FOOD ANTHROPOLOGY | CHEF ANDREW WONG

We're always looking to add that next great restaurant to our list and when we're in London next, we have 2 Michelin-starred A. Wong as one of our stops! We took some time to chat with Chef Andrew Wong to talk about his passion for food, his culinary background, what led to him launching this restaurant and what we should have in mind when we come in for an epic meal. We also talk about what he does outside of the restaurant.

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

CHEF ANDREW WONG: I grew up in my parents' restaurant, and cooking wasn't something I was interested in. I went to university to have fun and escape work for a while, but I was drawn back in. It was when I decided to learn how to cook and enrolled in culinary college that I became more engaged with the whole thing and saw it as something I could make a go of.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF AW: After graduating from culinary college, I travelled through China on a working tour to learn more about the roots of Chinese cuisine. This was eye-opening, as I discovered the vast regional differences in cuisine and understood the cultural context and history behind dishes and techniques. Once returning to London, I continued learning and researching Chinese cuisine, where it all began.

AM: What was your culinary background in terms of what led you to going to culinary school as well as kitchens you trained in?

CHEF AW: When I was younger, my parents ran a Chinese restaurant called Kym’s. It was an old-school Cantonese restaurant and takeaway, filled with brightly coloured sauces, dragons, and everything you would imagine an eighties Chinese takeaway to be. I worked in their kitchen as a teenager but always said I would never want to be a chef.

When my father passed away, I needed to step up and help my Mum run the family business. Over time, I became more interested in the history of Chinese cuisine. I spent some time travelling around China and perfected and honed my new skills before deciding to close Kym’s and open A Wong.

AM: You launched A. Wong in 2012, why did you want to open this restaurant and what was your approach to the menu?

CHEF AW: My parents had been running their restaurant on that site since the 1980s. The restaurant had sentimental value and a good location in Victoria. There was no reason to open anywhere else, and I’m pleased we didn’t.

Our approach at A.Wong is to celebrate Chinese culture, craft, history, and techniques. Over time, the menu and cuisine have become more personal. I would describe it as ‘A.Wong cuisine.' This reflects my heritage, our exploration, and how we approach dishes.

The menu celebrates techniques, some very old and some more modern. We draw on the vast array of ingredients from the Chinese kitchen—fermented, dried, and salty—with vegetables, seafood, and meat to create a balanced and harmonious dining experience.

AM: Tell us about the ambiance of your restaurant and what guests can expect when enjoying their meal here.

CHEF AW: Fun, unpretentious, explorative, inquisitive, researched, and a celebration of culture, still keeping up with modern ways while keeping our techniques and cooking methods traditional.

AM: For lunch, what are 3 Dim Sums that you suggest that we should have in mind when we come in?

CHEF AW: Black Pepper Beef wispy pastry with tamarind and dried shrimp caramel, Rabbit and Carrot Glutinous Puff & Bamboo Pole Noodles with King crab and Spring Onion Oil.

AM: What is the Touch of the Heart menu and what are 3 items from this menu that we should try?

CHEF AW: Touch of the Heart menu is our lunch menu, which still offers guests a beautiful journey across the borders of China. I think every item on the menu has its own story to tell, but the three I would pick would be the 999 Layered Scallop Puff with XO Oil, Steamed Duck Yolk Custard bun, and Memories of Peking Duck.

AM: For dinner, walk us through The Collections of China menu that we can have for dinner.

CHEF AW: The concept behind it came from when I was travelling. I read and spoke with many people about Chinese cuisine, but experiencing the diversity of flavours first-hand is very different.

I wanted to give our guests an insight into these diverse, regional flavour profiles, from flash-frying to steaming carbohydrate menus, the amount of pickle, preservatives, and the type of fermented product. All these things are integral parts of a region's identity and its role in China as a whole.

AM: Tell us about your beverage program.

CHEF AW: At A. Wong, we offer close to over 350 different labels and vintages, including both new world and old-world wines. Veering away from traditional service, the interactive wine program, at A. Wong is centered around the concept of 'adventure and personal exploration.' Our sommelier team encourages the guests to sample a wider selection of wines by exploring lesser-known wines and understanding the flavour profiles of well-known old wines. To create contrast and adventure, our beverage pairings at lunch and dinner are served as multiple flights, and include craft beers, Chinese teas and vinegars alongside the wines. We want guests to play and enjoy the wines within a collection of dishes, and discover for themselves what they enjoy.

AM: What is the Forbidden City Bar and are there cocktails that are offered here that are specific to this portion of the restaurant?

CHEF AW: The Forbidden City Bar serves as a venue for enjoying intimate moments with your loved ones, where we serve classic signature cocktails and our own Forbidden City cocktails. Enjoy your pre-meal and post-meal drinks. The bar also welcomes non-diners.

The most signature cocktail available at A.Wong is the Peking Duck Old Fashioned, which is made of Johnnie Walker Whiskey infused with traditional Peking duck fat and roasting spices, hoisin syrup, and Angostura.

AM: As someone with an Anthropological background, how has that inspired the foods and the ingredients that you use?

CHEF AW: I’ve been working with Dr Mukta Das for about five years now. It’s a real privilege and one I don’t take lightly. We introspectively look at the cuisine in terms of flavour, technique, balance, and cultural etiquette. I think all of this – taste, cultural, and social, affects our perception of the dining experience and taste.

Mukta’s approach is from a historical point of view, looking at all sorts of economic and social aspects behind whatever dish we are researching. I look at it from a chef’s perspective, what it will taste like, what the texture would be, and how I can logistically make this happen.

We do a lot of research to ensure that the base flavour profiles are nearly identical to historical and technical Chinese techniques. But at the same time, I like to think that our food is quite explorative, in the sense that we don’t specify that our food comes from a particular region or style. I want people to take an interest in the flavours of a dish. I want to try and encourage people to go out and explore other Chinese restaurants that they may not have done before. This opens us up to criticism, but if what we are serving isn’t deemed “authentic,” that’s ok because it’s not supposed to be.

AM: Can you tell us what SOAS is and how it has influenced your restaurant? What does it mean to become an Official Research Associate there for the Food Studies Centre?

CHEF AW: SOAS is the School of Oriental and Asian Studies, a university in London. I’ve worked with them before, and becoming a research associate means they support my endeavour to learn more about food and the cultural discourse around it.

It means I interact with food as a cultural phenomenon. For me, the idea of humans as social beings is essential. This means when you talk about running a restaurant, it's not purely about the food. It's also about how humans interact in a space, with each other and with the experience.

It's an understanding we are social beings, and we like to communicate. We want to taste, see, and touch, which is very important for a restaurant. Restaurants are not just purely about food, interaction with the space and concept are integral.

Food is not just flavour; it is an expression of history, location, ingredients and choices.

AM: You received your first Michelin star in 2015 and you received another recognition in Jan 2021 with a second Michelin star making A. Wong the first Chinese restaurant outside of Asia to achieve this. What does this mean to you?

CHEF AW: The first Michelin star was for my team at A. Wong, they all work incredibly hard, and to be recognised was wonderful. Receiving the second star was an extraordinary moment for us at A. Wong. It was a significant achievement for me personally and Chinese restaurants globally. It was for our community, our forefathers. I am just a tiny part of the thousands and thousands of restaurants that have come before us. It's good to see that a global brand like Michelin broadens and represents multiple cultures and cuisines.

IG @awongsw1

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 92 , 96 + 99 James Gilles | PG 95 Jutta Klee |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD ANTHROPOLOGY | Chef Andrew Wong in mag.

CHEF'S PLAYBOOK | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO

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

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

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

AM: Love that!

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

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

AM: Noted!

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

AM: Same!

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

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

AM: Oh wow!

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: Without a doubt!

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

CHEF TC: Oh yeah, she’s great!

AM: We love her to pieces!

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

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

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

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

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

SOUR CHERRY BBQ WINGS

• 4 lbs Do Good Chicken Party Wings

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed

• ¾ cup sour cherry preserves

• 1/3 cup lime juice about 2 limes

• 1 lime, zested

• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• Salt and Pepper

• Flavorless oil, such as avocado or vegetable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IG @tomcolicchio

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Tom Colicchio

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

ATHLEISURE LIST | TECHNOGYM

Technogym is the world leading supplier of products, digital technologies and services for fitness, sport and health. For over 30 years, the brand has been committed to promoting Wellness, a lifestyle based on regular physical exercise, a balanced diet and a positive mental attitude.

In 1983, President and Founder, Nerio Alessandri, designed and built his very first piece of gym equipment in his garage in Cesena at the age of 22. Looking for a way to make money using his technical and mechanical design skills, Mr. Alessandri became interested in the world of fitness after visiting a local gym which only offered basic equipment. Upon launching the first machine, he then worked on releasing his first line of equipment, the Isotonic Line, meant for strength training.

You may be familiar with the Skillrun Treadmill which is part of Technogym’s Skill Line, created in collaboration with Olympic athletes and built for high-intensity athletic performance. The Skillrun available at the Rumble Training studios features a custom interface along with arcade-style joysticks to adjust the speed and incline on either side of the screen. Aside from the unique features exclusive to Rumble Training, the Skillrun offers a wide variety of training programs such as bootcamp, sled training, parachute training, speed shifts, etc.

Other equipment you may be familiar with is the Run Personal + Kinesis Personal. This is the top of the range Technogym design line. Designed by the acclaimed designer Antonio Citterio combines Technogym premium training technology with elegant design and aesthetic. This is ideal for design lovers and people willing to train in an elegant and stylish atmosphere. You don’t need to have an entire room to dedicate to home gym, since personal line equipment are considered real pieces of furniture and they can be perfectly integrated in living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. The personal line includes treadmill, bike, elliptical and Kinesis. Kinesis is Technogym’s unique design training solution allowing a single machine over 200 exercises for strength, balance and flexibility.

The SkillRun - Skill Line is Technogym’s ultimate Line for athletic training performance, designed thanks to Technogym’s experience as official supplier to the last 8 Olympic Games. It includes treadmill, bike, rower and Skillmill curved treadmill. This is ideal for sport lovers and for people willing to train to improve their sport performance: runners, cyclists, triathletes, etc.

The Artis Elliptical - Artis is Technogym’s premium professional line for fitness clubs. It is available also at home for people willing to create a real professional gym at home. It includes a complete range of cardio and strength equipment and it is ideal if you have an entire space to dedicate to your personal gym.

As the official supplier of fitness equipment and digital technologies for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Technogym provides the equipment for the athletes to train on in the Olympic Village to ensure they’re in top shape for competition. This is the eighth time that they have been a part of the Olympic experience, having been a part of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Turin 2006, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018.

Each piece of Technogym equipment goes through extensive testing to ensure the maximum benefits for you and your training goals. Whether you’re looking to tone up, lose weight, enhance your athletic ability, or simply keep moving amidst the hustle of daily life, Technogym has a machine for you.

TECHNOGYM

www.technogym.com

IG @Technogym

Read the March Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Technogym in mag.

GET YOUR BEST SUMMER BROWS EVER WITH TIPS FROM UMBREEN

Throughout the decades, brow looks come and go. Full, bushy brows evoke 80s-era Brooke Shields. Super skinny brows scream the late 90s. Recently, the perfectly painted “Insta Brow” has been having a major moment.

For 2019, a more easy-going, lower-maintenance, the natural brow is trending. To achieve this look, we tapped brow guru Umbreen Sheikh for her best tips. As a licensed cosmetologist and Founder + CEO of Wink Brow Bar, Umbreen is a bonafide brow savant. Here’s how she – and her teams at Wink’s multiple locations in New York City, Brooklyn, and London – are helping clients live their best brow lives.

Umbreen Sheikh’s Top 6 Brow Tricks 

1. Assume the position

While you might think you need to park yourself this close to the mirror to precision-groom your brows, that isn’t actually the case. “Standing too close can throw-off your brow proportions, and make you lose perspective on the overall shape,” says Umbreen. “For best results, stand at least one foot away.”

2. Break out the brush

Short on time? At the very least, give your brows a thorough brushing. Stroke up and over, and then anchor your arches with a dab of brow gel or clear mascara. (More on brow gel shade-selection below.) FYI, the Wink tool of choice has an angled side and a spoolie on one end, so consider investing in a brow brush of similar quality. You’ll be using it every day, so it will pay for itself in no time.  

3. Select your ideal shade

Picking the perfect, slam-dunk shade of gel, pencil or powder is crucial, so this is where you need to spend real quality time. As a general rule, you’ll want to match your hair roots, which are typically one shade lighter than your brows. “Most women want their brows to add definition to their face, and not ‘read’ as harsh or aggressive,” says Umbreen. “Matching your brows to your roots does that.” With one exception, Umbreen cautions. “If you’re blonde, go a shade darker than your roots. Otherwise, you’ll look washed-out.” NOTE: If you opt for professional brow tinting, which lasts for up to four weeks and is among Wink’s most popular services, you can skip this shade-selection tip altogether. How easy is that?

4. Get a little nosey

One of the very best things about next-level brow grooming, whether you master it yourself or pop by Wink for professional assistance, is that it allows you to visually alter the shape of your nose. Thinner, wider – whatever nose look you’re after, beautiful brows can help you get there. If you’re opting for thinner, Umbreen recommends drawing an imaginary vertical line from the tip of your nose to the beginning of your brow and then focusing your shade-filling right there at the start. To make your nose appear wider, do the opposite and focus your shade-filling at the end of your brow, not the beginning.

5. Pencil (or powder) it in

Whichever shade format you choose, the absolute key to success is to follow the basic shape of your existing brow. Go easy, and only add color between hairs, as needed. “The idea is to shade, not ‘draw’ your brows on from scratch,” says Umbreen. “The goal is a soft, subtle look that lends definition. Straight, hard lines are to be avoided at all costs.”

6. Between brow appointments, “cheat” with concealer
Pressed for time? If you can’t make it into Wink or carve-out 15 minutes to do a thorough DIY bathroom brow-grooming sesh, Umbreen recommends adding a dab of concealer on the most unruly hairs. “Whatever you do, resist the temptation to just yank them out,” she says. “Brows add so much structure and personality to your face that you really want to take your time, and groom properly. Or better yet, head to Wink, and let us help.”

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE BREATH WITH POPPY JAMIE

This time of year, there are a number of activities that are pushing for our attention. There are notifications on our phones, making various appointments, checking that we're not missing studio time at yoga as well as getting our nails done. There are times where you forget to eat or even to breathe! Breathing is one of our most vital tasks and as much as we do it, many of us are not doing it right! We took a moment to chat with Poppy Jamie, Breathing Instructor and enthusiast, TV presenter, Co-Founder/Designer of Pop and Suki and Founder of Happy Not Perfect, a new app and lifestyle brand that recently launched to find out what a breathing workshop is, how we do it and what led her to this career!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Where did the year go? How is it almost Christmas.

POPPY JAMIE: I know right, I mean I was just telling myself, where did the year go and how can it be the end of the year already? At least we have the holidays to look forward to!

AM: You cover a number of areas so in looking at your background, how did you get into doing TV, have a successful line – Pop & Suki (accessory line created by best friends Poppy and actress and model Suki Waterhouse), your app/lifestyle brand, Happy Not Perfect as well as being a breath enthusiast?

PJ: Well really, I was inspired I suppose by my upbringing. My mum is a hypnotherapist and my dad is an entrepreneur. When we were growing up, we spoke about the mind at the age of 8 and it was so normal to talk about emotions, how you process them, how you manage your mind, meditation, breathing. These were all things that were just as normal as brushing your teeth, washing your face and going out for a walk. Mental health has been such a part of the way that I was brought up and in my DNA.

I always knew that I wanted to be a TV presenter. Ever since I knew I could talk, I wanted to be able to communicate with people because I just found it so incredible how you could share a conversation and storytelling and that really led me to my first career as a TV presenter and host. While I was a TV host, that was the thing that really gave me insight into this social setting and made me analyze what people were looking at and how they were reacting to things. When I launched my show on SnapChat, PillowTalk (the first show to air on SnapChat), I would see hundreds of thousands of messages of people just reacting about what they were thinking, feeling and going through. At that moment, it was my upbringing and where I was in my career that came together. I would start to call up my mum and I would ask her advice on how I should respond to these questions that included people that were struggling at work/school or feeling stressed about their relationship. In that moment I realized how little we know about the mind and how fortunate I was to have a mum that would teach me about the mind and these sort of things. I began to wonder how I could go about sharing my mum and putting her into an app and to give her to everyone. It wouldn’t matter where you were or what time of day it was – it’s about the thought process. It’s really what a great therapist does – they help you process your thoughts and find a new perspective by using different tools such as breathing and journaling. It’s funny that my career has gone in so many different directions, but it all happened to go into the creation of Happy Not Perfect.

At the time, I was living in LA with my best friend and that’s how the handbags started. My best friend and I are two of the most disorganized girls that you could ever meet as we’re always losing things and we thought that if we could design handbags, we’d be less disorganized. It’s been a really crazy 3 years and I couldn’t be happier working on these things that I now are really helping people. We have so many messages a day where people are like, “Oh my God this is really helping me.” People thanking us on teaching them how to breathe and those who were feeling low before Happy Not Perfect and n ow after using it they feel less anxious. I love how I am doing my part into what I should be doing.

AM: I love how connected it is and how the app also has an extension as a lifestyle brand with products that are attached to it as well – correct?

PJ: Exactly! We found that in our focus groups that people really struggled with dealing with things and that Millennials are some of the most stressed out people that ever lived. It showed through our qualitative research in America, Europe and Australia that we did. I wondered what we should do and how could we assist in managing their stress levels and people were silent about it. That’s when I learned that people weren’t so sure on what they could do to manage their mental well being. People wanted to know what they could use! This holds true for why there is product in Happy Not Perfect as well as why I was intrigued to work with Breathe Right Strips. Even a simple thing like putting the strip on your nose, you can sleep better because you are getting more air and it’s an upward spiral. Suddenly you have a clearer mind in the morning and it’s a simple thing that can help you feel better. We found that with the site and lifestyle components that everyone can benefit from these items.

AM: We were unable to attend the breath workshop which was unfortunate, but how did this partnership between yourself and Breathe Right Strips come about as we understand the natural synergy here.

PJ: I’ve been using Breathe Right for years and it has been a bit of my secret hack! When I trained as a breathing instructor and when I would do my classes in London, NY and LA afterwards I would say, if you guys are struggling with breathing at night when you’re trying to sleep, you should use these strips. Someone then said, “I know them – you should connect with them.” I was being their biggest advocate even before they knew me because I loved them. Then we were connected and I was so happy about that because I love the natural way that you can just be help yourself and be a little more relaxed and have a clearer mind. It’s about sometimes having the simplest thing like a breathing strip and learning how to breathe into your belly that will have a formative effect on your mental and your physical health.

AM: I heard that you have a 24kt gold Breathe Right Strip – is this true?

PJ: I do and I’m very excited about my it and honestly, it’s one of my favorite beautiful mantle pieces! I mean I never ever thought that I would have a 24kt gold basically nose statue! Now I do! I was traveling back from NY to London because my parents were so excited to see this and it is the coolest thing. I carried it in my hand luggage and when I went through security, nobody could believe my gold karat nose and it has now traveled halfway across the country and it is now very close to my heart.

AM: What’s it like going through a breathing workshop and how do you guide people through their proper breathe?

PJ: A breathing workshop begins with teaching people how to breathe. When I first started out as a breathing instructor under Dr. Belisa Vranich, who is one of the leading experts in the world, she is the author of Breathe and she is one of the most crucial women that I have ever met. I couldn’t believe it when she said that 9 out of 10 people breathe incorrectly! It’s unbelievable. We all breathe, but when you realize that we pick up bad breathing habits from the age of 5 because we go to school and begin to hunch over tables and we start breathing too much air and we start to do shallow mouth breathing. This is a forced habit from the central nervous system it pumps up our stress level and makes us feel like we’re in danger and we have that fight or flight feeling. But when you start engaging in belly breathing and slowly inhale through your nose and slowly exhale with lower body breath, it emulates your vega nerve and takes you out of that fight or flight state.

This is a calming breath that allows you to have a pretty instantaneous moment of clarity. You make better decisions and it reduces your nerves. So the breathing teaching and the breathing workshop teaches you the power of learning how to relax your nervous system when you need to and the best way to do that is through nose/belly breathing, and then once you kind of learn that, we can practice by putting weight on our bellies to practice bringing that weight up and bringing it back down, as that is helpful. A great trick to do this is to do so when you’re in bed and you can’t get yourself to sleep, you can put a heavy book on your belly to breathe the book up and to breathe it back down (editor’s note: this is an exercise to calm you down to be able to sleep as the book is only for the breathing practice). It’s a great trick and if you have friends who are a bit anxious or stressed out, teach them to lie down, put a book on their belly to breathe it up and down as it is really calming and relaxing. I really like to teach people tools that they can share with their friends and family. And then, we go into a kind of breath work meditation which uses the breath to sink into a meditative state and during the breath workshop that we did a few weeks back at the event, we did a Love and Kindness Meditation, which is one of the scientifically backed meditations that really help to nurture kindness and compassion not only for ourselves, but for those around us and after experiencing that, we come out of meditation which lasts at about half an hour or 45 minutes in terms of the education, the practicing and the meditation. Hopefully everyone leaves feeling a little bit happier and calmer and a lot less stressed.

AM: That sounds fantastic. With a new year coming up, there is a lot of stress and anxiety that people will have in wanting to do resolutions and things that are different, but also coming down from a busy holiday season – how can breath work help with this so that they can calm down and do what they need to during the day?

PJ: This is why I love breathing! It doesn’t mean that you have to meditate for 20 minutes if you don’t have time. The holidays are so busy and you have loads of family around. So the belly breath which I actually do this while I am talking with someone or perhaps in a stressful meeting, I lightly put my hands on my belly and I start breathing slowly into my nose and out through my nose into my belly. I consciously have this hack knowing that I have it whenever I need it is powerful.

Even if you want to just take a couple of moments in the morning to just lie down on your back and to just focus on your breathing through your nose and down for a couple of minutes as it really just sets your nervous system. During the holiday season, it’s so hectic because people are buying their presents and you need these short effective tricks for your nervous system and belly breathing is definitely one of them and anyone can do it which is fantastic!

AM: You’re based in NYC where would we find you grabbing a drink/meal and working out?

PJ: Oh my gosh my new favorite place is abcV the new vegan place that I am newly obsessed with that! I have to say that no one can't beat The Bowery Hotel! It's really magical and fun and I always have a lot of friends there. I like to think that wellness is a little bit of everything. It’s not only about looking after your mind, but it doesn’t mean depriving yourself of other things. It’s a bit of everything. My favorite yoga studio is Yoga Vida and I love this yoga instructor named Will Schneider who is my favorite. I also love dancing as it’s incredible for your mental health and great for a mood boost that makes you feel good. If I am in a really dedicated mood, I love SLT which is incredible, but dancing and yoga are really my thing as I find yoga is really great for the mind and to stretch the body, you need to relax the mind. This exercise incorporated meditation and I’m a big yoga fan.

IG @PoppyJamie

PHOTOS COURTESY | Poppy Jamie + Happy Not Perfect

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see It Begins and Ends with the Breath with Poppy Jamie in mag.

STYLE FILES: SS19

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and read Style Files: SS19 in mag.

HANGING WITH SOLEIMA

We kicked off the month by heading uptown to a listening party for electropop Big Beat Records' artist, Soleima whose music is the perfect way to get you ready for Spring with a hip-hop and world infusion. This Danish artist chatted with us prior to her party to talk about her entry into music, her love of the collaborative scene and Copenhagen and the Scandanavian festivals that she'll be at this year!

ATHLEISURE MAG: How long have you been in music?

SOLEIMA: I kind of just grew up with music. I had been doing it forever. We had a piano and I grew up doing it with my mom as a child, since she played as well. I also played – she always took me to these music clubs where I was taught music and I grew up in an East African music environment.

AM: We’ve been listening to your music and including it in our workouts. It has this mix of hip-hop and that tribal feel to it – we are definitely fans.

S: Yes! That’s what I was introduced to and I never learned the theory behind music. It was an acoustic way of learning music and for me it was the best way to learn it. So somehow, it’s always been in my life – some sort of music.

AM: When did you realize that this was something that you wanted to do?

S: Actually, I have been doing it as a  hobby for most of my life! But then last year, I got signed and I started working on this EP with friends and we thought about putting it on SoundCloud and then we thought, let’s try to get it released. We sent it to some Danish labels and one of them wanted to release it and this was nice, but I never thought of it as a direct career opportunity. But then everything went pretty fast! I guess when an opportunity like that shows itself, you just jump on it. So I feel like it was meant to be somehow?

AM: What inspires you when you’re performing, making your videos and writing your music?

S: I guess I’m very inspired by many different things. I get super inspired by other musicians. I think there are so many great ones out there right now. People doing amazing stuff. Right now in Copenhagen – where I’m from in Denmark, the music scene is very interesting. We are a very small industry and somehow we are all friends and know each other! We work together. People have a lot of stuff going on that is really interesting. Right now, we’re inspiring and motivating each other. When someone does an amazing song or has a great project going on, we’re like – “Oh that’s so good – that’s amazing. Let’s do something together!” We just make each other better in a positive way.

I’ve always heard people talk about how in this industry when someone has something good going on that there is a feeling that there isn’t room for someone else. I’ve just never realized that in our environment in Denmark, which I think is a very healthy thing.

AM: So are you currently working on other music as well?

S: I’m working on an EP as well right now. It’s going to come out shortly.

AM: Are you doing any touring or any festival dates?

S: Yes. I am writing a lot. I was in LA for a month writing recently and I do it all the time. I have quite a few festivals. I am playing in Scandanavia, in the UK. In the UK, there will be a few shows in the Spring – a number of clubs and then over the summer, a very booked festival tour. In the fall, I am doing my own shows which is really exciting.

AM: Exciting! What’s that like concepting your own shows?

S: Actually, I will have my first 2 headlining shows in Dec. I never tried to play my own shows before. We have played quite a lot together but it’s been showcases out and about. So now, that’s such an overwhelming feeling. Because now, people are there and they bought a ticket with real fucking money and like they know the songs!

AM: So how do you keep your balance and check in with yourself through all of this?

S: That’s such a good question! How do I stay sane? Can you teach me please?

I think definitely because this is all so new, I am still in the process of learning that. With being in music, there aren’t too many in-between feelings. There are extreme highs and there are a lot of extreme lows. So one day you’re like, “wow this happened and I like it – you’re so high and then literally the day after you get some kind of boring mail and you’re like, “no – that didn’t happen anyway” and now I have to go back to life.

You know what I mean? So, it’s like a good and a bad thing – it’s very addictive and you become addicted to going into these highs and lows. It can be a bad thing because you kind of need a balance where you’re neither super excited or super depressed. So I am still learning that, but I can say that I am addicted to it already. I think it would be difficult to not be that way as well. Regarding the zen, I think I should start meditating – can you teach me!

AM: It’s a work in progress for sure. The best ones for us are meditations that are led by someone and we can sit down and start going through the process. But sometimes when we quiet our mind, those things that were really sticking out there wanting to be thought about pop in and it can be tough to push them to the side!

S: Exactly! It’s like when you go to sleep and then those thoughts pop in and it’s like – argh!

AM: We’re working on meditation, but in terms of fitness or activities in general – what do you do?

S: I’m a runner. I run a lot and I am really addicted to it – I love to do it! I listen to audiobooks and listening to them makes me so excited that I’m like, “I have to run more”.

AM: We have to try that as we’re obsessed with podcasts and that could give us the kick that we need to run.

S: Oooo I love This American Life, it’s my favorite!

AM: Yes and then Serial – love!

S: Ohhh but then S-Town that was AMAZING!

AM: Yes, so obsessed with that!

S: I was in London away from home and I was so emotional and the story was so insane. I was like how can this be real? I would run and listen to these shows and it just makes me run. If I didn’t have them, I would be bored. It’s the perfect way and it’s like free time where I can listen and do this. I’m not working out and it becomes a treat. It’s a really good trick.

AM: Absolutely. So, tonight, you have a listening party – are you excited?

S: I’m so excited and a little nervous maybe. Because I feel very honored and humble about people coming here. It's my first time doing it and I have never seen it done in Scandanavia, but I think that it is a really really good way to present an artist.

AM: So what else – what are you up to this summer even outside of music?

S: Yeah. I’m going to play a lot, which means I am going to be in Scandanavia because of the festivals. You may play Thurs and Sun then you have a few days off and then you have Fri and Sat and then 3 days off. So it’s not like you have to work everyday, but you have a couple of months where you have to stay in the same area. That’s actually nice because I have been away from Denmark a lot this year.

AM: What do you like to do in Denmark?

S: Mainly I write. That’s also where my friends are and I really really like to hang out with the when I am home. We do lots of good stuff. I deeply recommend Copenhagen as it’s a fun town.

AM: We may do a shoot there!

S: You should come during the summer as it has really good festivals. We have this festival called Rosklide. It’s like the second biggest in Europe and it’s amazing. Come for that and then stay and have a small week in Copenhagen to see stuff. Hit me up and I will give you tips!

AM: Do you prescribe to hygge?

S: I don’t know what that it is – tell me.

AM: Last year, we interviewed Meik Wiking who wrote a book about being and living a hyggelig lifestyle. Essentially, the concept is that you create an atmosphere and experience which creates a sense of comfort, well-being and togetherness. He outlines ways that one can bring it into their homes, work environment and to share with friends in order to create an optimized lifestyle. It’s about being cozy, spending time with close friends and family and
checking in with yourself.

S: I had not heard of that, but that seems like something that I would love! Send me info on this as I’d love to check it out!

Check out Soleima's latest music video "Low Life" and keep an eye out for her mini album, "Bulldog" which arrives April 6th at Big Beat Records.

PHOTO CREDITS | Dennis Morton/Big Beat Records |

Read more from the March Issue and see Hanging with Soleima in mag.

NUDE'S INCLUSION

A few decades ago, when people talked about getting basic undergarments, you knew that you had to have black, white and nude. But the concept of as a number of people with brown skin tones were unable to find a color that matched. Just like beauty brands have begun to conquer what nude means across the color spectrum, this same movement has taken place in footwear as well as lingerie.
nude was relative

We remember a few years ago when we first heard about Nubian Skin - a line that began as lingerie that included shades that matched brown skin tones and was represented by models that also reflect the consumer who buys the line.

After fangirling from afar, we caught up with Nubian Skin's founder, Ade Hassan about the process behind launching this line, how she grew the assortment, being honored by His Royal Highness Prince William with the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and how she takes time for herself while growing her business.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to creating Nubian Skin, can you tell us about your background?

ADE HASSAN: My background isn’t actually in fashion at all. I was working in finance, which had been my career and when I had taken a break from finance, I did consulting for a year. However, while I was consulting in 2011, I had the idea for Nubian Skin and that was the first spark. I didn’t actively start working on the company until May 2013. When I came up with the idea I knew I needed to change jobs and save money, so I went back into finance and it was in the midst of this, that I actively registered the company and really started on getting it from an idea to an actual business.

AM: What led you to create Nubian Skin?

AH: I came up with the idea in 2011, and I had told a friend about the idea. Later that year, she sent me a birthday card that said, 'it's time to start living the life you've always imagined,’ I immediately registered the business.

AM: What were the initial items in Nubian Skin, how has that changed to the current assortment, and what are new items that you can share with us that will be available this spring?

AH:  We started out with our hosiery, essential and lace collections, and we have since added more sizes, a curve hosiery collection, our Africa-inspired collection, Moroccan Nights, a collection of nude shoes including heels and flats, we also did a collaboration with another designer, d.bleu.dazzled, and more recently, we launched our Naked Collection, a new range of intimates in nude tones! We have some exciting things in the pipeline, soon we will be launching our fuller-bust bras, and after that, we have a few exciting ideas up our sleeves, so watch this space!  

AM: In addition to having an online presence, what boutiques is the brand available in?

AH: Our products are available at a range of boutiques, including Nubian Hueman in DC, BraTenders in Manhattan, Suzette Hosiery in Yonkers and Busted Bra Shop in Detroit. We also
have stockists in the UK, Nigeria, Portugal and the French Caribbean. Check out the stockists page on our website for the full list!

AM: What celebrities have worn the brand and who would you like to see wearing it?

AH: Beyoncé and her dancers wore it for the Formation Tour! We’ve also seen it on Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae and Taraji P Henson in Hidden Figures, Jourdan Dunn, Leomie Anderson & Jackie Aina to name a few. We’d absolutely love to see Rihanna in Nubian Skin!

AM: In addition to having a necessary range of lingerie, we love the models that represent the brand as they are diverse in hues as well as body types - how important was having this representation?

AH: It was really important because I wanted women to be able to look at the campaign and see somebody who looked like them, or their mother, or sister. Representation is important, it can be a really empowering thing.

AM: You received the MBE from Prince William last year. What is this, why is it awarded, what it was like to receive it?

AH: An MBE is ‘Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’, and the list recognizes achievements and contributions of a wide range of extraordinary people across the UK. My award was for fashion, in recognition of my mission to redefine nude through Nubian Skin, and the impact it has consequently made on the industry. It was such an incredible and
humbling experience!

AM: You closed out the year being honored in LA at the Ebony Power 100 as an entrepreneur
in 2017 - who were your favorite people that you met in the room and what did this acknowledgment mean to you?

AH: By far, the highlight had to be meeting Maxine Waters…she is just an incredible person and takes no nonsense. I was really surprised to get the letter that I was to be on the list. It’s an amazing thing to be honoured, because I have so much respect for the publication and the history behind it. Being named with such an amazing group of entrepreneurs was incredibly
inspiring to me.

AM: In addition to your brand's IG page, your personal page really shares what it's like as you continue to build your company from new additions to your line, the life of an entrepreneur - acknowledgments that you have received and more. How important is it for you to share these details and mentor those digitally?

AH: Thank you! I’d never thought of it as digitally mentoring before, as I'm not that great or consistent on my personal page, but it is nice to engage with people and know that there are those who are supporting what I do and care about it. I think it is important for people to see that hard work and grit can go a long way, and though there are definite highs, there's a lot of elbow grease that goes into living your dream.

AM: You're a busy woman who is always traveling - when you're back home in London where is your favorite place to shop, where do you enjoy eating and where do you grab a cocktail? Do you have another city that you frequently visit that you enjoy shopping, eating and grabbing a drink?

AH: I love being home in my flat!! Haha, London is so diverse, I can’t really pick a favourite because there are so many amazing places to choose from, BUT I am very partial to afternoon tea. Two cities I can’t get enough of are Lagos, it’s so vibrant and a lot of fun, and Paris… Paris is always a good idea.

AM: How do you take time for yourself in the midst of your busy career?

AH: It can be difficult to find a balance, but I’m getting better at it. This year, I’m trying to focus on really enjoying all parts of the journey, so if I'm travelling for work, I'm making sure to seek out some time for myself and do something enjoyable. I was speaking to a couple of fellow entrepreneur friends the other week about how taking time for yourself takes discipline. So, I make sure I’m spending quality time with loved ones and taking care of my health by exercising.

AM: What philanthropy or charity(ies) do you support?

AH: I volunteer, and I donate on a monthly basis to my SOAS, where I did my masters, to their education fund. The UK raised tuition fees pretty dramatically several years ago, and I wanted
to do a little bit to make sure that students who couldn’t afford it will still get the opportunity to attend such a great institution.

Read more from the Jan Issue and read Nude's Inclusion in mag.

TRAVEL CHALLENGE | HIS X HER

One of the tipping points between couples involves their travel compatibility! It's when you find out whether you can be outside of your normal surroundings and how you handle it. In addition, it's an eye opener on how you handle navigating in new cities, how stress levels affect you and of course how much one packs! We talked with the team at DUFL to find out how they are a solution to your travel needs as well as tips that you should keep in mind when it comes to your next destination!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is your background and how did it lead you to create DUFL? 

ANDREA GRAZIANI: I’ve spent the majority of my career in internet technology and software. Because of this, we spent a lot of time on the road traveling for business. On one particular trip, I’d packed for 14 days in London in a carry-on bag because my business partners all traveled with carry-on bags and there was no time to wait at baggage claim. We were heading back to Arizona on a Friday and had to spend the weekend unpacking, doing laundry, dropping off same-day dry cleaning and then packing everything in that carry-on again in order to be in New York on Monday. Our CEO and Founder, Bill Rinehart looked at us and said ‘there has to be a better way.’ And the notion for DUFL was born.
 
AM: What is DUFL and how does it make traveling easier?

AG: DUFL is a travel service that inventories, photographs, cleans and stores your business wardrobe in a DUFL virtual closet. When you are ready to travel, just open the DUFL app, enter their destination, arrival date and tap on the photos of the items in your DUFL closet that you’d like to pack and a professionally packed suitcase will meet you at your hotel. When you’re all done, request a pick up in the DUFL app, attach the provided shipping label to your suitcase and drop it at the hotel front desk.

We’ll ship it back to the DUFL warehouse where we’ll clean, inventory and store your items until you are ready to travel again.
 
DUFL eliminates the need to pack, do laundry, unpack and drag a bag through the airport or to client meetings or events. Packing takes about 60 seconds in the app and eliminates stress and gives our users approximately 3-5 hours of personal time previously spent on those meaningless tasks.

AM: Why is the notion of traveling as a couple such a big deal whether you're embarking on your first trip or the umpteenth one?

AG: I think there’s a different dynamic with couples, and a lot of communication around events, clothing requirements, who’s bringing the hair dryer to who’s bringing the shampoo. I tend to over pack when I’m traveling with my husband because we both have different ideas of things we’d like to do when we are on a trip.
 
AM: What packing tips can you share with us that are worth noting when traveling with your significant other?

AG: Try to have a bit of a plan - if not with pre-planned itineraries, then at least coordinate who will bring what so you don’t double up on toiletries, etc. For shorter trips, it’s sometimes possible to consolidate the packing into one large suitcase for the both of you. If you don’t want to check a bag, take advantage of the allowable two bags per person on the plane and consolidate your electronics and snacks into one bag to allow more room for clothes and shoes!

AM: When traveling to warmer climates, one would think that the packing is easier but what should we consider when bringing items with us?

AG: I personally hate to check a bag so knowing that I need to take items like sunscreen and bug spray creates a problem for me. Either take a few travel size bottles of each or purchase those items when I arrive at my destination. I’d also recommend taking light layers, a few swim suits if there’s a beach and ziploc bags for your wet and sandy items returning with you. I’d also recommend bringing anti-frizz hair products, moisturizers, and perhaps some oil blotting wipes to keep your skin regulated.
 
AM: What should we do upon returning from a trip to make it easier?

AG: I’d like to say unpack right away but that would make me a hypocrite as I may hold the world record for taking the longest amount of time to unpack :). Prior to using DUFL, I would try to do my laundry before returning home to make re-entry a bit easier.
 
AM: Tell us more about Battle of the Sexes: Vacation Travelling (i.e. women traditionally over pack and men tend to oversimplify. Do you see a difference in gender when it comes to packing?)

AG: I must say, I have been surprised to see that there are plenty of men who ‘over pack’ just like the stereotypical woman does! While women do tend to store more items in their closets, we think that because DUFL allows folks to take as much as they want with them (no sacrificing items to fit in a carry-on bag or stay under weight limit at the airport), our customers tend to take as much as they want. They bring business clothes, 70% of our users take workout clothes with them on their trips and sometimes things like pillows, blankets and robes make the trip as well.

AM: What are 5 essentials that everyone should have when traveling?

AG: Your own shampoo and conditioner, a good book, headphones, workout clothes, comfortable/sensible shoes, and bug repellent- especially to tropical areas
 
AM: What are 5 items that we should not bring when traveling?

AG: Too much jewelry. Stick with a few classic pieces so they don’t get lost/stolen during your travels and take up too much space, too many clothes- make sure to pack items that you can wear again, impractical shoes, expensive items and kids :)

Read more from the April issue and Travel Challenge His X Her in mag

THE ROAD TO GOLD

Last month we spent the afternoon at one of NYC's fitness meccas on the west side of NYC. KT Tape (an elastic sports and fitness tape designed for muscle, ligament, a tendon pain and relief support) debuted their new line of USA branded tape with an Olympic theme just in time for this summer's global games as we continue on towards the Road to Rio. 

In addition to presenting the tape, Athleisure Mag chatted with Kerri Walsh Jennings, a legendary professional beach volleyball player. We have seen her compete at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics with her teammate - Misty May-Treano. Together, they were named, "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time." Together they have won 3 gold medals. 

As Kerri prepares for the upcoming Olympics in Rio, she has a new teammate and has winning gold, maintaining balance and a number of exciting projects. 

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ATHLEISURE MAG: You're a busy mom, training for the Olympics and have a number of businesses and spokeswork. How do you find balance and get personal time for yourself?

KERRI WALSH JENNINGS: I have a pretty intense schedule, but it came down to stop complaining and simply, get it done. Now, I get up before my kids at 4:45/5:15 am so that I can have the time to check in with myself, have a coffee, write in my journal in silence.

From the time they're up, I have 3 - 6 hours of physical training. Twice a week I have weight training, Pilates 3 times a week and then Versus with SenseLabs. This is a program that trains your brain like a muscle - I did this for the London games to prepare for it. I feel that this is an essential for me to perform at my best.

AM: How is it going to the games with a new partner and how do you prepare for this as you get closer?

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KWJ: I loved working with Misty and  my new partner, April Ross and I competed in Rio in March to qualify for the Olympics. We won a silver and a gold and got our 100th team win together. When we're on the court, we work as one which is important as it takes a village to get to where we are.

We just fit and in coming back after my injury, it was a blessing in disguise as it broke us both down to a point where we knew we needed each other in order to get where we want to go. We rise together.

AM: Is Rio a family affair?

KWJ: Absolutely my family and I made the choice together to get our fourth gold medal. My three children and husband (Casey Jennings, a beach volleyball player) will be rooting along.

AM: Off the court, you launched 'Kerri', a clothing line in collaboration with ASICS, how do you juggle that along with everything else you do?

KWJ: Everything I do is all about a team. It's a great support and it allows everyone to do what they know how to do to create a positive result. I love being able to put my design elements into these leggings (seen on pg 81) which has my signature braid interwoven into the design of the pants. Working with ASICS is a really seamless process and one that I find  great to be a part of.

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Kerri Walsh/Misty May-Treanor photo courtesy of Kitagaki Jr/ZUMA PRESS.com

Read more from the April Issue