?” And I had literally just wrote in my vision board/ goal sheet: “Be cast as a series regular in an ensemble action-oriented procedural TV show that keeps me working in LA, increases my footprint.” As I was sharing that with him, I got the email for the audition for Paul in Lone Star.

In the casting breakdown, Paul was described originally as ‘a Midwest roughneck’ and I loved that and also the note about his powers of observation, so I like this idea of this very physical tough guy who is also really smart and a bit of a brainiac.

AM: You play a firefighter – what is it like to prepare to play Paul physically, emotionally and mentally?

BMS: Physically, it has been a journey to figure out how to best play Paul. When I first started to get ready, my goal was to just get in shape. I’d been playing a character with a very different style than Paul on the L Word and knowing how physical and athletic Paul was going to be, I wanted to look like a firefighter so my training for the weeks leading up to Lone Star was focused on that goal. I found myself hitting the gym 5 days a week, doing weightlifting workouts I used to do when I was a thrower in college and then adding circuit training to trim down. But when we actually started visiting fire stations and working with actual firefighters, I saw that the build I had developed was cute for TV but didn’t really match the real-world physique of most of these guys, I could barely work the equipment for anything longer than a minute and was pretty easily gassed out when doing the job-based activities. So, I went back to the drawing board with my physical training and came up with a program that focused on functional strength and muscle endurance. I looked up training programs and exercises that actual firefighters do, I added a weighted vest to my circuit workouts and added functional mobility work to my warms up.

This physical work actually helped me connect emotionally to Paul, because I felt like one of the survival mechanisms he developed in Chicago to counter discrimination was to put all his energy into what he could control and to be the best firefighter he could be. I understood more about the amount of work he put in to do that what it would have meant for him to have that work overlooked for years in Chicago, then to have it recognized and celebrated by Owen and the 126 in Austin. Mentally and emotionally, it has been exciting and enjoyable to prepare to play Paul because he gets to do things that I’ve dreamed about doing, you know? He’s a lifesaver, he gets involved in these crazy rescues, and every day is different. He also gets the chance to live fully as his authentic self with people who love him.

AM: It’s an incredible cast and crew from having Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story) as the co-creator to working with Rob Lowe (West Wing, Code Black, Californication), Jim Parrack (True Blood, The Deuce, Suicide Squad) and Gina Torres (Suits, Westworld, The Catch) to name a few. What’s it like being able to work on this show and to be able to tell a series of stories that are so timely for us to watch as viewers?

BMS: It’s genuinely a dream come true for me to work with such incredible, talented, and giving people. It’s very rare that you get involved in a project and everyone is excited to be working on it. And with a production of this scale and the fast turnover of episodes, you need people who are at the top of their game, know how to roll with the punches and care about the people they’re working with and the stories we are telling. It’s an honor to be able to be a part of this kind of storytelling because I know our shows reach people in communities that may not include many people like the characters on our show. I think empathy and understanding come from watching these characters and learning who they are. I think the audience finds that they have much more in common with people they think are different from them and that can change hearts and minds.

AM: What have been your 3 favorite moments in playing Paul?

BMS: There have been so many! He’s such an enjoyable character and we get so many crazy calls. I personally love all the little 126 family moments in the firehouse and there were a lot of moments in season 1 where we were all still getting to know each other and our characters and would just crack up playing off each other. But let’s see off the top of my head:

Season 1 Episode 2 with the racist lady in the backyard - This was one of those days where we were still getting to know each other and had so much fun and the scene is just hilarious.

Season 2 Episode 11 - The truck rescue on the bridge – It was one of my first really big stunts and as an action movie buff, I felt like I was shooting a scene from Cliffhanger or something and then throughout the episode we got to see more of Paul and Marjan’s friendship and how they support each other. So, it was a good balance of action and character development scenes.

Season 3 Ice Storm gym collapse - One of the strengths of our show is that it’s an ensemble show, and we work often as a team, but every few episodes, you get a storyline that focuses on your character so what was cool for me about the ice storm was that Paul got to go on a bit of a hero’s journey after he is separated from the group.

We shot episodes 1-4 pretty much at the same time and so much of Paul’s storyline was shot in sequence so it truly felt like I was making a movie within a movie, which was new and exciting for me as an actor, to have the responsibility of carrying an episode arc and exploring some new aspects of my character. We hadn’t seen Paul face this level of challenge before, him being isolated from his team, and having to save a life while putting his life directly on the line.

AM: For next season, what would you like to explore for Paul as we continue to get to know more about him?

BMS: I’m interested in what career advancement would look like for Paul. I wonder if he wants more responsibility or some new professional challenges. I love rescues and action so I’d like to see what other dangerous situations he can get into. I want to explore his relationship with Austin and what his community there outside of the 126 family is. We know Paul has strong observational skills, so I’d love to see him put that to work more, maybe even solve some crime with Carlos.

AM: You have used your platform to advocate for trans rights and representation on the screen. You have done this through panels and other projects – how important is this for you to continue to do?

BMS: It’s very important to me to continue to advocate for equality for trans people. Right now, there are about 300 pieces of anti-trans legislation being proposed and passed in statehouses throughout the country. Bills that bar people from accessing healthcare, prosecuting family members, doctors or educators who refuse to out children, or block trans youth from participating in sports. Many of these bills are being advanced based on lies and misinformation. So, in addition to my advocacy through my art, I feel it’s just as important to use my platforms to combat this misinformation and make allies aware of these attacks on basic human rights.

AM: Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us?

BMS: I’m cooking up some things for the hiatus, but I can’t share yet.

AM: Will we see you take on other roles in the industry whether it’s writing, producing or directing?

BMS: Yes, during the hiatus from the show I’m going to spend time developing some projects I’d like to produce soon.

AM: In watching the show, we know you’re in great shape. On your IG, we see you boxing and going at it in the gym. What is a typical workout like for you as we’re always looking to add to our routines!

BMS: Thank you! After season 2 and the Quarantine 15 I put on, I found myself needing to adjust my workouts again. During the last month of the hiatus, I shifted from strength and powerlifting to aesthetics and conditioning. So, in the gym, I started lifting like a bodybuilder, and to push myself in the cardio department, I started boxing. The results have been incredible. I feel like I found the right combination for my lifestyle and fitness goals.

I try to hit the weights at least 3 times a week and do boxing 4 times a week. In the weight room, I’m doing bodybuilding workouts, following the progressive overload principle, and lifting a high volume of moderate weight and really focusing on fully contracting the specific muscle I’m targeting. So, within 90 minutes, I’ll try to do 3-4 exercises for a specific muscle group doing 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Boxing has been a game-changer for sure. I work with my trainer, Adel Altamimi, 4 days a week and a typical session with him involves, mobility warm up, shadow boxing, mitts, or drills, bag work and then some boxing strength training or HIIT cardio.

It’s intense but I’ve been able to improve my level of fitness at a faster rate than I imagined possible because of it. I’ll also share that recovery is also a critical part of my training. I make sure to hit the sauna, hot tub, or ice bath daily, and try to get sports massages at least once a week.

AM: When you’re not on set or being an advocate, how do you take time for yourself for a bit of a reset?

BMS: Hanging with my wife and my pup T’Challa. We’re still relatively new to LA, and now that things are opening back up, we like to go out and explore the city or just kick it at home. I also got my first motorcycle this year so learning to ride and work on that is my new jam.

IG @the_brianmichael

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 74 - 79 Jack Zeman/FOX | PG 81, 82 + 158 9LIST STORI3S Storm Santos; STYLING Toye Adedipe; GROOMING Grace Phillips |

Read the latest issue of MAR ISSUE #75 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE SCENE | Brian Michael Smith in mag.

A WILD RIDE WITH HEIMANA REYNOLDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IG @Heimana_Reynolds

PHOTOS COURTESY | KT Tape + Ralph Lauren

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

IN BALANCE WITH LAURIE HERNANDEZ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IG @LaurieHernandez

PHOTOS COURTESY | Laurie Hernandez

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

S2. E7 | #TRIBEGOALS WITH 3 X TEAM USA SWIMMING GOLD MEDALIST RYAN MURPHY

On today's episode of #TRIBEGOALS, we had the honor of having 3 X Team USA Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy as Athleisure Mag's 55th cover. Known as a decorated backstroke swimmer who also has a world record in the men's 100-meter backstroke, we talk with Ryan about how he got into the sport, transitioning his interest to going pro, his experiences at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio as well as being part of that riveting 4 x 100m medley. As Ryan looks forward to the Olympics in Tokyo that's slated for next year, we talk about how he trains and modifies his routines as we all navigate COVID-19, the importance of mental health and how he is approaching his goals. He also shares how he is focused on impacting the sport of swimming whether as a competitor or simply enjoying water activities. He also talks about how he gives back to others and how this changemaker has been inspired by others.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

ALWAYS TOPPING WITH RYAN MURPHY

This month, we have the honor to have 3 X Team USA Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy join us for the cover feature. Known as a decorated backstroke swimmer who also has a world record in the men's 100-meter backstroke, we talk with Ryan about how he got into the sport, transitioning from an activity to going pro, his experiences at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio as well as being a part of that riveting 4 x 100m medley. As he looks forward to the Olympics in Tokyo that's slated for next year, we talk about how he trains and modifies his routines as we all navigate COVID-19, the importance of mental health and how he is approaching his goals. He also shares how he is focused on impacting the sport of swimming whether as a competitor or simply enjoying water activities. He also talks about how he gives back to others and how this changemaker has been inspired by others.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to have you as our 55th cover for the July issue as well as for an upcoming podcast episode of #TRIBEGOALS for our changemakers who are making an impact within and outside of their industry!

RYAN MURPHY: Thank you! I’m stoked to be a part of this awesome opportunity. Where are you guys at right now!

AM: We are based in NY.

RM: Oh wow so how has that been?

AM: Well, it’s funny. If someone said a few months ago that we would be indoors for a week – it would have been impossible! We had a number of plans that we were looking at regarding the Olympics and a number of activities that take place here across the industries that we cover and obviously some of those things are not happening this year. We did our cover shoot in mid March with Rachel Nichols host of ESPN’s The Jump. Literally, the NBA had just announced the day before that they were postponing the NBA season. We were still able to do our shoot which was great, and had a great afternoon with Rachel, and sheltered in place. Obviously, being in NY, it was just wow!

RM: Oh yeah, I mean it’s been going on for so long! I mean, I remember when we got our schedule in April, and it was like we were going to be out of the University of Caifornia, Berkeley pool through all of May. I got that schedule and I was like, what the heck and at the time, I was like “this seems pretty aggressive.” And here we are in July – still doing it!

AM: Exactly! It’s just amazing how things are being altered in so many ways so it’s very different. On the other side, the way we have been able to still enjoy, learn and connect with people such as yourself and still share your stories – but it’s strange times!

RM: Well it’s great that you guys are able to pivot – that’s a positive.

AM: Absolutely, it was about finding other ways to do it. But we thought that maybe this would be a couple of months or so honestly you just wake up and think, “this is like Groundhog Day, but there is no Bill Murray.”

RM: Haha exactly!

AM: I know that you grew up in an athletic family, how did you come to the sport of swimming? When did that transition from being an activity to one that you wanted to participate in in terms of competition?

RM: So I’m the youngest of 3. I’ve got an older brother, older sister and you nailed it. We were kind of just like that family in the neighborhood that was doing everything. So that’s how it started. We were all born in Chicago. We moved down to Florida literally when I was 6 months old and the summers in Florida are just so hot. We’d go down to our community pool and my older brother and sister were old enough to get onto the swim team and I was just that little kid running around the pool with floaties on.

So when I turned 4, I went on the Summer League team just following in their steps and it really progressed naturally. At first, I hated going to practice, I came up with an excuse every single day just to get out of practice! Until, we were at the end of summer and a week out from the big championship meet and they were like, “alright Ryan, we’re picking our 4 x 25 Free Relay and we’ve got 3 guys chosen and it’s down to you or Billy for the 4th spot. So, we’re going to do a 25 yard pre-swim off right now. If you want to be a part of it, you’re going to need to swim this right now!” So I get up out of my mom’s lap and walk up to the side of the pool, win the swim off and from there, I feel like I was just into it. That swim off taught me the love of competing and from that point on, I was into it.

So when I turned 7, I started swimming year around, when I was 12, I gave up other sports and really when I gave up other sports, that’s when it started to become a little bit more serious for me.

AM: Wow. Did you always dream of being an Olympian and at that time, what did that look like or mean to you?

RM: Yeah of course! I always dreamed of being an Olympian. I mean, I also dreamed of being an NFL player or an NBA player so I kind of dreamed of reaching the top in every sport. It just turned out that swimming and the Olympics was probably the most realistic of those goals. I do think that every swimmer grows up wanting to be an Olympian and I can remember watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics. I had just turned 5 when the 2000 Olympics were on and I have some memories of that that I can go back to right now. I remember watching the Womens 400 Free Relay and that was just the coolest thing ever. It continued to kind of grow from there. In Athens 2004, I remember watching Michael Phelps and him just absolutely crushing it! In Beijing 2008, I was 13 at that point so I was really enjoying the sport and I remember most of the races from 2008. For London 2012, I got 4th in 200 Backstroke for the 2012 Olympic Trials and 6th in 100 Backstroke and I was watching guys that I had interactions with them at that point. So that was really cool and so every Olympics was cool just to see how my perspective on the sport changed as I grew older.

AM: What is it about the backstroke that you enjoy and did you just naturally go to that part of swimming that you wanted to do?

RM: Yeah, I think inherently, you enjoy the things that you are good at. That’s probably why I enjoy backstroke more than breaststroke. Breaststroke is just not my natural stoke. I do train all of the strokes and I think that that is really good to keep it fresh. Backstroke is just different, it’s always been a little different. I remember growing up that my coaches would try to give me technique tips in every stroke and they would try to give me technique tips on backstroke and I’d be like, “mmm like you know the way I’m feeling it right now, this is better.” That was me as a 10 year old. As a 10 year old, I knew that the things that I was feeling were potentially a little different then the way that the coaches had taught technique in the past. It’s kind of weird looking back, because I have always been a very obedient and respectful kid. In my mind, I was like, ok I’ll act like I am taking this advice, but I wasn’t actually taking their advice for backstroke technique. I guess that now that you asked me that question, I never really thought about that before. But the backstroke has always felt natural and I have always felt that I have a really good feel for the stroke.

AM: Especially when you talk about a sport like that where there are different kinds of strokes, you can tell when you see someone that is hitting it and that they’re just on autopilot. It’s not about the 1, 2, 3, 4 – it’s just the natural and that’s why we wanted to know because we can tell that you really like that backstroke!

RM: It’s the same thing like when you watch a marathon. Those guys and those women that are winning the marathon, like Eliud Kipchoge is holding in like the 4 minute range for a marathon and it doesn’t even look like he’s trying! It’s like holy crap! That’s some serious talent right there.

AM: What was it like for you to be at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from the opening/ closing ceremonies, competing, getting 3 gold medals and setting a new world record to boot for the 100m backstroke. What was that like for you especially since it was your first Summer Games that you went to?

RM: I mean, yeah it was an absolute whirlwind. I think that one of the things that I did a nice job of going into it as we talked about before was that it was always my dream. It was my dream to go to the Olympics and when you’re living your dream and when you are actually in that moment, that could be a very pressure packed situation. What I did well was to downplay the significance of the moment, a lot. That helped me a ton at the Olympics. In terms of the experience itself, it’s just absolutely unreal. When you’re there, it’s a swim meet and I have been to hundreds of swim meets in my life. So you don’t really realize it when you’re going to the ready room, you’re getting behind the blocks and you do your race. You only realize it when you get out of the pool and you’re kind of chauffeured immediately to NBC and you can literally, if you want to, talk to over 100 different outlets right after your race. That’s something that I have never had to experience and navigating that was very interesting. I think that and it's so cliché, but the thing that I appreciate most is the friendships and the memory of it. It’s really cool to think back to the conversations that you had with a guy like Phelps or Ryan Lochte – people that have been doing it for so long and are absolutely iconic in our sport and to be able to develop relationships with those guys that are lasting is really cool.

AM: We remember, watching and cheering the 4 x 100m with you guys – you, Michael Phelps, Cody Miller, Nathan Adrian – how do you from a training perspective prepare for this particular event since there are a number of people with you doing that? Is that difficult for you?

RM: I think that relays are the easiest part of the sport. I absolutely love the relays. It’s so fun to go behind the blocks with 3 other guys. You never feel more patriotic. I’m going behind the blocks and I’m wearing the USA cap. And Cody and Michael and Nathan are all wearing the same. They’re all super fired up. It’s the end of the meet, we’re super excited that we had all had great meets at that point and we’re all excited about that. We’re excited about the race and I think that the coolest part about that is that obviously you’re swimming with the most iconic Olympian of all time.

I think what’s really awesome to see is that you go and walk anywhere with Michael Phelps at the Olympics – it could be the warm up pool, the ready room, behind the blocks – every single person whether it’s a swimmer, coach, official, volunteer worker, wants to look at Michael Phelps. Everyone, for at least a split second is off their game because they’re observing Phelps. That just gave me so much confidence. It was like, “wow this guy is so iconic that everyone has to stop what they are doing and he’s on my team.” That was just a huge confidence boost behind the blocks and it totally added to the adrenaline of the moment. I was thinking, 1. I have to nail my leg, but 2. I really can’t screw this up for Michael. He’s won 23 gold medals – if he goes out on a silver medal, that’s just weird. We’ve gotta get him a gold here.

AM: We remember when we watched it live and booked our entire night around seeing that event to watch it in real time. In preparing for talking to you, we watched it again and that moment still gives you goosebumps watching it because all 4 of you are just killing it and it is one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history in our opinion. What lessons did you take away from those Summer Games in Rio?

RM: Ooo that’s a good one, I really like this question. I think that every swim meet is a really good learning opportunity. The biggest lesson that I probably learned from Rio is that when you’re in a situation like that where there is so much pressure and every emotion is going to be heightened, the highs are going to be really high and the excitement levels are going to be through the roof, but then the feelings following a bad performance are going to be really really low. I think the biggest thing is just recognizing that the entire scope of emotion is going to be felt by both yourself and your teammates and you have to be aware of that. I think that’s the biggest thing and then learning how to get in and get out. When I’m at the pool, be intense and when I’m not at the pool – let’s chill. Let’s enjoy this moment and enjoy the Olympics. You’ve gotta even during that 8 day meet, you still have to have balance. You can’t just be eyes wide open, super intense for 8 days and still be firing pretty well on day 8.

AM: Well, what’s an average training day like for you when it comes to gym time and pool time?

RM: So right now it’s a little different. When we’re in our “typical schedule,” we go 3 practices on Mon., Wed. and Fri. and then 1 practice on Tues., Thurs. and Sat. On Mon., Wed., Fri. we go from 6–7:45am in the morning, 1-2pm in the weight room and then 2:15–3:30pm in the pool. On Tues., Thurs., Sat. we just go from 8-11am in the morning as an absolute burner of a pool workout.

AM: How have you adjusted your workout because of COVID-19. We saw on Instagram that you were pushing an SUV up a hill in neutral!

RM: Yeah and I think that that particular video was in the lag time where I was training in Colorado at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center as the Corona Virus situation was really ramping up. The Olympic Training Center closed down and so we had to fly back to Cal and there was a 6 day period between the Olympic Training Center shutting down and the Olympics being postponed. We come back to Cal, we didn’t have access to the pool or weight room. I didn’t really have any weights at our house so, we’re trying to work out, we’re trying to figure out that if the Olympics are still on, we have to be prepared, we have to be safe, we have to support our communities and we have to prepare for our dreams essentially. We did a workout in the garage and we were like, alright we feel that we have hit arms pretty well. We didn’t feel like we had hit legs super well and I’m looking around to see how I can workout my legs without any weight. I’m looking around and I see my car and Josh Prenot, who is one of my roommates he’s still swimming and he won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics for Team USA for the 200m breaststroke. I said, “ok Josh, let’s try and push my car up a hill.” We live on the top of a big hill in Berkeley. I didn’t know if we could get it very far, but it could be a solid workout. We pushed the car and the street we live on is a little more steep then what we were hoping. We didn’t get it super far, but it was cool. It was cool to get creative in this time. I think that it's so easy as an athlete to fall into a routine and stop thinking of creative ways to get better, so that is something that I have really enjoyed at this time. Getting creative, finding new ways to improve and really just pushing the envelope on performance.

AM: We know that when you’re coming into an Olympic year, there are things that you typically do in one month versus another month. How do you mentally make the change over now knowing that it has been pushed back for an entire year, how does that work for you in terms of training, your goals and just being in that mindset that it is pushed back a little bit further?

RM: I think that from the mindset, when that Olympic decision came down, there were a couple of different ways that people approached it. The way that I approached it is, “ok, that’s the end of my season.” I took a couple of weeks off, I went home and stayed with my parents for a little bit which was great. I hadn’t been able to be home in about a year. So it was cool to be able to go back to Florida, hang out with them for a little bit and then when we started to get back into it, it was like the progress that we had made in the past year that progress was made. Just because we didn’t get to see a time on a scoreboard at the end of a year, doesn’t mean that we didn’t improve. So, I was able to accept that pretty easily and going into this season, it was like, “ok we’re going to start off slow, build the intensity both physically and mentally and then we’re circling June and July of 2021 and everything is going to build towards that. It’s a bummer that the plan changed and knock on wood, the Olympics are happening next summer. We shifted and we’re prepping for that and we’re hoping to put on a really really good performance there.

AM: What are your goals that you have going into the next Olympics? Do you have certain things that you want to tick off and to achieve there beyond what you did for the last Olympics?

RM: You always want to be topping yourself and everyone else. My goals going in, I’d love to be able to defend my titles in all 3 of those events 100m back, 200m back and the 4x100m relay. They added a new event this time around. It’s the 400m mixed medley relay where you take 2 guys and 2 females and you can put them on any strokes. I’m hoping to get on that relay and I’m hoping to get on that relay and I'm hoping that the US wins the inaugural 400m mixed medley relay as well! I’m someone that totally thrives on the competition. That’s a daily motivator for me and I think that the thing that I have to be super careful of is just making sure that throughout the season that I’m still just focused on self-improvement. The competition can be a motivator for those days when I really don’t want to get up at 5:20am and get in the water. The competition is going to push me to want to do that. It’s going to push me to wake up, to get out of bed, go to practice and work my butt off. At the end of the day, I’ve got to get up and push myself as far as possible and that’s my goal throughout the year and then the hope is that that culminates and being good enough to win at the biggest stage.

AM: You have amazing brands that you have partnered with from Bridgestone and Speedo as sponsors. How do you determine the brands that you align with based on your synergy and do you kind of have a bucket list of other people or brands that you want to partner with just to expand your portfolio?

RM: I think first and foremost, I want to be with world class brands. That was a motto of ours at Cal. We wanted our aquatics program at Cal to be world class and that’s something that really stuck with me. I want to be associated with people that do things the right way and that they do it really really well. That’s what I look for and Speedo, Bridgestone and Goldfish Swim School all have that in common. They all do things super well, first class – I think that they’re all very very competitive and they want to be the best. But they also do it with class.

The executive team at Bridgestone is incredibly impressive and they flip that switch by saying that they want to be the best tire company in the world. At the same time, they are the nicest people ever. Same thing with Goldfish, same thing with Speedo.

So, that’s the biggest thing that I do look for. It also has to make sense in my daily life. On a daily basis, I drive my car everyday and I drive my car on Bridgestone tires. I live at the top of a hill so if my tires weren’t good, I wouldn’t be able to get up the hill. I wear a Speedo everyday, so that makes sense and then Goldfish Swim School, they do a ton to teach kids the sport of swimming which is something that I am super passionate about. Both from a life saving perspective because if you get swim lessons, and I don’t want to mess up this stat, you are 90% less likely to drown if you had formalized swim lessons. That is incredibly powerful.

I want to grow the sport of swimming and I also think that even if you don’t choose swimming as your sport, water activities are incredibly fun. So many of my favorite memories have come in the water both in competition and in the ocean and the river. I love the water and I want everyone to experience the gifts of the water. All 3 of those brands have made a lot of sense for me.

In terms of bucket list brands, it’s just something that’s got to be a part of my daily life. I have things that I really enjoy whether it’s going golfing or following the stock market. I’m a little bit of a nerd and I love following the stock market! I will say that I don’t splurge on a ton – I think that I'm pretty frugal, one thing that I'm willing to splurge on is watches. I absolutely love watches as an accessory piece. Any of those things that fall within my interest would make sense for me.

AM: In terms of working out as we’re always looking to add to our fitness routines, what are 3 of your go to workouts that you tend to do in a session that we should consider putting into ours?

RM: I think that first and foremost in a sport like swimming, the most important thing is abs and your stabilization muscles. So abs and back, I hammer those on a daily basis. Exercises for that I do the pretty typical crunch, side crunch, V-ups, plank and side planks. Stuff like that, it’s all pretty simple. I also really like the Olympic lifts and I love doing clean. I guess if I’m talking to someone who is less of professional athlete, I’d say that an alternative to clean would be front squats. I’m not a huge fan of back squats, it’s easy to hurt the back and I’m much more of a bigger proponent of front squats where you really have to brace the abs and hold your body upright. You can’t do as much weight, but it’s really a whole body exercise.

For an upper body one, I love pullups. You can do so many different variations of over hand and just really isolate the lats. You can do under hand and get a little bit of biceps in there. You can go wide grip and get a little bit of chest so there’s just so many different kinds of variations of pull ups. I think that that’s really a great full upper body.

AM: From a dietary standpoint, what kinds of foods do you incorporate to your regimen that fuels your workout and optimizes the goals that you’re trying to do?

RM: I try to keep the diet pretty simple. At the simplest level, most of my meals I’m looking to try to get a really healthy grain/carb, a really solid vegetable, a pretty lean protein and then like anyone else, I love avocado – throw some sriracha on top – I’m all about the sauces. At its core, I keep it pretty simple.

I like oatmeal, then I make an omelet for breakfast. For lunch, a lot of time I will make a smoothie which is essentially a vegetable smoothie to kind of throw in potentially any kind of veggie that’s in my fridge. I’ll just throw it in there and throw in some cinnamon to kind of make it taste better! I’ll drink that down and for dinner, I’ll go to your quinoa or rice, potatoes, a pretty lean protein – salmon, turkey, chicken and a healthy veggie. I mix up the veggie a lot in that one as well.

AM: When you are splurging, what are your splurge foods that you treat yourself with?

RM: Well I mean, there’s a lot! I also mix up the splurge foods. I absolutely love steak. If I’m splurging, I’ll have a big fat piece of ribeye – that’s just fantastic! Or I’ll have a pizza, a burger – I love ice creams. I mean God, you’re making me hungry when you’re asking me this question!

AM: How important is mental health? In times like this as well as when you’re training, how do you check in with yourself to ensure that you’re in the right place to be the best you?

RM: Mental health is huge. I think the biggest part of athletics and really life is being able to maintain your levels of motivation and being honest with yourself. The same way that I talked about that super scope of wide emotions at the Olympics, I feel that at a time like this, the scope of emotions has widened for a lot of people. The way I check in with myself, is that I feel that I am incredibly fortunate to have an incredible inner circle. I talk to my family all of the time, I talk to both of my parents, my brother and my sister, my inner circle of friends. We all stay in touch very frequently so, that’s what I really do. I do consider myself very fortunate and I don’t want to make myself sound like an expert on mental health. I honestly never struggled in that area, but I do consider myself very fortunate in that aspect. But I do think think that everyone could benefit having very open conversations with their inner circle which has helped me. I've never felt like very very low, but obviously, everyone has bad days and so on those days, I totally lean on my inner circle to help me out.

AM: When you’re not training, what can we find you doing when you’re just hanging out and taking time for yourself?

RM: In this time, it’s been a little tough. I’m a massive sport fan. I like watching football, basketball. I would literally set reminders on my phone when the Michael Jordan documentary came out because I was feening for sports so bad! I totally miss that aspect, but I have been into golf for a little while now, so I’m lucky that I live 5 mins away from a golf course in Berkeley. I go up there all the time and I’ve been playing probably at least 1 round a week, I go to the range probably 2 times a week. So that’s been so great.

I love following the stock market. As I mentioned earlier, I am a bit of a nerd and when I turned professional in swimming, the biggest thing I was nervous about was feeling like I was losing my mental sharpness. I wanted to make sure that I had something that was engaging my mind and the stock market is that. I find it absolutely fascinating in just looking at how everything mixes based on people’s investment horizon – how long they wanted to be in the market, whether they were looking purely at the financial statements or if they are going off of the news cycle. I absolutely love that and in this time, there has been so much volatility in the market that I think that there has been some really good opportunities to make money in these past couple of months.

I’ve been dabbling in that a lot and I know that was a little long winded but essentially, my hobbies are watching/ participating in sports with golf, hanging out with the guys and the stock market.

AM: Five of our covers at Athleisure Mag have been awesome CNBC hosts, we've spent some great times with them, so finance and lifestyle for us has been a pretty big pillar for us. Just like you said, it’s a measure of what’s going on in a given environment and what people are leaning towards and away from. We love the financial mix.

Earlier you were talking about how you help children how to swim. Are there ways that you give back to the community at large or even specifically in the swim community with kids coming up that want to be just like Ryan Murphy?

RM: I try to spread out my time pretty well in terms of the swimming community. Totally at the earliest stage at the grassroots level, I want to grow participation in the sport and that’s why I partnered with Goldfish Swim School and that’s why I am involved with USA Swimming Foundation. USA Swimming Foundation does a lot of really really good work to increase the reach of the sport. It’s no secret that minority participation in swimming is lower than white participation. So USA Swimming Foundation for the past couple of years has done a lot of work in that area to try to increase minority participation in the sport and minority ability to swim. So that is something that I am really really passionate about. As people move up in the sport, there’s a guy named Carson Foster. He’s going into his freshman year of college. He’s been someone who’s reached out and said, “hey, I’d love to pick your brain on some stuff.” I absolutely love doing that. It’s cool that now at the age of 25, I’m a veteran and that’s crazy but it’s also cool that people want to hear from my experiences and what has made a difference in my career. I’m always willing to pay that forward to the younger athletes.

Then completely outside of swimming, I have done some work with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund. So getting back to being an avid sports fan, Tom Coughlin was the head coach of my hometown's football team. So he was the head of the Jacksonville Jaguars (he was also the head coach for the New York Giants) and an icon in Jacksonville. He has an incredible foundation that works with kids and the family of kids who have cancer. In this time, I have done a couple of Zoom calls with a couple of those kids because they’re going through cancer treatments and the visiting hours in hospitals are limited due to COVID-19. They’re really just looking for interaction and its absolutely incredible with these kids. Every single one of them is so optimistic, so fun, so outgoing, so mature while they are in the fight of their lives. Those conversations are incredibly powerful and they definitely impacted me more than I have impacted them. That’s been really cool to be involved with them for the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund as well.

AM: What is the legacy that you are looking to build whether it’s in the sport or outside of it that you want people to recognize you for?

RM: I think that the biggest thing is that it’s not about the accolades or the accomplishments. Records are going to be broken, there is always going to be someone younger – probably more talented at some point who is going to out do everything that you did at the pool. My biggest goal in terms of my legacy is that I want people to recognize that I have done and will continue to do everything in my power to reach my potential and to grow the sport of swimming. Those are my biggest goals. I want to be the absolute best athlete that I can be, but I also want to raise the profile of this sport. I view swimming as an incredible sport and I want people to be involved. Those are 2 goals of mine and I hope that people do recognize that I am doing absolutely everything in my power to reach both of those goals.

AM: As a changemaker, being someone who a lot of people look up to, who have been 3 people for you that have influenced your career or the way that you look at life?

RM: I’d say that number 1 would be my grandpa. My grandpa is an absolutely an incredible human and kind of a wizard! He has his PhD in math and so he has made his career off of writing math books. He has written over 100 math textbooks in his life and it’s absolutely insane. He’s so smart and probably one of the smartest people that I have ever met. He's an incredible mentor to me – he just has such a down to earth view on life. He has had an incredibly successful life. He didn’t come from much and he really valued his education and has now made a really solid living off of that. He is just someone that I respect so much and he has always been someone that I lean on for advice. Honestly that includes my parents as well so number 1 include my grandpa/my parents.

I guess #2 I will go more athletic. It would be Aaron Peirsol. As we have talked about it, I have always been a backstroker. When I was growing up, Aaron Peirsol absolutely dominated. He dominated from 2000 – 2010 in the backstroke events. He had a huge impact on my career. I would always be glued to my TV when he was swimming. Not because of how he swam, but his personality. He was so chill that he would be the guy that would walk out to his races with his cap and goggles in his hand. Everyone else would have their cap and goggles on and a lot of time, they were over their eyes already. He was just so chill that he would walk out as if he was going on a Sun. swim for a country club. Then he would go and dominate everyone and win gold records. I thought that that was just the coolest thing ever.

The 3rd one that I would go with is a coach. My current coach, Dave Durden, the head coach of Cal since 2007 and the head Olympic coach for the next Olympics. He’s 43, super young in the coaching world and he has such a quiet confidence about him that is just contagious. He's so calm and so measured. I've been swimming with him for 7 years and have only seen him lose his cool probably 1 time in the 7 years that I have swam with him. He’s dealing with 30+ college aged guys. We’re an all guys program and there is a lot of horseplay and personality going around and he just keeps his cool at all times. He’s another guy that I’m so impressed by his demeanor, his ability to plan and his ability to adjust. In this time through COVID-19, he has been an absolute maniac. He’s been jumping through hoops to figure out how we can train safely and just getting all of us on board for his plan. He’s an absolute incredible coach and incredible mentor. David is someone that is going to be a friend for life for me and I am super appreciative of the impact that he has had over my life and my current livelihood!

IG @Ryan_F_Murphy

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Front Cover, PG 16/17, 28, 32, 33, 34/35, Back Cover: Speedo USA/Photographer Richard Phibbs | PG18, 21, 31, 40-41: Photographer Jack Spitser | PG 24-25: Speedo International | PG 26-27: Speedo USA/Photographer Aaron Okayama | PG 42 -45: Xinhua/Imago/Icon Sportswire | PG 46: Photographer Sean Juo | Front Cover, 16-17, 22-25, 28, 32-35, Back Cover: Editorial Design by Athleisure Mag | PG 52- 53: Photos courtesy of Goldfish Swim School |

Read the July Issue #55 of Athleisure Mag and see Always Topping with Ryan Murphy in mag.

Hear 3 X Team USA Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #55 JUL 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is 3 X Team USA Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy. Our cover shoot editorial – Always Topping with Ryan Murphy, talks about Ryan’s career, how he got into swimming and his love of the backstroke, his success in the Summer Games in Rio in 2016, his approach to the upcoming games, how he is furthering the sport of swimming as well as encouraging others to embrace water sports. This interview will also be in an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS podcast episode. We also have an interview with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Harley Pasternak as we talk about working out from home, how he advises his clients in terms of what they needed on hand, his thoughts on gym and studio openings, a correlation between sugar and COVID-19 and how he has been passing his time for the past few months. We check in with Team Canada Pole Vaulter Ashlyn Newman who recently participated in The World’s Greatest in Greenville, South Carolina, this year’s first USA sanctioned Track & Field event. She talks about how she got into the sport, her training focus and what she looks forward to for the upcoming Olympic Games. Her interview will also be on an upcoming podcast of Bungalow SK. We check in with one of the Co-Founders of Huda Beauty, Mona Kattan. She talks about her role with the brand, their product assortment, KAYALI fragrance which is a part of this beauty empire, the power of fragrance and how she is spending her time in Dubai. We also talk to Head Winemaker of Cupcake Vineyard, Jessica Tomei. She talks about how she got into her career, harvest season, their newest line Cupcake Light Hearted and the importance of keeping it delicious. This episode will also be an upcoming podcast episode of Bungalow SK. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we talk with James Beard Award winner, Food & Wine winner and runner up on BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 11 and Fan Favorite, Nina Compton. She talks about her culinary journey, her two restaurants, how she has navigated COVID-19 and signature dishes and cocktails that can be enjoyed there.

Read the July Issue #55 of Athleisure Mag here.

READY ON SET WITH FABIANA PASCALI

If you haven't watched FX's American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, now may be the time as there are a number of our favorite actors in this Ryan Murphy series. We caught up with Fabiana Pascali who plays the role of the Female Senior Designer to the house of Versace. Fabiana had some common ground with the great designer, shares how she prepared for her role, let's us in on her favorite spots as well as what it's like to be Creative Director of her line, Thinking Panties! Continue reading to find out about this dynamic show and make sure to catch up on this series as we find ourselves talking about it to a number of our friends who are looking for a new show to embrace.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How did you get into acting and what was the moment that took place that made you realize it was for you?

FABIANA PASCALI: As a child, I was quite the creative extrovert. It was always easy for me to get into character and give my family fictional performances. During middle school and high school, I was always involved in theatre. It was only after quitting dentistry school at 19 that I got offered to audition in an all-girls music group. I made the cut and joined the group! It was then I knew showbiz would be part of my life.

AM: Tell us about shows/movies that you have been in?

FP: Most of my career is based in hosting and commercial work, with shows airing at to local, national, and international community. I’ve had the pleasure of more than twenty years doing
what I love.

AM: You are currently in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace where you play the role of “Female Senior Designer” that worked with Gianni in the House of Versace, and who was also one of the right hands of Donatella! How did this part get offered to you, what was the process of getting this part and how did you prepare for this role?

FP: My theatrical agent, Jaime Ferrar, called saying he had a high-profile audition I should read for. Casting was looking someone to play an Italian designer. That’s all we knew. I had no idea what show it was or what it was about, let alone who were the actors involved! Looking back, the secrecy surrounding the audition was tight!

Preparing for the role was a bit different, given I knew little about the character or what I was reading for. I rehearsed, read the description of the character, and dressed by my gut instinct.

AM: In playing this character, you already had connections to the subject matter as you are a Creative Director of Thinking Panties, you're half Italian and your husband came from the same province as Gianni - how did that assist you in taking on this character?

FP: As you said there a number of commonalities with my character. When I booked the job and learned more about the character, I laughed because who they were describing was me! Speaking Italian didn’t hurt either! It gave me an insight into how to best approach the character. It’s much easier to bring a character to life when you can get inside their head!

AM: Tell us what it was like to film this TV show especially working beside Penelope Cruz, Ricky Martin and Edgar Ramirez?

FP: It was a phenomenal experience to be part of a series of this magnitude. What can I say?! Seeing my name on the call sheet along these giants makes one feel accomplished!

Most of my scenes were alongside Penelope [Cruz], who plays the role of ‘Donatella Versace’, which was a bit humbling. When Ricky [Martin] was playing ‘Antonio D’Amico’ (lover to Gianni Versace), he completely blew me away! All of them are completely cool-headed professionals that were an absolute pleasure to work with and learn from!

AM: Were you a fan of Versace prior to coming into this program and how was it to be immersed within this opulent world?

FP: Absolutely! I have always been a huge fan of Versace!

AM: The world of Versace is a different lifestyle than most everyone experiences.

FP: The fashion world is worlds away from everyday life. The life of Versace, the man and the brand, is an experience onto itself. You’re taking a world that’s in the limelight yet veiled from
prying eyes, then translating that into a show. In a way, it’s imitation of Versace. Talk about poetic.

AM: Tell us about Thinking Panties!

FP: I founded Thinking Panties in 2011 as a line of underwear with a fun concept for the creative type who wants to personalize everything. All you need is a marker and your imagination! The
idea was to give someone’s inner artist a chance to flourish and even be a fun gift to give someone.

You can find get a pair direct from www.thinkingpanties.com

AM: Where are your favorite spots to work out, grab a drink and eat and to shop in LA?

FP: I enjoy hiking in the mountains, with some go-to trails in the Arroyo Seco between LA and Pasadena, as well as those in Hollywood and Griffith Park. I love the feeling of releasing endorphins, breathing fresh air, and enjoying the warmth of sunrays touching my skin.

When it comes to the restaurant experience, I’m pretty biased (lol). Of course, I prefer Italian and Argentinean foods. If you’re going out for Italian, try Bestia in the Arts District, Terroni in Downtown, Eatalian in Culver City. For Argentinean, Carlitos Gardel near West Hollywood, Malbec and 1810 Argentinean in Pasadena.

To grab a drink I head over to visit my cousin Guillermo Zapata, owner of SUR Restaurant & Lounge, in West Hollywood.

Where do I shop? Everywhere, really! I always find great pieces of wardrobe at Anthropologie and Free People. There are a bunch of different boutiques and department stores around town I frequent. There are just too many to list!

AM: What is your personal style when you're running around LA, heading out to brunch and when you're heading out to meet your agent/go on a casting/do a table read?

FP: I love wearing a good pair of jeans and nice t-shirts/blouse with a leather jacket on top. Depending on the occasion, I’ll throw on boots, pumps, or Converse. I keep my color palette fairly neutral.

AM: What projects do you have coming up that you can tell us about?

FP: I’m currently focused on new design projects. A big part of me is always coming up with ideas in my design studio and seeing where it naturally progresses. There’s some hearsay on going back to TV hosting, which I would love to do.

AM: What ways do you give back to the community or provide philanthropy?

FP: For every pair of Thinking Panties purchased, I give another pair to women in need. Much like Tom’s shoes, who matches a pair for every pair purchased. I provide these to local shelters,
women’s organizations, and missions.

I also donate monthly to institutions such as St. Judes Children’s Hospital, Food for the Poor, Wounded Warriors, and Operation Smile.

I believe just a little help given with love can make a difference. If we all did a little, it would add up to a big change!

Read more from the Feb Issue and see Ready On Set with Fabiana Pascali in mag.