THE POWER OF SMOOTH | LYDIA JACOBY

The road to the Olympics is one that is filled with an array of timelines and schedules that become hectic as well as important as athletes from around the world qualify to head to the Summer Games! Paris 2024 is only a few weeks away and we had the pleasure to sit down right before the 100 Days of the Games. We were excited to sit down and chat with 2 X Team USA Olympic Swimmer Lydia Jacoby (1G, 1B)! This Alaskan native was the first swimmer from her state to qualify for the Olympics for Tokyo 2020 and she came back from those Games with a Gold medal in the 100-Meter-Breaststroke with a time of 1:04:95 which was the fastest time ever achieved by a female American swimmer in the 17-18 age group. She also received a Silver medal for the 4X100 Medley as well! We wanted to find out how she came to the sport, swimming for the University of Texas at Austin, how she prepares for her meets, her partnership with Gillette Venus, what the weeks ahead look like for getting to the Olympics, and living that mermaid dream!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you fell in love with swimming?

LYDIA JACOBY: I think at a really young age, I grew up in a maritime community. So I was always around the water growing up and it was very natural for me.

AM: What drew you to the breaststroke? What do you love about swimming this?

LJ: It’s funny! I always say that you don’t choose the sport, the sport chooses you!

AM: Right!

LJ: Yeah, and that’s the same for strokes as well. I was always a breaststroker it just came to me! Even when I was little and on the floor playing with my dolls, I would be in that position. So it just came to me naturally.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to swim competitively?

LJ: I’d say that I started seeing some success when I was 12 when I broke my first state record and that’s when I kind of realized that I was pretty good at this and it was time to make this happen.

AM: Oh wow!

Being an Olympian, that is a major feat! You were the first Alaskan to qualify for the Olympic Games as a Swimmer. What did it mean to you to be able to go to the Summer Games in Tokyo?

LJ: I mean, it meant the world to me to be able to be there and to represent for my state as well as the community – all of the people that supported me. I mean, literally since I was 4, my whole life they have been there, so it really meant so much for me to be able to be there for them!

AM: What did you enjoy the most about competing in the Summer Games in 2020 – obviously, winning your medals was a great experience! But what did you enjoy most?

LJ: Just the experience and the people! I feel like I truly made some lifelong friends when I was there especially because we couldn’t have our families there then. The people I met there, were like my family during the games when I was there. It was really special connections!

AM: You also swim for the University of Texas at Austin which is phenomenal as in 2023, you were the NCAA Championships for the 100 yd Breaststroke where you won Gold and in the 4X100 yd Medley you took Bronze. What have you been enjoying about swimming with your collegiate team?

LJ: It’s very different than home growing up in Alaska. I mean, I have so many people on the team right now that have similar goals to what I am chasing. It’s just a really positive environment for me to train in.

AM: What is an average day like hanging out with you in terms of working out or training to optimize yourself in the sport?

LJ: In Austin? Ooo, it changes every day! My schedule is crazy! I’d say that in an average week, I would wake up around 5:50am, go to morning practice, come back, eat some breakfast, try to fit a nap in, get good food, go to class, get in some homework, answer emails, lots of trips to coffee shops as they have some great ones in Austin, practice in the afternoon, - and then it just takes me a long time to unwind before I go to bed. So I take a long shower, get a shave in and then get to bed early so I can do it all again the next day!

AM: That is quite the schedule!

Right now we’re just about at the 100th day mark in terms of Paris 2024. It’s hard to believe that and yet, here we are! What do the next few weeks look like in terms of qualifying and all of the different things that are going on before you get to the Summer Games?

LJ:  So we’re about 100 days out! Our Olympic Trials are mid to end of June. So we will find out literally a month before the Olympics. I’m just trying to do everything that I can to prepare and I have done everything that I can so that I can really lock in for the next couple of weeks.  

AM: Of course there are a lot things that we’re sure that you do to get prepped when it comes to swimming in the Olympics. Why did you want to partner with Gillette Venus and why is The Power of Smooth so important to you?

LJ: I feel like swimming is such an exposing sport! It’s so important to feel absolutely confident in your skin and to feel just really smooth and powerful. Ever since I was little, I always talked about how I wanted to be a mermaid! I probably thought that I was literally going to be a mermaid until I was a little too old to think that I was literally going to be a mermaid – but channeling that smooth skin and powerful feeling in the water, I feel like that is just about as close as I will get to being a mermaid with Gillette!

AM: Well we do have The Mermaid Parade that happens in Brooklyn!

LJ: Oh! Ok! Send me the dates!

AM: Yeah the 42nd Annual Mermaid Parade is on June 22nd in Coney Island. You’ll see plenty of mermaids then and it’s definitely an event that people get excited for!

LJ: I love it!

AM: What can we expect from you and Gillette Venus in this campaign?

LJ: I mean, we won’t know until we get there, but we have some big goals! At the end of the day, I feel like I have put a lot of pressure on myself over the last couple of years and I have just been trying to go into the Summer with a healthy mentality. I have already done this, I have nothing to prove. I want to allow myself to swim freely and put it out there!

AM: That’s amazing and a great perspective to have!

When you’re about to do a meet or competition, are there things that you have to do to prep yourself for that? Is there a certain kind of music that you’d like to have and what do you do to come down from all of that energy?

LJ: For sure! I mentioned before that it takes me awhile to unwind before bed and sleep before a meet is so important! So I really do like to take a long shower, do the girl everything shower – exfoliate, shave, wash my hair, deep condition, and just to feel really good! I’m definitely a proponent for look good, feel good!

AM: Absolutely!

LJ: I’ll do makeup before I go out to the pool. I just want to feel completely confident in my skin. I feel that that is a huge part of my routine. I love good food as well. But music, I mean it’s so much different stuff and it changes all of the time.

AM: Outside of the sport, you do so many different things. You are so talented in music, you model, what are some upcoming projects – obviously in addition to cheering you on at the Games that we can expect to see from you?

LJ: It’s been so busy and I have had so much going on – I mean there’s Olympics and I’m hoping that there will be fun stuff that is taking place after the Games! I have so many amazing sponsors like Procter & Gamble and Venus and some others so just keep an eye out for those from me!

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SERVING UP SELF-CARE | SLOANE STEPHENS

As we close out 2022, we're already thinking about what we're going to do in the New Year personally and professionally! In the midst of all this activity, we need to take time and to enjoy the moments along the way!

This month's cover is Grand Slam US Open 2017 Champion, Sloane Stephens. She has made impressive moments at the French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and a number of matches and won an ESPY for Top Female Tennis Player in 2018 and because of her philanthropic work with the Sloane Stephens Foundation, she was nominated and a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in 2019.

We have had the pleasure to connect with her in previous issues, but this month, we're talking about her upcoming tennis season, self-care and what she does while traveling! She definitely knows a thing or two about juggling a busy schedule while also taking the necessary time that she needs.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of interviewing a few years back and then right before the US Open, you took time out of your schedule to share your 63MIX ROUTIN3S with us about what you do Morning, Afternoon and Night. With the season starting Jan 1st, what are the weeks like for you between now and the start of the season whether it’s training, relaxing, enjoying the holiday season, etc?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I’ve had one of the best off-seasons I’ve ever had this year! I started out by freezing my eggs at Kindbody. I’ve wanted to freeze my eggs for a while and the timing was finally right to commit to the process. From there, we went to Iceland to celebrate Jozy’s birthday and spent a few days as a family at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon getting spa treatments and soaking in the hot springs. Iceland is only a 5 hour nonstop flight from Boston, so it was an easy trip! The day after Thanksgiving, we left for Africa. We went on the most incredible safari in South Africa at Londolozi and saw a gorilla trek at Virunga National Park. This was my first trip to Africa and I cannot wait to go back. I’m now back in Boston doing a training block with my trainer before heading for a tennis training block in Cabo through Christmas. From Cabo, I’ll fly directly to Auckland, NZ to begin the season!

AM: What tournaments are you looking forward to this year?

SS: Red clay is my favorite surface, so I always look forward to the European clay court season in the spring, which culminates at Roland Garros. As an American, any time I can play on US soil is extra special, so I’m looking forward to playing at Indian Wells, Miami, the US Open, and a new tournament in Austin.

AM: What is your routine before and after your matches?

SS: Before I play, I usually eat some pasta and a piece of lean protein like a chicken breast or piece of fish. I typically go into the locker room and put my headphones in and spend some time thinking and mentally going over the match plan I outlined with my coach the night before. About 30 minutes before my match, I’ll break a light sweat on a stationary bike and go through some fitness drills to make sure I’m starting the match with quick feet and dynamic movement.

After the match, I’ll do a quick cool down and shower before handling any mandatory media commitments. Once I’m done with that, I’ll either get a massage on-site or go back to my hotel and get some treatment from my physio. Depending on the time of day, I’ll then head out to dinner and prepare for the next day.

AM: How important is recovery to you after working out or after a match? What are the kinds of things that you do after these activities?

SS: Recovery is a critical piece of both the fitness and recovery process. Cooling down and taking the time to stretch and flush out muscles is really important for recovery and preparing for the next day and next match.

AM: Many of our readers are balancing hectic schedules – you got married at the top of the year to Jozy Altidore, an international soccer star – how do you make sure you give time to yourself, being with your husband and family?

SS: I make a lot of effort to have a very structured schedule and communicate my boundaries and commitments to my team. When it’s family time, it is family time and the phone is away. When it’s time to train, I’m training. When it’s time to work on my Foundation or on my outside businesses and investments, I’m fully there. I’ve also learned the things that bring me the most joy and fulfillment and prioritize those activities. When I’m home and able to spend time with my family, I take advantage of every single second of that time we’re together.

AM: In your sport, you spend a lot of time traveling 40+ weeks of the year! You kick off the season in Australia with the Australian Open. Also via your IG feed, you travel for fun – you’re South African trip looks amazing! How do you make your spaces feel like home when you’re traveling?

SS: I try to keep some consistent products and activities in my routine so that I can rely on those consistencies no matter where I am. A super easy way to do this is with bringing a candle from home - I find that having the same scent is really grounding and helps me feel in control of my environment.

AM: When it comes to choosing what hotel you like to stay at and to help our readers that may be planning their next trip, what are the things that you look for?

SS: For most tournaments, there is an official tournament hotel, so I just stay wherever I need to. In some cases, like in Paris and New York where there are endless options, we get to pick our own hotels. I love to stay at The Langham in New York and Hotel Vernet in Paris. I love when a hotel has a good breakfast, it’s just one less decision to make in the day. I also love great showers and friendly concierges.

AM: In terms of your suitcase, what are some of the important things that are must for you to pack so that you have your necessities as well as options for the unexpected?

SS: The most important thing in my suitcase is my passport. If I have my passport, I can pretty much figure everything else out as I go! Of course, I also need my tennis racquets to do my job! I travel with a lot of skin care products because I love the sense of calm and order that a consistent routine brings.

AM: What are some of your travel hacks that have proven to work for you that we should know?

SS: I cannot overstate the importance of hydrating during travel. The entire travel experience is really drying - the plane air is dry, hotels can be dry, the change in climates can be tough - it’s a lot. Hydrating inside and out helps your body adjust to new situations and new timezones and it is so simple to do. I think a lot of people are hit with a double-whammy when it comes to dehydration because they’re drinking a lot of caffeine to try and stay awake during travel or they might be having some alcoholic beverages while they’re away, and both of those things are also really dehydrating on the body, so it’s all the more important to hydrate.

AM: Do you have anything that you do before, during or after hopping on a flight whether it’s a beauty process, self-care, etc?

SS: I’ve started wearing WHOOP’s new Blue Light Glasses to avoid disrupting my circadian rhythms with too much screen time - it makes a huge difference when I’m trying to sleep the next night. I also try to get up and walk around on the plane to keep the blood flowing and prevent blood clots or feeling super stiff when I land.

AM: When you arrive in your designated city, whether it’s for work or fun, what are the things that you look for in terms of restaurants, activities and shopping that you want to explore?

SS: When I was first starting out on tour, I rarely ventured out. I stuck close to the hotel and always went back to the same restaurants. There are already so many variables at play when traveling for work and needing to compete, so I never wanted to risk an upset stomach or having any sort of issues. Now that I’ve been traveling to the same cities for 15+ years, I have a great mix of my tried and true staple spots but have also really enjoyed researching and trying new spots. I think being locked down during Covid made me appreciate the incredible opportunity I have to travel the world and made me look forward to getting back out and exploring.

AM: Do you have separate beauty routines for daytime versus night time?

SS: Yes! I wake up and drink a huge glass of water. I brush my teeth and then wash my face with a gentle cleanser like the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. I sleep with various moisturizing layers, so I don’t want to take that all off and dry myself out again. I usually head right to practice or training, so I put Neutrogena sunscreen on my face and sometimes I’ll use the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops under my sunscreen. I sweat pretty much every day and am always wearing sunscreen, so I like to do a body scrub in the shower at night to scrub that all away and feel like I’m going to bed super clean. For the record, I love piping hot showers, the hottest the dial will turn - boil me!! After I get out of the shower, I layer on the moisturizers - I start with a lotion and then will layer a body oil on top if I’m feeling extra ashy in certain spots. I go through the same routine every day and it helps my body and mind recognize that it is time to start unwinding and preparing for bed. None of the products I use at night have any energizing scents like eucalyptus or lemon verbena - it’s all fragrance free. If I want a relaxing scent, I’ll turn on a diffuser or light a candle. I always travel with diffusers or candles.

AM: How important is mental health and self-care to your training and state of being whether you’re working in your sport or just being out and about?

SS: There is an undeniable link between mental health and physical well-being. Both parts have to be working in harmony. Tennis as a sport inherently requires a lot of mental energy - it’s just you out there and everyone is looking at you, so I find that taking care of my mental health is just as important as how I take care of my body. It is encouraging to see this sort of discourse make its way into more mainstream conversations and I hope that more people are encouraged to find the practices, tools, and therapies that help them.

AM: Why does the wellness space mean so much to you and what can you tell us about your new brand that you are launching next year as we know you may not be able to say too much!

SS: The wellness space is so important to me as both an athlete and as a woman. I've always loved to try new products and am constantly in pursuit of the best ways to take care of my skin and body. I will be venturing into the wellness space myself next year, so stay tuned!

AM: We know how important The Sloane Stephens Foundation is to you. Are there new projects or initiatives that you are focused on that you would like to share?

SS: Thank you for asking! The Sloane Stephens Foundation is actually celebrating our 10 year anniversary in March 2023 - I cannot believe it’s been 10 years! I wanted to use tennis as the vehicle to keep kids in school, keep them healthy, and keep them physically safe. Tennis has given me so much in my life but I know that it can feel very unapproachable, especially to people from under-resourced communities who might not be able to afford the equipment or coaching, or to underrepresented communities where they might not see a lot of players that look like them. I sought out to change that. We work with over 15,000 kids each year across the Compton Unified School District and provide tennis, academic, mental health, and financial literacy programs. One of the things I’m most proud of us that almost all of our coaches are actually graduates of our programs who have decided to come on as staff members while they pursue their college degrees. It’s very much a big family and it feels very sustainable to have programs designed and implemented by the community and for the community.

IG @sloanestephens

@sloanestephensfoundation

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER + BACK COVER, PG 28 9DRIP Courtesy of Sloane Stephens | PG 16 - 19, 22 + PG 82 9PLAYLIST BNP Paribas Open | PG 21 John Cordes/Icon Sportswire | PG 25 Masha Maltsava | PG 26 Federico Pestellini/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire |

Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see SERVING UP SELF-CARE | Sloane Stephens in mag.

THE REWIND | #THERETREATAUSTIN

Our friends over at FUNKSHION headed to Austin, TX during SXSW with their Health and Wellness Platform, The RETREAT by FUNKSHION on March 10th at the South Congress Hotel. This event included prominent fitness experts, wellness leaders, and industry shifters that hosted classes and were on panels as well as leading studio classes. This event was focused to create awareness about relevant topics related to the world of wellness.

With a day filled with an array of sessions, guests also had access to a mini-pop up shop with Essie Nail Station, Hair Braid Bar and they were able to shop Blank Label, Milk + Honey and Surterra Wellness.

“We wanted to create an inspiring and interactive event that will cover every angle of this widely-grown lifestyle, and connect the industry on both a national and regional level,” commented FUNKSHION’s Creative Director, Natalija Dedic Stojanovic. “It was a logical move to take The RETREAT to SXSW in our third year of the event. Austin’s market truly celebrates the health and wellness lifestyle like a religion. We match-made Austin founded companies like Outdoor Voices, Milk + Honey and C4 with industry tastemakers like Ron Boss, Bethany C. Meyers and Lo Bosworth (founder of Love Wellness). The result was an extraordinary success. All the panel discussions offered riveting commentary and advice on battling everything from common stigmas to eating disorders; and discovering ways to stay fit and mindful in the most difficult moments” mentioned Stojanovic.

The Retreat will continue to host its annual May event in the Miami Design District and is planning to host its first ever New York edition in mid-September.

PHOTO COURTESY | The RETREAT by Funkshion

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ATHLEISURE LIST | YOGA UNWINED

When you're selecting a workout studio or method, it's about finding a class that fits what you're interested in targeting as well as what fits your mood at the moment. A few weeks ago, we took our first Yoga Unwined class, which is founded by Morgan Perry and yes this combines yoga and wine together in a responsible and fit way!

Yoga Unwined is a yoga and wine education company. The classes weave together vinyasa-based yoga and fun wine facts through creative yoga poses. Each hour long educational class
ends with a meditative wine tasting, inviting you to mindfully taste what's in your glass while applying what you learned through the poses.

Morgan worked in wine marketing for a decade and fell in love with wine when she had the chance to visit wineries and vineyards in Chile on a press trip. She came back to New York and
started taking wine classes to learn more, and has been hooked ever since. She had practiced yoga for the past seven years. When she left her job in 2016, she immediately enrolled in an immersive yoga teacher training program. It was during this time that she created a yoga class that included wine education.

Each class focuses on one grape varietal (like Pinot Noir or Chardonnay) or category (like rosé or sparkling wine), so you will get a chance to learn about 20 facts about that particular wine. Instructors discuss some basic, but fun facts, which can include winemaking information, tasting notes, food pairings and more. These facts are woven seamlessly into the yoga flow, which is about 45 minutes long. After a five minute savasana or breathing meditation, you have the chance to comparatively taste two different expressions of the wine you just learned about and are able to see, smell and taste firsthand what is learned on the mat.

In New York City, they have partnered with The Arlo Hotel for their series - Bubbles & Brunch (look for these monthly classes in 2018). Students can book a package that includes a Yoga
Unwined class (focusing on sparkling wine), followed by bottomless brunch at Arlo Nomad's restaurant, Massoni. Recently, they concluded a series with Outdoor Voices and have partnerships with several yoga studios, such as Yoga Vida, with bi-monthly workshops. In January, classes will be held at Lululemon and SOLACE.

Expansion for Yoga Unwined will take place in Austin, TX due to the founder being from Texas. After the success of an event held in Austin this past summer, she will be offering a course this
Feb at Austin Winery. YOGA UNWINED Visit the website to find out more about Yoga Unwined series in NYC and additional cities. For those that are members of private clubs or luxury
buildings, you can find out when they are coming to these locations as well.

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YOGA UNWINED

www.yogaunwined.com

Read more from the Dec Issue and see Yoga Unwined in mag.