DRINKS WITH BENEFITS FESTIVAL NYC

We caught up with The Daily Pour (formerly Bottle Raiders) Founder/Publisher, Dan Abrams, and VP Marketing, Amanda Paul-Garnier, to chat about the exciting Drinks With Benefits, the first Zero Proof Festival, coming to New York (Altman Building, September 27, 2025).

At Drinks With Benefits Festival guests discovered 50+ Non-Alc brands to sip and savor. They tasted innovative and sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages, botanical spirits and functional elixirs in the Tasting Gallery, and met and connected with industry innovators. Attendees strolled through the Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden and Hemp Beverages with music. They experimented in the interactive Mixology Lab, with non-alcoholic cocktail mixing demos. Guests took in the immersive experience in the Drink Rhythms Lounge DJ Sets, Podcasting Lounge, and mindful experiences in the Meditation Tent. They paired their drinking journey with 3 Omakase-style courses by top chefs for VIP Ticket-holders. In the Cipriani Cafe, their Chef will serve up complimentary pasta tastings. Reknowned for pioneering the Bellini, Cipriani paired these dishes with their Bellini Zero Cipriani! The Drinks With Benefits Festival also featured the Zero Proof Choice Awards, crowning the best winners in Non-Alc and Functional beverages. Prior to the event, we sat down with them to talk about this inaugural event.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to start the first Zero Proof Festival in NYC?

DAN ABRAMS: We had started a spirits media company that was initially focused on whiskey. And we were planning on expanding, and we did, to gin and rum and tequila. And as we were building out the business, we realized that functional beverages are becoming just an enormous part of spirits. And we can't really create a forward-thinking spirits business without making functional beverages a serious part of what we're doing.

And so as we came to that realization, we started talking about and thinking about events, in addition to doing content. Because we had acquired a company that was doing at the time 12 events around the country for whiskey and tequila. We've now expanded that to 15, so events were in the DNA of the business.

But now we were thinking, let's go big! We were stunned considering how significant a business non-alcohol and functional beverages have become, that there hasn't been a major awards in New York. There hasn't been a major event in conjunction with wellness in New York, almost anywhere. And so we thought, what a great opportunity to be on the forefront of this. And those were the seeds behind Drinks With Benefits.

AM: So what types of non-alcoholic or functional beverages would be showcased at this specific event?

AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER: So we have over 60 brands covering non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic beers, functional hemp and functional non-hemp products. Brands, probably, you know, like Ghia, Kin Euphorics, Athletic Brewing Company, Bero, But also brands you probably don't know that are very high quality, like Opius Elixirs, which is probably one of the best brands out there.

AM: Yeah, I would say on a personal note, I was diagnosed with gout in the middle of college. Beer is my kryptonite. So I've had to drink clear alcohol spirits or non-alcoholic beverages personally. So when I tried Ghia, for example, I couldn't believe the complexities that they put into a beverage like that.

So the space is growing. But in addition to growing, the formulations are getting better and better. Isn't that true?

APG: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. We actually just talked with Melanie Masarin, from Ghia. And she was talking about her inspiration for starting the product. But just her integrity in terms of the quality of the ingredients she uses, she's very inspired from the Mediterranean, but she's also French and Italian. So nothing in Ghia is fake or superficial. But she also teases the whole concept that, you know, of like fake ingredients or say, people concerned about the sugar content with non-alcoholic beverages. But she was like, there's a difference between synthetic sugar and actual real sugar. And, you know, what she's trying to create and she believes the next forefront of the frontier for non-alcoholic beverage will be with people seeing those quality ingredients, real ingredients over anything processed. And I think that's one of the driving forces behind this, is that we're seeing in the non-alcoholic spirits industry that people are clamoring for an evaluation of quality. And they're basically the industry folks are saying we care about quality.

DA: This isn't just non-alcoholic wine. We want people to be thinking about what are our ingredients? How are we doing this? How are we distilling this? The same way people do with spirits. And I think that's why both our awards and Drinks With Benefits are really resonating.

AM: And, you know, in preparing for discussing the event, so I came up with the notion of things need to be tasty, but also things need to be useful or new and exciting also. So what kind of categories or different types of vendors or drinks are there available at this Drinks With Benefits Festival as this is new to a lot of communities.

APG: The festival is tiered as far as different categories with the space laid out exactly to respond to that, as for a lot of consumers, this is new and we wanted to kind of guide them through the experience.

So upon arrival, they'll get a consumer discovery map where all the non-alcoholic wines are in one area, all the non-alcoholic spirits and bitters are in one area. And then as you go downstairs, you will find the alcohol-free beer garden and then the hemp and functional space. So we've set this up so that they can discover it by category.

AM: That's great. And then there's also immersive wellness experiences as well, right?

APG: Yes. So we partnered with Sage and Sound, whose Upper East Side wellness studio has a meditation experience. And that will be led by Dara Hart, who's a Reiki master and spiritual guide. So we wanted to have, you know, something wellness adjacent within the experience to really bring to life that, you know, drinking less but better is about overall wellness. It's not just about drinks, even though they're a huge part. It's an overarching thing.

And additionally, we will have live podcasting with Samantha Feher from the podcast Caps Lock, who will be covering different topics on wellness; helping educate the consumer on different aspects of wellness; and transparency and ingredients.

AM: And what types of attendees do you foresee coming?

DA: You know, we see it being a mix. This is not an industry event, but we certainly expect some industry folks will be there. But this is primarily a consumer event. We're targeting a bit of a younger demographic. I mean, that's part of it. We just did a big redesign for our website and our app, now called The Daily Pour. And part of the reason for that is our doubling down in the Non-Alc space, but also the fact that we really are trying to target the 25 to 40 year old demo of people, who have expendable income but who care about health and wellness.

And by the way, it doesn't mean that they don't drink alcohol. Right. It just means that for a lot of them, they do drink alcohol. They just are trying to drink less.

AM: That actually leads me into my next question about Gen Z and millennials in particular and whether they're seeing this as a specific intentional choice versus a substitute. So as people are looking to what to imbibe or include in their lifestyle routines, how do you see the difference if there are between different types of consumers that some are just looking for this and others maybe are moderating alcohol consumption?

DA: So we think the targeting is the same. Which is, it's about quality beverages. Whether you are trying to drink less; whether you don't drink at all; whether you are moving from alcohol to hemp; whatever the case may be - we think that the piece that's been missing is focusing on the quality. And that's how we started this business.

We started this as a consumer facing business to say to people, we're going to help you drink whiskey and tequila and rum smarter and better. All we're doing is applying that same philosophy to non-alcohol and functional beverages. So it applies to all of them with regard to and again, that's why I think it's so important that I keep emphasizing that we're doing these awards in conjunction with the event. Because it's the same focus, which is quality. What is the quality? What are the ingredients? Because that's what drinking fine spirits is all about.

AM: And you guys are having a Omakase Food Hall at the event, which I think would get us to go to most events. What's involved with that?

APG: So we wanted to recreate experiences for consumers where they would normally have alcohol, but really show them they could have fun with non-alcoholic and alternative beverages. So we created a pairing experience with well-known restaurants in New York, including the Butcher's Daughter, Ado Lei, and Seatopia. Basically with that VIP ticket, consumers will get to go to two different counters and have a pairing experience where they have a light bite paired with an alternative beverage.

AM: There's also a mixology area for the Drinks With Benefit Festival. What kinds of things would guests be able to mix?

APG: So yes, we have the mixology lab. And we really wanted to bring to life, have a space within the event that made education fun. So The Pathfinder, For Bitter For Worse, FLUÈRE, those are some of the brands that have taken over the space. And they'll be doing education, cocktail making sessions, guided tastings.

The Alchemist Kitchen, which is in Soho, they will do a lot of elixirs, and a guided education with how to make cocktails with different plants and herbs and things like that. It'll be a really fun space for consumers to have a hands-on education or edutainment experience.

AM: For non-alcoholic consumers, are they generally narrow-minded towards the areas they're focused on? Or are they very open-minded, where they would like to try the different categories from beer, to a CBD, to maybe a sparkling spritz or something?

DA: So look, yeah, obviously, it completely depends on the person. There are some people who simply don't want anything that is in any way mind-altering, right? So they don't want functional alternatives. They don't want alcohol. That's one. And that's probably a much smaller base of consumers. There's still people we're appealing to, but they are a much smaller group. The much larger group are the people who drink a little.

They also try functional beverages. They try non-alcohol. They're interested in different areas. There are some folks who only want functional beverages and not alcohol. So it really depends. But what we're finding, based on the studies, is that most of the people who drink these non-alcohol and functional beverages also drink alcohol.

AM: That's super interesting. The space is definitely booming as consumers are finding multiple winners, in multiple categories, as open-minded in trying new things. And there might even be new categories that come out in the future. What are some untapped areas you could see now? Or do you think pretty much we're hitting where we would be for several years to come?

DA: I'd say the untapped is really the increase in the quality and the focus on ingredients. In a way that’s 10 years, 15 years ago, it was, ‘oh it's just a non-alcoholic wine.’ Or hey, I mean, ‘you probably know this from it as a non-alcoholic beer or whatever it is.’ And it's like, ‘OK, is it good? What is it made from?’ So that's the difference.

And I think that's the future in terms of where people are going, which is why we're trying to ride that wave of particularly younger people who have been brought up, focused on quality in a world where the evaluation of quality hasn't been so focused on non-alcoholic spirits.

AM: Sure. And do you see that a lot of these consumers are somewhat sophisticated where the benefits will be worth the price points?

DA: They're becoming more sophisticated. And I think that is the whole philosophy behind what we're doing, is that we're trying to help them become more sophisticated. We're the place that can say to them, we know you want to be more sophisticated. Now let us help you get there in a really accessible way.

AM: Yeah. Master edutainer, Dan. I see that totally. I learn stuff from all your other groundbreaking shows, I just know a couple of things what to do, not to do now because of you.

DA: My strengths are condensing complicated information into a pretty simple and accessible way to say it. We're kind of doing the same thing here with drinks. We are taking a confusing world of drinks and trying to make it a lot more understandable and to help them make choices.

And that's not completely dissimilar from what I do in my TV world. Sure. And then also some humor here and there.

AM: Totally. So and then after New York, are there other cities you're looking to take this festival to?

DA: Yeah, we haven't figured it out. I mean, we definitely are thinking about doing more. We want to first get this one under our belts before we start actively planning the next one. We want to see what went right, what went wrong, where could we improve? And that will help us determine, should we do another one in New York? Should we think about one in a different city? Our whiskey and tequila events, we're seeing great success recently in launches in some smaller cities like Scottsdale, Arizona or Austin, Texas and places like that. And so would that be our next? I don't know yet.

New York is a big swing. You know, and honestly, if we weren't kind of first to market on this, we probably wouldn't have started in New York. But I think that's why we felt comfortable starting in New York, because we were stunned that this hasn't existed yet.

AM: Tell us more about The Daily Pour, the organizers of the Drinks With Benefits Festival.

DA: Yeah, it's a consumer guide to drinking better. And so it has what we do - we have an app that aggregates reviews and ratings, some of which we do, some of which is from other places. But it allows it to be a kind of one stop shop to tell you, is this any good? I mean, I use it all the time when I'm thinking about buying a whiskey or something, because it allows me to see numerous aggregated reviews. And a lot of these are enthusiasts who've done reviews who might not have put a number on it. And we translate it into a number.

So the app is very useful. The website covers different issues in the spirits industry. We've recently been focusing on one particular beverage in a particular week or a particular month, which is another new thing we've done.

But, you know, the Daily Pour literally went live two days ago (formerly Bottle Raiders). And it's just a fundamentally different vibe. Bottle Raiders was initially designed based on a whiskey drinker.. And now you're in a much brighter, more vibrant place because we want it to be more inclusive of the non-alcoholic and wellness community as well.

APG: I think The Daily Pour is meeting the consumer where they are today, covering cross categories. So it's covering ‘I do still want to drink, but I want to drink better.’ So it's covering spirits. Also, it’s ‘I want to have that great margarita, but I don't want to have that during the week.’ Additionally it’s covering functional beverages, ‘and I want to learn about Non-Alc.” So I think that a lot of the other websites treat Non-Alc and alternative beverages like a footnote. Like it's really hard to find them. If you go to certain websites, they have it hidden under culture. I'm like, I don't know how anyone would find that. So we don't want to treat it like that.

I think about the scoring. I think that's extremely helpful to have this kind of meta score, our signature rating system that aggregates everyone's point of view and just gives space that is sometimes hard to understand.

AM: And the app is free. Are there premium plans to it or features?

APG: Yes, and then if you get the premium subscription, that's like $5 a month. And what are the benefits of that, so it saves your taste list. You get access to certain events and kind of discounts on certain things that we offer, exclusive content, things like that.

AM: That's terrific. And I also wanted to ask about Ev & Em Vineyards, Dan.

DA: So Ev & Em is a winery that I acquired in early 2021. It was right in the heart of COVID and the winery owners had kind of given up in COVID. And I had a friend who is one of the pioneers of the North Fork wine scene who called me and said, hey, you mentioned that you were interested in buying a winery. Were you serious? And I said, yeah, I was serious. Because I told you if I ever saw something really interesting that I would let you know.

And this is really interesting. It has one of the oldest planted vineyards on the North Fork. It has a beautiful location. It just needs some love. It needs some new thoughts about how to do the winemaking. And you could have an A-list vineyard.

And he was right. Even by the ‘22 Vintage, which was released in some of it in ‘23, some of it only now for the Reds, we're creating luxury wines in Long Island. So these are wines that we think can compete with California, Oregon, Washington, et cetera, in really all varietals. And so that's been super exciting!

AM: And there are multiple offerings. There's a Reserve, correct?

DA: There is. Yeah, we're making everything from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris. I mean, we've got a whole range of offerings.

And in some of those, we have a Reserve. So depending on the year, for example in ‘22, we had a number of Reserve wines on the Reds, some of which actually haven't even been released yet. But our Reserve Red ‘22, super proud of that.

‘23 was a tougher year for us, but ‘24 was amazing. So we're very confident about that ‘24 Vintage that's coming out. And ‘25 looks great as well.

Stay tuned for an upcoming THE 9LIST of some of our (new) faves. We especially enjoyed Non-Alc Mixed Mocktails from The Pathfinder, Mad Flora, Junglee; Non-Alc Sparkling Wines from Society De La Rassi and Wölffer Estate; THC/CBD Gummies and Drinks from Studio TBD, Ayrloom, and Wynk; and Alice Functional Mushrooms Functional Mushroom Chocolates.

Please use responsibly. Follow the age, laws, and other restrictions in your state. Do not drink and drive while empaired.

IG @drinkswithbenefits

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

GUMMIES & ZZZ | TYSON APOSTOL

We connected with Tyson Apostol, winner of Survivor Blood vs. Water; 4X Survivor competitor. He related to us that a main reason for winning was maintaining strength and endurance in life skills and needs. From endurance swimming in college, then professionally cycling, and later finding love in Pickleball, Tyson likes unbounded sports and activities.

For some sleep and ache and pain issues, he discovered cannabis gummies, and partnered with Trulieve as an ambassador. We ask him about when and how he integrates gummies into his routines; if he uses cannabis with training or playing Pickleballl; touring the Trulieve grow rooms and facility, and also ask about what he’s looking forward to seeing, with the upcoming season of Survivor 49.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So, so what led you to go to become a pro cyclist?

TYSON APOSTOL: Honestly, you know, I just was having a conversation recently about this, because everybody’s like oh that was your passion - I was like, no, it wasn’t, my passion was avoiding a cubicle. After college, I was good at cycling and enjoyed it but I don’t think it was a love of my life, but I found a way to avoid [the office]. I just was never like a work guy, just the feel and I know that people are going to read this and be lik, oh he’s so spoiled. No, I found a way to avoid that thing I didn’t like, which was going to college, getting a career afterwards. And so cycling for me was a way to continue playing, maybe longer than other adults were able to.

AM: Sure, but then with all the weather and the endurance I mean it sounds like it was brutal each leg of the race is tough right?

TA: Yeah, and it was brutal because I’m sitting out there pedaling in the rain convincing myself that the motivation for continuing to train in the rain and the snow and the sleet, the hail, whatever it is. It’s better than being in a cubicle, but now that I’m 46 I’m looking back, I’m like those guys in the cubicle we’re looking out the window at me riding my bike in the rain thinking I’m an idiot. So, we probably all found our thing.

AM: Yeah it’s a mixed bag now the cubicle people are riding too!

TA: That’s right even writing in the office these days right they are writing in the office with their pedal desk.

AM: And you swam in college?

TA: I swam in college. I swam through high school into college. And as soon as I decided that, I didn’t want to be there. I spent one year at college, so distance freestyle endurance was my thing, like that was the thing I was good at, so that didn’t really matter the sport as much as endurance, like I can run forever, I could ride forever, I could swim forever, you give me something long slog, and I’ll be able to do that.

AM: And then at some point you found and fell in love with pickleball?

TA: Yes, I’m the same way I saw it. And then when I went there and got to enjoy and experience it with just taking it all in, I was just like, this is, this is magic. This is a magical combination of excitement, skill and intensity.

AM: So how was your story with how you found it?

TA: I moved to Arizona to get away from the snow from Utah. And I was just like I’ve been grinding my whole life for physical activity, like riding a bike for hours on end, jogging for a few hours, going and swimming laps - like all of those are grinds, none of those are really that exciting.

And I just was like, I only want to do exercise now that I enjoy, because I’ve done so much unenjoyable exercise to me. And when I moved to Arizona in 2017, the neighborhood I moved into had some pickleball courts, and I was like I don’t know what those are, we googled it and did a little research. I took my 70 year-old neighbor who wasn’t working, and we would go over and figure out the game just by googling the rules in the middle of the day so we figured out how to play pickleball. And we both were immediately hooked.

So, we started, we joined the little neighborhood meetup on the mornings, and just kind of went from there. And, and then when COVID happened, I had to kind of readjust my business format of what I’d been doing, because I wasn’t able to go out and make appearances and this and that, and I was like I love pickleball. And now we’re kind of like in this little slow moment of time, let’s see if we can parlay my love for pickleball into being present in the community and in the sport and just the right timing, like it took off. Like if I could have had this timing with Bitcoin, I’d be like a trillionaire right now, maybe, maybe..

AM: Yeah, maybe.. because people go up, but they never say what they’d cash out, or that they lost their USB or keys, maybe that they sold at a low because they were desperate or whatever.. there’s lots of examples. People don’t factor if they’d sell on the upswings and cashed some out.

How is it working with the Pickleball leagues?

TA: I like it. The Carvana PPA Tour has had me do some interviews to get to know their players as people. Like that’s kind of been a little bit of a disconnect for them is getting the fan base to really know the players, rather than just see people playing pickleball on screen. So I’ve been fortunate to run some interviews with some of their players delving deeper into what makes them tick, who they are as people, and where they came from before pickleball. And so yeah, that has been fun and interesting.

AM: That’s super important. And so there’s so many stars and rising stars in the leagues. You know, what teams are you looking for? Who are some of your favorite players?

TA: I mean, I like the fiery ones. I don’t know if they’re my favorite people, but I like to watch them on the court the most because they get people amped and going and create a little controversy and stuff. But other than that, you know, I love, honestly, I’ve been working with Franklin pickleball now for six months, and they have a couple of my favorite players. Paris Todd. She’s comes from a tennis background. And and then Hayden Patrick Quinn, who’s like, yeah, he’s this young fire kid who’s like kind of getting under the skin of some of the older guys, which I love.

AM: Yeah, we just had a recent cover interview with Tyson McGuffin, who’s great on and off the court.

TA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, fiery.

AM: Right. But you have to you have to bring the receipts, at least -

TA: That’s right. You know, I mean, you don’t have to bring the receipts, but people respect you more if you do. Well, I mean, why I say that is like, if you stay fiery, I mean, you have to earn being fiery. Yes, I would hope. I think so. Unless it’s like, all right, we’ll leave it there. Yeah, no, I like Tyson, too. I told my daughters I was named after him, even though I’m probably 15 years older than. That’s good.

AM: Did they believe you?

TA: Just for half a second. Yeah, they were like, what? No.

AM: How many kids do you have?

TA: Two daughters. Ten and seven.

AM: So when did you first start using cannabis? Was it was it recreationally, medicinal, some combination or other?

TA: It was medicinal. I was having a lot of back pain. This is maybe 2000. Yeah, then in 2017/2018, kind of when I started playing pickleball. But it was mostly from picking up my kids so much, lifting them out of the crib. Like cribs are designed for you too, like, to hurt your back. It’s not like you can bend your legs and lift a kid out of a crib. You have to, like, hunch over the bar and then lift up. And so for some reason, I had this debilitating back pain, like bedridden. There were days I couldn’t walk. And I had, you know, taken handfuls of aspirin or whatever. And also I found some expired opioids from when my wife was pregnant going through her stuff after pregnancy, and tried those and was like, there’s a better way. I’ve only heard so many negatives about these medicines as bad for your liver bad and stomach lining, all of that stuff. And opioids are super addictive and terrible for you as well. And I said, I grew up raised Mormon.

And so it was like, you don’t do anything that is questionable in any capacity. But at 36/37, I was like, I have to try something better than what is available to me. And that’s the first time that I have tried cannabis. And it, for me, it worked so much better. It helped me sleep better, which is like the number one thing I needed was to be able to sleep well enough to recover and to heal. And so, yeah, big believer from there. It worked for me perfectly. And that’s what I mostly use it for still is sleep and recovery.

AM: And you’re working with Trulieve now as an ambassador?

TA: Yes, as an ambassador. They’re in the Pickleball game too. You know, I actually, Ethan Zahn, I don’t know if you know who he is. He won Survivor Africa, and he used cannabis products for during his fights with cancer. And so I knew that he had been working with Trulieve. So I heard of the name a lot, and they got into the Pickleball space, and reached out to me and were like, hey, we’d love to have you as a VIP, our guest at one of the Pickleball events. And I was like, oh, I already am in the pickleball space, but I would love to get to know you better because I already use your products to help me stay on top of my game in my life. That’s always the best scenario. Perfect. It was so cool.

AM: So what products were you using?

TA: I use their Sweet Talk gummies, and I’m mostly an edibles guy. And so I use those mostly for sleep. But once in a while, if I get invited to a real early game of Pickleball, a lot of these guys in Arizona, these old guys, they like to play like five in the morning before the heat kicks in.

And then I use some of their other stuff.

AM: So now for sleep, how long do you allow for when you take it before your target time to go to bed or do you look at it that way?

TA: Yeah, I do. I usually do half an hour to an hour, is when I like to be in bed after I take it and I’ll usually get home from Pickleball. I don’t take it every day. I don’t need it every day. But when I do, it’s definitely a much better option for me than anything else. And so when I do take it, it’s usually from late Pickleball and I’m too amped to fall asleep. So I take it as soon as I walk in the door, I take it, then I get my hydration, take a shower, go lay down and have a good night’s rest. When you take it, do you take it with the little fatty foods or substance or do you take it just by itself? I just take it plain by itself.

A lot of their products already have the CBD in it and stuff. So that’s terrific. Yeah. The CBD and seems to be a really nice effect with some products I’ve had.

AM: Yeah, I use cannabis actually in work and play and medicinal. So as a Celebrity Photographer, before every shoot, I smoke a little, get loose and to be creative. Yeah. I also have Gout and RA. So I use the products as I have some pain and imflamation and have to be very quick, flexible and steady.

What would you recommend for people who might not be so open minded towards cannabis use to think about? Are there some benefits or ways to think about it that might make some people reconsider it?

TA: I think you look at the side effects and the possible side effects of taking something else. That’s how I came to terms with it was when look[ing] at aspirin, all these over-the-counter medicines taken every day or multiple times a week, that’s going to take its toll on me, as well as opioids, which we know are highly addictive and very, very dangerous. And so for me, I was like, I don’t want to even have to deal with this, whether it’s months down the road, years down the road. All of that stuff adds up. And for me, I was like, a cannabis product that’s all natural for me is a much better solution.

And I went in and was like, if this works, this is what my path will be, because I already know that for me, this is better for my body.

AM: That’s terrific. And it seems like at least with edibles or gummies, there’s a way to take baby steps to see if you might like it comfortably at home. You could gradually increase your dose or the different things you use to maybe decide it without being overbearing, right?

TA: Yeah, exactly. And it tastes like candy. So it’s essentially, you know, you get like a little sweet treat, sweet top gummies, you get a little bit right before bed. It’s kind of a nice little taste and flavor. And yeah, like you said, like my wife uses them when she needs to fall asleep. She cuts them in half or in quarters. I take a whole 10mg gummy. And then if I go out early to play Pickleball, like I said, like in the mornings, my hamstrings or lower back will be really tight sometimes. And I take the Chilax. They’re only one milligram of THC and 20mg of CBD.

AM: Yeah, that’s a low dose. Yeah.

TA: So I’ll take two of those before I go play pickleball in the morning. And that kind of helps me loosen up so that I feel like I can move around normally.

AM: See, that’s great. Because we talked with some athletes that do incorporate cannabis use in their training, while they’re playing or competing, and then in their recovery. So it’s interesting to see the different persona types. You know, I think there’s some athletes that would not think to do that and have it just for recovery. And then other athletes would train with it and maybe participate with it. So have you found the game super enjoyable to or the competition a little more exciting? Or it’s just it’s such a low dose. It’s more just for aches and pains?

TA: It’s a low dose. It’s for aches and pains. I do notice that I play better Pickleball when I’m focused on playing Pickleball. And so I know when I take some cannabis, I kind of focus more on what I’m doing rather than let my mind wander off into like, did I get these bills paid? Do I have this meeting coming? And so I do naturally probably play a little bit better when I have done that, especially in the morning, for sure in the morning. Because I would be too tight and tired to get going at five or six in the morning when all these old guys like to play.

AM: Do you have any favorite strains, do you lean Indica or Sativa?

TA: I mean indica for sure if I’m sleeping or need to chill at night, and sativa in the day and just in low doses. So to sleep, I take 10mg of Indica and I use mostly I use this slumber. Okay. You can see that. And then the Chillax one, which is Sativa, but it’s only, you know, 1mg. So, and I have others. They have a whole line of them, you know, Hybrids, everything else. I’m not a sensitive person though, like it doesn’t matter what it is. You give me racing bikes as a pro cyclist, people be like, oh, this frame is so stiff. I can’t hardly. And I was like, I can’t tell the difference. So if there’s big differences, I can tell. But if there’s smaller differences..

AM: I’m a super Indica guy. OK, even when I’m using it when out and socializing, or being creative and productive, I still would be Indica. And in the last couple of years, I’m experimenting with Sativa and kind of pushing myself, because I feel a little hazy tension cerebrally at first with Sativa, but then I get through it and I really like the energy and the bright buzz aspect of some strains and Hybrids.

TA: And I was invited and went to their grow operation here in Phoenix. And they had you see all of the rooms with all the different strains lined up.

AM: Yeah, it’s a science. Yeah. Yeah.

TA: It’s always fun to be in those big rooms.

AM: It’s just ridiculous. And, you know, it just feels like a Mecca. Right.

So every time everyone talks to you, I guess Survivor always comes up. So, you know, our community definitely knows you from there. And we’d love to hear any key takeaways you have, or thoughts you had on the different seasons, or what your biggest takeaway was overall.

TA: My biggest takeaway overall from Survivor? I mean, honestly, I think the thing that is I hear a lot from people, from fans is, oh, I could never do that. You know, people are like, oh, I love Survivor. I love seeing you on there. I love the show, but I could never do that. And that’s not true. Anybody, almost anybody could do it.

Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game is keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that.

Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like, I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly, while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game - keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the

show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that. So they lose their minds. Like you watch the show and you’re like, that wasn’t very smart gameplay. And you’re like, yeah, that person’s not thinking clearly. They haven’t eaten in two weeks. So, yeah, preparation-wise, I think the best thing you can do is steer away from anything like real people, and quitting coffee because it’s like they want their coffee every single morning. You don’t get coffee every morning on Survivor. So something like that. And then building up your endurance and grip strength, work on puzzles, that type of thing. But in the end, it’s social and political. So whatever you can do to get in the right headspace to be chill, even when everything around you is maybe not, that’s where you got to be.

AM: What should we look for in the upcoming season? Are there things you’re looking out for?

TA: The things I’m looking out for most are there’s two players on season 49 that will be on season 50, the major all-star season after 2020. And so I’m watching those two players. Why did they get selected for 50? Why are they playing two times in a row? What did they do on season 49 that’s so impressive that they’re back again for another season without any of the fans’ reaction to them? The production just figured that those two would be good enough to come back for another season.

AM: So this time we’ll both be watching and maybe having a gummy and enjoying how it unfolds, huh?

TA: That’s right. I love it. Every season, it’s always different. That’s the beauty of it. I like to watch it for the strategy. Everyone has their own thing. My kids like to watch the challenges. They love the little games and stuff like that. I like how the strategy unfolds, thinking what I would do in that situation. If there’s something out of the box you could do that might be even stronger, that type of thing.

IG @tysonapostol

PHOTOGRAHY COURTESY | Tyson Apostol

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see GUMMIES & ZZZ | Tyson Apostol in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E6. | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, Hometowns takes us to Las Vegas and Peg to her firehouse! She lets him know that she has not brought anyone to her work. He even meets her colleagues and gets to see a bit of what she does so that he can get an idea of what her life is like. Peg said she is not looking for the fireworks, she is looking for the fireplace - it’s a nice image to let us know how she sees her life.

They make their way to Peg’s home to meet her family. We find out that Peg’s mom has been part of Bachelor Nation for over 20 years! Her family gets down to business by asking him questions to get to know him and to see how he feels about her mom. Her brother sits down to talk with Mel. Peg chats with her mom and you can tell that she also likes Mel and part of us thinks that she loves the fact that a show she has enjoyed is now happening in front of her. Mel and Peg’s daughter have their conversation and she’s not giving him any wiggle room to fall into vague answers. She wants to know his intentions and to see where his head is at. She even tells him that she is very protective of her mother.

Next up is Debbie in Denver! They’re going to walk around her hometown and she looks like the ultimate Athleisure girly as they walk around Red Rock. As they sit down taking in the sights, she tells him about leaving her boyfriend over a decade ago and then finding out that 2 weeks after they broke up, he took his own life. It’s a very heavy story, but now we know why she has been single for so long as that experience would have to be something that truly changes you as a person. It’s such a story that really makes you pull for her and makes you hope that if he does decide to not continue with her that he lets her down gently.

Debbie also takes him to her family where they have a barbecue going. We see some of Mel’s moves as he tosses the football around with the men in her life while finding out more about her. Debbie sits with her sisters and they let her know that she needs to find her person as she is so deserving.

He continues onto Austin to meet with Cindy. Their first stop is to have lunch with her 3 daughters, her SIL and her soon to be SIL. They talk about how it has been to be on the journey and she shares that one of her dates had Paula Abdul there which her kids loved hearing as she was formerly a dancer. Although she loves her life in Austin, she lets her kids know that her love and life with Mel may mean that she is going to live in California and she is there for it. Mel chats with her SIL’s and you can see the good vibes between them. After a successful meeting with her kids, she takes him to her condo for a cocktail. She lets him know that although she knows her kids liked him, she shared her concern that they felt that he may not like her as much as she does. She lets him know that she is falling for him and she wants to have a gut check with him. She is very self aware that he has 2 other dates going on, but in the end, the assurances that she was looking for were not given - so she is left in a bit of a void as she didn’t want to continue pushing on the subject. We hear him say in his confessional that as much as he enjoyed his date with her, he isn’t where she is and that his decision is going to be a tough one.

It’s the night of the last rose ceremony and next week is the Women’s Tell All! That means the week after, we get to see what he decided to do. Jesse Palmer is there to meet each of the women as he asks them about their Hometowns experience. None of the women know what happened in one another’s dates.

Cindy and Peg are both given roses and Debbie does not have one. All 3 of these women have been people that we have enjoyed. Somehow in watching Debbie’s Hometown we knew that Mel would not choose her.

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Cindy, and Peg

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Debbie

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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HERE’S WHO IS ONE STEP CLOSER

CINDY

PEG

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC

Last year, we got hooked to a twisty romantic thriller The Couple Next Door on STARZ. Each week, we were hooked on couples who lived in a cul-de-sac who had so much going on in and between their homes. As we don’t want to share any spoliers, if you have yet to check this out, you need to. With S2 of this show currently airing their latest season, you hear more about what took place in S1 as well as getting connected with new characters that will leave us open mouthed on what takes place!

We sat down with Sam Palladio (Nashville, The Princess Switch franchise, Catherine the Great) as well as his co-star, Sendhill Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever, Heroes, New Amsterdam). We wanted to know how they came to this franchise, approached playing their characters, as well as preparing to bring them to life, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Well we have been fans of both of your work, so it’s good that you guys are here! What drew you to The Couple Next Door?

SENDHILL RAMAMURTHY: It was just very different! I was doing a show for Netflix that was a real kind of fantasy show where there were a lot of special effects, and it’s very kind of heightened where people have powers and all of that. This was just more of a grounded scenario and it really appealed to me, because I’ve been talking to a tennis ball stuck on a stick for weeks and weeks! So to be able to actually speak to Sam and to Bel was really nice to speak to human beings! That was the draw for me!

SAM PALLADIO: Yeah, for me. I think you know I grew up in the UK. I’ve been in Nashville and in the states for over a decade, but I really felt a draw to go back and do some, um, great, you know, British television, even though we shot it in Belgium!

Finding a role that was something different. This is my first time sort of playing that character that’s not just the sort of charming singer/songwriter, you know? Jacob obviously, given a huge arc to the show and becomes our villain, you know, and that was really exciting for me to lean into that as a sort of? As I sort of age into my late 30s and finding a bit more gravitas and having lived a lot more life, it was a really exciting challenge to a bit like Sendhill says. Play something real and grounded, but a character that that does some dark things you know and explore that world with a British production behind it.

AM: Wow!

What is that creative process like when you’re bringing these kinds of characters to life? Are there certain things that you do and how do you connect with each of the people you play with?

SR: We were really lucky in that we actually got to sit down for a few days, just kind of like the 4 of us around the table with our director, Dries Vos and just read through the scripts. I mean, it wasn’t quite a rehearsal –

AM: Right.

SR: Bit, it was as close as you get on television to a rehearsal. I don’t know about you Sam, but for me, that that’s never really happened. We’ve never had the opportunity to kind of like, sit there, and you know, you get the table. You get a table read every once in a while, but we, you know, you never get to sit around for hours, talking about scenes, and like, “hey, I’m not sure this works or I don’t understand this –“

SP: Yeah!

SR: This was all before we guys came on set, that was like it was a huge blessing really. I’m grateful that they made sure that we were able to have that because I think that it was hugely helpful for all of us!

SP: I think that’s it. The production team were really collaborative, and I haven’t been part of a show where I felt like we were all equal, you know, and had a say and and they really valued our opinions. You know, there’s a lot of jobs you do where you’re a number on a call sheet, and you turn up on the day, you learn the lines, you’re in and out, and nice to meet you guys bye! This felt from the ground up, like a like a big collaboration. For me, sort of preparing, well, one thing we got to do, which was amazing, was, you know, I? I play an anesthetist and Bel is my wife and an incredible heart surgeon. Ahead of filming, we got to go and observe, a real open heart surgery.

AM: Oh, wow!

SP: We were able to be in the room and be a fly on the wall. Well, kind of more than a fly on the wall, actually, because the surgeons were really excited to meet us, even though they were in the middle of the bowel replacement! We were really chatty, and myself and Aggy (Oh Ramona, Eden Lodge, The Perfect Escape) went along that that morning and was just trying to like, be quiet, and they were just asking questions and they were really excited. But for me to observe the anesthetist and his world, it was just invaluable, you know? Because a lot of that hospital drama and the medical drama, you know, we didn’t want to just be actors.

AM: Right.

SP: You know? So that was a really great grounding for all that medical side of the show. And then, for, you know, the sort of emotional side, I just had lots of threesomes!

AM: As you do, apparently!

SP: Haha no – no!

AM: Right, exactly?

Well, we were huge fans of S1. This show is all about the intricacies and dynamics that take place over the season, and if S1 was any indication, it will be exciting to see how it plays out here as well!

What can you tell us about Jacob and Leo that we should be prepared to know in watching S2?

SP: What you need to be prepared to know is that, I think what was so great about series 1, and that we’ve sort of expanded on in series 2, is this relationship drama. This sort of, you know – coming from episode 1, there’s this kind of tension, and this this thriller aspect to it, which I think is really watchable and really enjoyable for a viewer. It’s nicely paced. It doesn’t sort of jump straight in and throw these characters into crazy situations. It’s like a slow burn, which I really like, because that allows you to sort of get to know the characters.

You know, Jacob, is this sort of high flyer? Got it, got it. All you know, seemingly has a great relationship, but they are also at a stage in their life where they don’t have kids, they’re sort of like they’ve reached the kind of peak of, like, we’re great at what we do. We’ve got the house we’ve got all you know, what’s missed in and there is something missing from their relationship, and it turns out that Mia is quite a catalyst for bringing out this darker side and these darker fantasies, and I think it’s just interesting watching a couple explore that. Obviously, Jacob’s jealousy, professional jealousy, and personal jealousy really starts to amp up and progresses as things start to unravel. So for me, it’s a really great opportunity and challenge to show some of those darker colors, and you know, and not giving too much away - it’s quite a journey.

AM: It’s exciting!

SR: From Leo, the thing that I guess the audience should know about and the thing, though I really enjoyed about him, was also very hard to kind of, you know, to convey. He was an insider in this group, but he was a very different person. He wasn’t a fully formed human being. He came from an extremely wealthy family. He was very spoiled, very self-involved, and he has his heart broken, you know, by Bel’s character, Charlotte and he leaves. This is him coming back as a much more involved person and somebody who’s learned from life. He’s kind of like an observer a lot of the time, you know?

He’s able to see Charlotte, for who she was and who she is now, and what may be lacking and saying to Jacob, like they’ve never had a great relationship. They’ve always kind of been like in opposition to each other, and those were, you know, some of my favorite things to play actually were with Sam when we got to, you know, kind of, because we get along really well off camera.

AM: Right!

SR: We’re living above each other in the same facility, and we were hanging out all the time, but we got to have this very different relationship on camera. That was something that was a lot of fun to play, but I think it’ll be fun for the audience also to just kind of watch. Like, it’s always fun watching, like two kind of alphas going for the same girl.

AM: Love it.

SR: Yeah, it’s fun. I think that people can expect a thrilling kind of ride, and it goes in places that I never thought it was gonna go! As I was reading it, I was like, “we’re gonna do that?”

Okay! I think there’s a little something in there for everyone.

IG @sampalladio

@sendhill_rama

After chatting with both of the male leads in this series, we took a few moments to chat with another co-star, Annabel Scholey (Apollo Has Fallen, The Split, Dead and Burried) who plays Charlotte, a surgeon that is married to Jacob. We wanted to find out more about how she came to this series and what we should expect when we’re about to watch this thriller.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to be part of The Couple Next Door?

ANNABEL SCHOLEY: Well, I saw series 1 actually and really loved it, and I’m from that part of England. I’m from Yorkshire.

So that was a big draw because I haven’t - I don’t always get to play that region!

AM: Right.

AS: Because I went to drama school, and I have a pretty RP accent (Editor’s Note: An RP accent or Received Pronunciation, is a non-regional, educated accent of English associated with the upper classes and public schools of southern England, rather than a specific geographic region.) So, it was really nice to go back to my route, and I’ve always wanted to play a surgeon because I’m a big Grey’s Anatomy fan –

AM: Same.

AS: Oh yeah! Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) has always been my favorite, so I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing! I get to be Christina Yang! It’s kind of the initial attraction and it is just a really brilliant part - very complicated and quite challenging, physically as well. I like a good challenge normally.

AM: And what was that creative process like, for you and being able to bring Charlotte to life?

AS: I had to work pretty hard on particularly the medical stuff, because obviously you can’t really - you have to fake it so well, right? It just looks, shit, basically if you don’t do it right.

We did do a lot of research. We went into an open heart surgery.

AM: That’s what Sam was seeing this morning!

AS: Yeah, it was incredible. It really was it. I thought I might faint because I can be a bit fainty, but I just thought it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen and really empowering. And I just thought, thank God, there are humans who can do this!

AM: Exactly.

AS: Sam and I had quite physical things to do together with the big scene towards the end. It’s very physical, very difficult. Obviously, the sex element of it was quite a big challenge as well. Sam and I got on so well, right from the start from our chemistry test so we’d be comfortable with each other, which really helped obviously.

AM: Well, what can you tell us about Charlotte? Like you, we love S1, so it will be exciting to see what the dynamics will be for these characters.

AS: Yes, I think, because she’s 40 and so am I, that is an interesting point in a woman’s life, I think, you know? Charlotte hasn’t got any children, I do, but she’s at the top of her game. She’s worked really hard on her career. But she doesn’t know what’s next.

I think it’s an interesting moment turning 40. It doesn’t mean what it used to mean like, that’s it, you’re done. And it certainly doesn’t mean that anymore. It’s more like a rebirth, and I think that that’s what she goes through during this. She has a rebirth and that was really attractive to me to explore.

AM: So, what do you want fans to walk away from as we watch S2 and seeing this cast of characters together?

AS: I really hope the fans, I mean I know the fans are HUGE fans of Sam Heughan (Outlander, The Couple Next Door, Love Again), so I, I hope they come back!

AM: Right!

AS: We have the wonderful Sam! I feel like, because it was loved and the momentum of the show, it is shocking. It has a lot of twists and turns. It’s gripping. I’ve been told by everyone over here who watched it that they couldn’t stop. They binged it. I really want people, though, to, to get the sense that, you know, it’s okay to keep exploring yourself sexually. When you’re married, don’t just settle out of a habit, you know? I do think it explores those themes and that has happened in the UK. I think the audience did. That was the topic, the conversation. Like, I think that’s great. What it is to be a woman and to feel sexy also professional, and not necessarily a mother. And so, yeah, I really hope the audience obviously, enjoy watching, the sexy and the thriller side of it this time; more so than in series 1 I think. But yeah, I think that that’s what I wanted to take.

IG @bel_scholey

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | STARZ/The Couple Next Door

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC in mag.

NYFW SS26 EDIT

As we look to other cities around the globe that will continue to showcase SS26 fashion in menswear and womenswear, this month, we’re sharing a recap of some of the shows that we attended and what stood out during this season’s NYFW.

JANET MANDELL NYFW SS26

We kicked off our first day of NYFW at the Janet Mandell show which took place in the LES at The DL. Her show was A Tribute to Vintage: Janet Mandell’s Archival Runway. Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of attending her showroom here in NY (she also has them in Chicago and Los Angeles) which is home to rare vintage who has dresses the Kardashians, Rachel Zoe, Mindy Kaling, and more.

To see these pieces on the runway with a candlelit backdrop on a rooftop, we loved seeing some of the most coveted looks in luxury rental fashion! This show showcased rare looks from the 90s and early 2000s with designs by Roberto Cavalli, Christian Dior by John Galliano, Gucci by Tom Ford and Gianni Versace.

At the conclusion of this show, which left a number of the guests in a dream to see these pieces all in one place, we enjoyed champagne after the event as a means to get ready for a busy season ahead!

IG @janetmandell

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 122 - 123 Janet Mandell |

MORPHEW FLAGSHIP LAUNCH

Interestingly enough, upon leaving The DL, we made our way around the block to Morphew who had a lovely get together to launch their new location of their vintage luxury fashion and art. Their collection includes ready-to-wear, rare luxury vintage, and atelier pieces.

IG @morphew_world

NEW YORK MEN’S DAY MORNING SESSION NYFW SS26

Although we had attended functions the night before, NYMD took place on the first official day of NYFW. This event is one that we enjoy due to the fact that over the course of the morning and the afternoon, you see a curated group of designers.

Both sessions took place at the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan, which is a large showroom. This season’s presenting sponsors were PROJECT (represents what’s new, now, and next in men’s contemporary apparel, footwearm and accessories) and COTERIE (is the premier women’s contemporary to advanced apparel, footwear, and accessories platform).

The venue host was at the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan showroom, which allowed attendees to see all the shows, while also being immersed in a luxury space showcasing this brand and partnerships.

In this first group of shows, 4 brands presented their collection to attendees. archie was part of NYMD for the first time. They shared their line with their models rotating on a playground spinner with neutral tones. It was a great way to see the movement of the collection as well as to see everything together.

Peak Lapel was back for another season and had a number of tipped blazers in primary colors with a nod to preppy style. As opposed to being in motion, this presentation of this collection allowed attendees to see them playing chess and had a feeling of sitting in the park as opposed to being in a luxury showroom with G Wagons nearby.

Clara Son is a menswear brand that was back for another season. This collection had a playful take on menswear while incorporating suiting and great separates. There were pops of colors as well as neutrals. It’s always a line that has a distinct point of view.

The last designer to be part of NYMD for the morning session was Oxblood Zebra that returned for another season. This collection has signature pieces that reminded us of items that your favorite artist or athlete would wear.

IG @newyorkmensday

@coterie_show

@archie__usa

@peaklapelnyc

@clarasonstudio

@theoxbloodzebra

@mercedesbenzmanhattan

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 124 Oxblood Zebra/Angel Flores | PG 125 Max Esmail |

RYNSHU NYFW SS26

Rynshu’s box style show allowed every attendee to see the looks that hit the runway at all angles. Although this brand was new to us, we loved the flowing silhouettes, sequins, and a clean palette.

IG @rynshu

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 127 Rynshu |

NEW YORK MEN’S DAY AFTERNOON SESSION NYFW SS26

We made our way back to the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan showroom to see the afternoon shows, which included 4 additional designers.

For the first time, FIT MW25 Collective shared a curated group of designs! It’s always nice to see what the next generation of creatives and designers are looking to do to put their fingerprint on this industry!

Bryan Jimenez introduced their menswear collection for the first time at NYMD this season! We found that this collection has great core essentials that could be worn dressed up or even casually. It also had such an easy sensibility that we can’t wait to continue to see more from this designer and how it will evolve from season to season.

The first time that we had seen Joseph McRae, it was at another season of NYMD. If you have been watching the current season of Freeform’s Project Runway, you know that he was a contestant and he brought the drama in a number of the challenges. We’re not doing a spoiler alert in case you have yet to see it. As usual, he likes to play with proportion, he’s phenomenal when it comes to dramatic pieces that make a statement.

Max Esmail returned with suiting and outerwear in menswear. The fact that we were at the Mercedes-Benz showroom, it was a great backdrop for this Miami Vice gotham style look.

IG @fitnyc

@bryanjimeneznyc

@joseph_mcrae

@max.esmail

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 125 Max Esmail |

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, MACY’S I.N.C X CHRISTIAN SIRIANO + RECEPTION NYFW SS26

A Christian Siriano is an event not to be missed, from star studded attendees, to fashion that is always next level, we were excited to see his NYFW SS26 runway show that took place at Macy’s. Transformed into a golden draped space his muse, Coco Rocha opened and closed this phenomenal show which was filled with dramatic pieces.

Once this show completed, we made our way to the executive floor of this iconic heritage department store, where they had a gallery of curated looks by the designer who also serves as Creative Director of Macy’s I.N.C.

The selection of blazers that were embellished with details was nice to see as we made our way to the roofdeck to enjoy a cocktail reception. In addition to Christian coming to celebrate the 40th year of Macy’s I.N.C. he mingled with guests along with Coco Rocha herself.

IG @csiriano

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 128 - 132 Christian Siriano |

NATALIA FEDNER NYFW SS26

We have been fans of Natalia Fedner ever since we saw her S1 on Project Runway. She is known for creating Stretch Metal which has been created for dresses, tops, skirts, and swimwear. A number of celebs from Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and more have worn her pieces. In addition, we have even styled her pieces in our cover photoshoot of an NFL Super Bowl Champion winner as well.

We enjoyed seeing her show on Sun night during NYFW for her SS26 collection which had a number of fun pieces in Metal Couture from solids to prints in her iconic 6-way Stretch Metal style.

IG @nataliafedner

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 134 + 135 Natalia Fedner |

FREDERICK ANDERSON NYFW SS26

For the past few seasons, we have enjoyed attending Frederick Anderson’s NYFW shows, and for his SS26 season, he focused on the concept of joy. There were definite beach vibes in his collection that made you think of booking a trip to Bali, Sao Paulo, and Miami. Of course they are perfect for warm nights right here in NYC!

IG @frederickanderson_designer

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 136 + 137 Frederick Anderson |

MOTT50 EDITION + COOLIBAR NYFW SS26

We ended our NYFW shows at 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar where Coolibar, a suncare brand for apparel showcased elements of their collection as a standing presentation, a runway show for Coolibar, and another runway show for their luxury portion of the line known as Mott50. Before and after the show, we enjoyed a sunny warm summer night in the golden hour which was paired with cocktails and light bites.

Protecting our skin and wearing products that have UPF 50+ built in is a great way to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. We had the pleasure of interviewing Supermodel and 90s icon, Niki Taylor moments before she made her return to the runway in this show as she opened and closed it!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to sit with you before you hit the runway! I remember when your first cover for Seventeen Magazine came out and it’s great to see how you have navigated your career. It’s so great to meet you.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a model?

NIKI TAYLOR: Oh my gosh! My mom was a model, she had done a couple magazine covers for Gold Coast back in the early 70s, and then she became a photographer. I think just growing up, I was always taller than everybody else. I think that’s when people were like, “oh, she should get into modeling.”

AM: Exactly!

NT: There were some teen things going on in South Florida, so we looked up modeling agencies in Fort Lauderdale and Irene Marie and Michele Pommier came up and I went to both of them. So my mom and I, we made a little black and white comp card and went to a photographer that took black and white photos. I just remember, that I had the hat and the bob and a couple at my mom’s photos we put on this comp card and we sent it into Irene Marie and they said no. They’re like, “nope, she needs braces - come back when her braces are off.” At that time, I was getting ready to get them. I did. I came back and there was a guy named JJ Cortez at Irene Marie. He was a modeling scout, and he said, “hey, we’re gonna sign you,” and the rest is history!

AM: You’ve had a phenomenal career from covers, hosting, and just so many different things. What do you love about what it is that you do, and did you envision that it would be all of this?

NT: I was a fan first. I would spend my allowance. I would ride my bike to the drugstore, buy a Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, and then put Christy, Naomi, and Linda on my wall!

AM: Exactly.

NT: I would look at that and say, I’m going to do that! I think that the drugstore had Italian Vogue one time – I don’t know how it got there!

AM: But it was like destiny!

NT: It was. It was all of the girls doing fashion shows. I remember I was, like, oh my, gosh, there’s Helena Christensen. There is Christy Turlington, she’s my favorite. Anything that I could find with Steven Meisel that he shot was on my wall.

Irene Marie brought me to New York. I did a modeling competition for Spectrum, and I won that. And then, from there, I signed with them and then I went to, um, my first show which was Thierry Mugler when when I was 14. I just remember being the first model there. So I got to watch them all come in, and all the personalities that arrived! My dad had one of those little throwaway cameras. I remember my dad coming with me.

I sat down and Danilo was doing my hair, and I could see Helena Christensen behind me and smiling at each other. I just feel like I was more a fan and the fact that I am still doing this and I get to do this, I’m very lucky.

AM: Well, we love hearing about people’s fitness routines. So, what are 3 that you do that we should consider incorporate into ours?

NT: Well, this is my husband, Burney.

AM: Hello!

NT: We weight train and see a trainer twice a week. We do a lot of walking. We love riding bikes. Anywhere we go on vacation or from work, we try to find somewhere that has bikes.

AM: That’s so cute!

BURNEY LAMAR: Have you done the Citi Bikes?

AM: No, I have not done the Citi Bikes.

NT: Oh my gosh, you have to!

BL: They’re amazing.

AM: I don’t know, you have the crazy drivers and then you have you on the Citi Bike. Yeah, I don’t know about that.

BL: They have a dedicated lane for them!

NT: Oh yeah they have they green lane.

AM: Oh yes – as long as they adhere to that!!

NT: They definitely look out for that bike lane! Talk about getting around fast!

AM: That part is true!

NT: Especially if you are late for something. It does help having somebody with you.

BL: We were ripping around last night.

NT: We did! We went downtown to the Oculus on our Citibikes. Then he said, “alright, let’s take the train,” so we’ll took it back uptown. Then we took another bike so we’re always moving.

We also do a lot of cardio as well, in addition to trying to lift heavyweight 2X a week. It’s because of him that I do that, because if it’s just me, then I’m going to just want to stretch.

AM: Right, I thought that you were going to say pilates, but you have such a great mix.

NT: I just turned 50 and I’m a grandma, so I have a 9 month old grandbaby. His name is Nico. So, we just have to keep moving and that’s our workout routine pretty much!

AM: Are there things that you do when you’re about to do a photoshoot, campaign, walk the runway etc to get into that mindset?

NT: I just feel like we do something every day. I love food. I’m a good eater and I always have been. You can ask my husband, I go up and I go down. I can tell when things are getting a little tight, right?

AM: Yup!

NT: It’s just portion control and a little bit more cardio! I’ve always been like that, and I have a sweet tooth. I can probably put down dessert more than anybody here. I love my sugar. So I have to workout. To get ready for this, I just try to do something every day, and I’m just trying to bring up my heart rate and sweat a little bit.

AM: How did you get connected to this brand? And you know, how excited are you going to be to be able to be a part of the show today?

NT: I’m not sure you’ve met Luis.

AM: Not yet.

NT: Not yet, okay so he will be speaking a little bit tonight. Him and I, we worked together in Miami, before this company for another clothing company. I just grew up in South Florida. I’ve always been in the sun. I know the importance of protecting your skin, and I just wish I had this clothing back then. We love being outside. I could have used their sun sleeves. They have an amazing bandana. I love their sun hats, too. My daughter, Ciel and I, we got to do this shoot together, which was fun. And she’s very good about protecting her skin. She doesn’t go in the sun at all.

My dad struggled a little bit towards the end of his life and had squamous (Editor’s Note: A common type of skin cancer that develops in the flat, thin cells – squamous cells – of the skin’s outer layer). So they were cutting off little pieces of his shoulders – he would mow the lawn without his shirt on. He would run and he had no sunscreen and back then, we didn’t wear sunscreen!

AM: Back then it wasn’t something that we think about as much as we do not. And sunscreen is for everyone across skin tones, hues, shades and whether the sun is out or not – regardless of the time of year!

NT: Yes!

AM: If you are breathing, you need to wear and use it!

NT: Oh yeah and think about the areas you don’t think about like your ears and there are so many areas that just get avoided.

AM: Especially your neck when you’re hair is pulled up and you’re not thinking about it.

NT: I wish this clothing brand was out there back in the 90s, it would have been nice. But this brand is UPF 50+ protection from UVA, UVB, and It’s 98 protection. It was founded in 2001 it’s the first brand that earned the Skin Cancer Foundation recommendation.

AM: That’s huge.

NT: I just love that you’re protected and it does not wash out. It’s in the clothing.

AM: The lookbook was amazing and it will be nice to see the collection when it hits the runway! The pieces are just so modern, very stylish and flowy, and I just appreciate you taking the time.

IG @nikilovesu

@coolibar

@mott50

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 138 - 143 Coolibar |

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see NYFW SS26 EDIT in mag.

HITTING THE WAVES | NATE FLUELLEN

We’ve covered a number of top surfers as well as competitions. In this month’s issue, we wanted to find out more about A Great Day in the Stoke which focuses on championing Black surfers to ensure that they are recognized at an elite level. For the last 5 years this competition has done exactly that with partnerships by Lexus and Complex. Because of this event and those partnerships, it assisted Julian Williams the wild card at US Open of Surfing!

We wanted to take some time ahead of this year’s event to talk with AGDITS founder, Nate Fluellen who is also a surfer and traveler. We wanted to know more about his passion for surfing, why he loves it, and creating this event!

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

NATE FLUELLEN: While I was preparing for my award-winning adventure travel TV show, World Wide Nate: African Adventures, is when I fell in love with surfing. That show was all about demystifying travel to Africa to the average American millennial. I started taking lessons at Venice Beach Pier on a wave storm and loved being in the water, finally learning how to surf. I always wanted to learn since I was a pre-teen.

But the moment I truly fell in love with surfing happened in Durban, South Africa, when I surfed with the Zulu boys & girls from the youth organization called Surfers Not Street Children while filming my TV show. That experience added so much depth because the joy those kids had was contagious; it was euphoric, like I was in utopia. I marveled at their surf vibes mixed with African culture, and hearing them speak Zulu or Xhosa while being free of any worry in the world is the spirit I live to be in daily.

AM: What is it that you love about this sport?

NF: When I’m in the ocean, I feel I’m closest to God. It is my saltwater therapy, and the days I see a pod of dolphins, which is often, the day is always magical. I love how each wave is different, and in a split second, you have to make a decision on how to catch the wave, put yourself in position, battle the next surfer for position, and pop up. It keeps the mind sharp and the body active.

AM: Why did you want to launch AGDITS and why is it held in Surf City USA?

NF: During the pandemic, the surf community came together in solidarity in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, and Ahmaud Aubrey. After the 3rd paddle out, I was exhausted from reacting to a tragedy and believed it shouldn’t be the continuous reason we come together. I’m an HBCU graduate of Tennessee State University, and we come together during homecoming to celebrate our love for higher education and each other. I wanted to take inspiration from that joy and just celebrate our lives, love for the ocean, and surfing. And to meet each other, we discovered each other through social media, but didn’t have the chance to connect in real life.

AM: Now that you are in the 4th year of this event, what can we keep our eyes out for?

NF: During the 4th year, you can keep your eyes out for great competitors with Julian Williams defending his title, Cherif Fall and Brandon Benjamin are back, and a lot of new talented faces. The ladies are showing up strong! We have Monik Santos back to defend her title from Brazil, and ladies from Senegal.

AM: Tell us about the kinds of events that will take place during AGDITS?

NF: We’re excited and proud to have Lexus as our presenting sponsor, and they will have their Surf LX on display. Lululemon is powering a 5k fun run/walk, which starts at their store at Pacific City Mall to the beach. They’re also hosting our beach yoga sessions and wellness zone. The Nickelodeon Kids Zone will be packed with kid activities, and Bones Loves Milk will have an arts & craft surfboard station. Yeti will have water stations to keep everyone hydrated, and Red Bull will keep everyone’s energy high. Melanated Jump Squad will lead our Double-Dutch competition, Organic Gorilla will showcase their products, Eco by Ry will glass two surfboards and donate them to our drawing and Black Surfers Association, founded by Tony Corely, will celebrate their 50th anniversary.

AM: You have great partners involved in this year’s event from Lexus to Lululemon - what does that mean to you to have them involved?

NF: Having them on board makes me proud of the event that has been built and honored how they’re showing up to support diversity in the line-up. We say it takes a village to raise a child, and we are a human community, and when we focus on a common goal, nothing is impossible. I’m thankful for all the partners involved.

AM: Will you have AGDITS in other cities?

NF: Of course, the Chocolate Tide is Rising around the world, and pretty soon I will make an announcement, but for now I will keep that information classified.

AM: Are there any other events that we can keep our eye out for?

NF: You can keep a lookout for the 5th annual AGDITS. However, if some announcements pop up before next September you will be the first to know!

IG @agreatdayinthestoke

@worldwidenate

In addition, we connected with another surfer who not only participates in AGDITS, but also runs events for this organization here in NYC! Farmy Dia enjoys surfing in Far Rockaway and getting her perspective on this event and why she loves this sport allows us to see it from the competing athletes perspective as well.

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

FARMY DIA: I first fell in love with surfing from the moment that I tried it. But, I really started to fall in love with it when I was able to share that passion and love for the water with the community around me. And for me, surfing expanded my life in so many ways that I could never imagine. I continued to grow as a person and my capacity to love also grew.

AM: What made you realize that you wanted this sport into your life and what do you love about it?

FD: Honestly, I knew that I wanted to keep surfing that very first summer. Just because it was so much fun. I was a junior in high school and it’s the first thing that really excited me and was so different from what I’m used to. So I knew I wanted to keep doing it. Then I think when I realized I could actually make a career out of this and build off of this and do more than just enjoy surfing, it was kind of a wrap from there.

AM: You were born and raised in Rockaway NY which is a surf town! What do you love about being able to surf in this community?

FD: My surf community in Rockaway is in my opinion one of the most special in the world. It is super diverse, it’s a reflection of what the city is. But in the water, you get to meet people from all different walks of life, you get to learn so many different personal stories and it’s cool because you also get so many opportunities from it. In New York, they always say “this is where you come to chase your dreams” and the last thing you expect us to do is surfing also, but it just makes anything possible really. The world is your oyster when you’re out here. I’ve met so many Black people in the water, people that are from different parts of Asia, people that you just wouldn’t expect or even think about meeting in the water. So that for me is the coolest part of this community.

AM: Why are you excited to be participating in AGDITS?

FD: I love AGDITS. I think that what Nate is doing with this is so amazing and honestly really inspiring for me personally. He’s created a space for us in the surfing world that is just that next step. We have Black surfers on tour, but we didn’t have our own competition, our own platform and that’s what Nate created for us. It’s so exciting to meet different surfers and Black surfers from all over the world, hear their stories, see how they surf, because all the styles are different depending on where you come from also depending on the waves you ride and so, yeah I’m just really excited to be a part of this. Even if I win or I don’t win, it’s always just like a blessing to take part in AGDITS.

AM: You were the Champion and runner up in the last 2 years of AGDITS, what does that mean to you?

FD: The year that I won the competition was insane for me. I couldn’t believe it and then, it was kind of a happy and a sad thing. It made me really happy because I couldn’t believe I won, but it made me a little sad because I had so little like --- I just didn’t believe in myself to even imagine myself winning. The fact that I was able to do it anyways even though I didn’t think I could was awesome, but it was like a wakeup call for me. And so it is just is really empowering. I come to our office and I’ll look at the trophy and I’m reminded of what I was able to do and how I was able to achieve something even though I didn’t think I could. And, for me, I’m just a stepping stone in the journey of Black surfing and so if this is one stone that I can step on, this means there will be so many more steps for future generations and future surfers to climb.

AM: Do you run events from this event here in NY and if so, tell us about them!

FD: I do run some events out here in New York. I do Salty Sisters with my best friend Autumn and I also am an organizer at Laru Beya Collective. Salty Sisters is pretty much our monthly surf and wellness meetups that we open to POC women all over the state. We actually have people coming from Connecticut and people coming from Jersey and so, it’s been really cool to just be able to build this community. The collective is based on our friendship and our sisterhood that we developed over the last few years, and seeing it happen in real time for other people is a dream come true. And then we have Laru Beya Collective which is a 501 (c)(3) non profit and our mission is to empower the youth of New York through surfing. So, I always like to say sometimes I’m just a result of what’s important to me, and I’m seeing more and more results as we continue to take in more and more generations of kids.

AM: When you’re not surfing, what can we fInd you doing?

FD: When I’m not surfing, I’m usually working, spending time with friends, going on an adventure. Recently I really got into dancing a lot more, and so that’s been really fun. Also, a lot of community organizing and partnerships. I’m all about bonding with other people even if I’m not in the water.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we can keep our eye out for?

FD: I do have a few fun projects coming up actually. We did our Africa project where we sent a container with two barrels and 20 surfboards and so our recap will be coming out soon - keep an eye out for that. And then, I’ll be heading to Portugal a few days after AGDITS to take part in the Gliding Barnacles, which is a surf festival taking place out there. I’m really excited. It’s surfing, art, photography and shaping. It kind of again redefines what surfing is, because it’s not a competition, it’s a place for many professionals to gather.

IG @farmydia_

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | A Good Day in the Stoke

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see HITTING THE WAVES | Nate Fluellen in mag.

INSIDE THE LIVES OF ATHLETES IN RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION: HOW THEY TRAIN, HEAL, AND COMPETE AGAIN

Primary Points:

●       Recovery teaches athletes to rebuild discipline without relying on performance pressure.

●       Support from therapists, coaches, and peers strengthens long-term healing.

●       Sobriety improves focus, endurance, and emotional clarity in training and competition.

●       Success after addiction values stability and purpose over fame or records.

●       Open conversations about recovery help reshape the culture of sports.

PHOTO CREDIT | Freepik/Musefoto

Athletic life is built on pressure, every performance, every game, every number on a scoreboard. Behind the discipline and glory sits a demand for perfection that few can sustain. The gap between success and exhaustion can close fast, and what starts as focus sometimes turns into dependency.

Addiction can take shape quietly in high-performance settings. Painkillers used for recovery can become routine. Alcohol or stimulants can dull anxiety before competitions. Fame can amplify loneliness when the lights fade. The combination leaves athletes vulnerable in ways fans rarely see.

Recovery begins when the chase for wins gives way to something deeper: the need for balance. For athletes in recovery, the journey is not about reclaiming titles but rebuilding trust with their own bodies and minds. The focus shifts from medals to meaning: how they train again, how they heal, and how they learn to compete without losing themselves in the process.

Addiction in Sports

Addiction among athletes often hides behind controlled routines and disciplined training. What appears as strength can sometimes cover dependence or pain. The sports industry praises endurance, but that same mindset can make it hard to ask for help.

Common types of addiction among athletes

●       Prescription drugs: Painkillers and anti-anxiety medications, often prescribed after injuries, can become habit-forming.

●       Alcohol: Used to relax or escape constant scrutiny, drinking can escalate quickly when paired with public expectations.

●       Performance enhancers: Substances that promise faster recovery or improved stamina often lead to psychological and physical dependency.

●       Gambling: The competitive rush can spill into betting, offering the same thrill as sport itself but with destructive consequences.

Contributing factors

●       Chronic injuries and pain medication misuse: repeated physical trauma makes medical dependence easy to rationalize.

●       Pressure to maintain performance: fear of replacement or decline pushes many to seek artificial help.

●       Emotional toll of public scrutiny: every mistake feels amplified, leaving athletes searching for quick relief.

●       Post-career identity loss: once the spotlight fades, the absence of structure and purpose can create openings for addiction.

Addiction cuts across medals, records, and fame. It’s not a moral failing but a human one, a reminder that resilience also includes the ability to seek help and start over.

The Turning Point

For many athletes, the decision to seek help begins after something collapses: an injury that sidelines them for good, a confrontation from family, a breakdown that strips away composure, or a quiet realization that they can’t keep living on autopilot. The pattern of control and performance begins to crack, exposing what the competition once hid. Facing addiction often starts with a single interruption that forces honesty.

Admitting there’s a problem can feel impossible. Athletes are trained to endure, to push through discomfort, and to avoid showing weakness. The same qualities that make them successful can block self-awareness. Practical barriers follow: fear of public exposure, career damage, and uncertainty about what recovery might cost.

In early recovery, support from coaches, teammates, and sports organizations can help rebuild stability. When leadership creates room for honesty, it changes what accountability looks like. Some teams offer counseling and structured treatment options, while others provide quiet backing so an athlete can heal without media intrusion. That support, even when small, can determine whether treatment sticks.

'Starting over' is how many describe that first day in recovery. Training resumes at a different pace, this time without substances to mute pain or pressure. Each session feels uncertain but clean, and that rawness marks the beginning of something sturdier than the performance that came before.

The Early Stages of Healing

The first phase of recovery feels uncertain. Everything that once defined an athlete now takes a back seat to learning how to live differently. Progress slows down, but every bit of it counts.

Detox, therapy, and rebuilding daily structure

Healing starts with physical detox and medical supervision, followed by therapy that helps address emotional triggers. Days are built around treatment sessions, nutrition, and steady routines that replace chaos with predictability. Structure becomes medicine.

Transition from constant adrenaline to quiet routine

Adjusting from a life of noise, travel, and intensity to the stillness of rehab can feel like withdrawal from adrenaline itself. Athletes who once trained for hours now sit through therapy circles and mindfulness sessions. The silence can feel louder than any stadium. Learning to tolerate that quiet becomes its own form of training, one that tests patience instead of reflexes.

Use of sports discipline as a recovery tool

Athletes often adapt faster once they apply familiar systems: early wake-ups, scheduled check-ins, measurable goals. That same discipline, redirected toward recovery, gives them a sense of control. It’s the same mindset (show up, repeat, and refine) but with different rewards.

Importance of mental health professionals

Working with therapists who recognize the psychology of high achievement makes a difference. Specialists at programs like Jackson House Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers and other experienced rehabilitation facilities understand how identity, competition, and performance pressure interact with addiction. They bridge the gap between therapy and training, helping athletes process setbacks without judgment or comparison.

Small wins

Healing doesn’t announce itself with trophies. It shows up in simple victories: nights of unbroken sleep, consistent attendance in meetings, and returning to workouts without shortcuts or substances. These moments carry quiet weight, marking progress that no scoreboard can measure.

Recovery in its early stages is less about reclaiming past glory and more about learning to exist without crisis. Each day lived clean becomes proof that stability is possible.

Physical Rehabilitation and Training During Recovery

Training after addiction looks different. The drive to outperform gives way to a focus on function: how the body moves, heals, and holds up under steady care. The work becomes less about competition and more about rebuilding trust between body and mind.

Working with physical therapists, sports psychologists, and nutritionists

●       Physical therapists guide athletes through the process of restoring coordination, balance, and strength without overexertion. They introduce gradual movement patterns, focusing on body awareness rather than peak output. This careful rebuilding prevents reinjury and helps athletes reconnect with how their bodies respond to effort and fatigue.

●       Sports psychologists address the mental side of training. They help athletes unpack how perfectionism, fear of decline, and identity pressures shaped their substance use. Therapy sessions may focus on reestablishing motivation, managing competition anxiety, and rebuilding confidence after public setbacks. Through visualization and goal-setting exercises, they help athletes find meaning in progress that isn’t tied to trophies.

●       Nutritionists fill another gap often left by addiction. Substance use can drain essential nutrients and disrupt metabolism, so recovery plans start with replenishment. Balanced meals tailored to the athlete’s training load support energy and mood regulation. Instead of chasing short-term gains through extreme diets or supplements, the emphasis moves toward stability and healing.

Reconnecting with the body after trauma or dependency

Many athletes describe early training in recovery as awkward. Muscles feel unfamiliar, and coordination takes time to return. Gradually, they relearn what movement feels like without chemical interference, which rebuilds confidence through experience rather than force.

Adjustments in diet, rest, and strength conditioning to support healing

Training programs shift toward moderation. Nutrition becomes cleaner, with steady hydration and balanced meals replacing restrictive or extreme regimens. Rest schedules tighten, with emphasis on sleep quality over total training hours. Strength work focuses on injury prevention and mobility instead of pushing limits. Each adjustment keeps the body resilient without triggering relapse patterns.

Mindfulness, yoga, and controlled breathing often appear in recovery plans as sustainable complements to physical rehab. Low-impact routines build consistency without overwhelming the system. Over time, these practices teach athletes to train for longevity, measured in the ability to stay present and healthy.

The Psychological Shift

Recovery changes how athletes relate to pressure. The mental sharpness that once fueled them can also stir anxiety and cravings. Many learn to manage those impulses by observing rather than reacting to them. Training becomes an outlet for focus instead of escape, and emotional awareness starts to replace old coping habits.

Learning emotional regulation tools

●       Breathing techniques: Controlled breathing before training or competition steadies the nervous system and eases tension. Simple patterns, like slow counts in and out, help anchor attention when stress spikes.

●       Mindfulness exercises: Short grounding routines, like feeling the weight of the feet on the floor or noticing muscle sensations, bring awareness back to the moment instead of future outcomes.

●       Cognitive reframing: Identifying negative self-talk and replacing it with factual statements keeps thoughts from spiraling. Phrases like 'I’ve trained for this' or 'One step at a time' retrain mental focus.

Finding meaning beyond winning

Many athletes in recovery view competition differently. The goal shifts from beating opponents to testing personal consistency. Some describe satisfaction in finishing an event without relapse triggers or mental collapse. Winning still matters, but not at the expense of peace of mind.

Community and peer support as mental anchors

Staying connected to teammates, counselors, and recovery peers keeps motivation grounded. Support groups within or outside sports provide accountability when pressure builds. Sharing setbacks and progress with others who understand creates balance and perspective that solitary effort cannot match.

The mindset of recovery doesn’t erase ambition; it teaches athletes to channel it with awareness. Competing clean, calm, and present becomes the new measure of success.

Performance After Recovery

Returning to competition after recovery brings mixed emotions. Training feels sharper, but there’s a constant awareness of limits. Athletes often describe renewed gratitude for the chance to compete at all, valuing presence and control over personal records. The body regains strength, and the mind learns to pace intensity without slipping into old patterns.

Managing expectations becomes essential. Perfectionism, once a motivator, can now be a trap. Coaches and therapists often encourage athletes to track consistency instead of outcome. Accepting fluctuations in performance prevents frustration from turning into risk. Progress measured over months rather than single events helps maintain stability.

Sobriety reshapes the experience of performance. Focus deepens because attention is no longer fragmented by substances or guilt. Recovery habits, such as structured sleep, steady nutrition, and emotional regulation, translate into clearer judgment during competition. Some athletes report slower reactions at first, followed by stronger endurance and mental clarity as the body adjusts.

PHOTO CREDIT | Adobe Stock/digitalskillet1

ATHLEISURE LIST | BIOGRAPH

We sat down with Dr. Michael Doney, Executive Medical Director of Biograph, the world’s most advanced preventive health and diagnostic clinic that is on a mission to drive meaningful advances in human healthspan and lifespan.

The flagship Biograph San Francisco Bay Area clinic opened to a small cohort of patients in 2020. The brand emerged from stealth this year, opening its second clinic location in New York City in early 2025.

This preventative health clinic was founded by John Hering and Dr. Peter Attia. It was founded after a cancer diagnosis of Hering’s best friend which sparked his deep belief that there should be an emphasis on preventative healthcare and with the proper application of advanced medical technology and early detection, more lives can be saved. With Dr. Attia and a team of experts aiming to address the gaps in traditional healthcare, the main goal was to create a clinic that focuses on prevention, precision, and performance rather than reactive care so you can live longer and better.

Their data driven approach provides a complete picture of your health across the 5 pillars most critical to long term health: cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, cancer, and quality of life.

In a single day they deliver over 30 assessments and collect and collate 1,000+ data points. By curating the most advanced technologies, they provide a complete health picture.

Ultimately, a preventive health clinic is about partnership. It’s not just a single appointment but a continuous journey where they help you translate data into meaningful, actionable insights and create a personalized plan designed to maximize your healthspan and vitality.

Biograph offers up to 30+ advanced assessments, providing a comprehensive picture of your health through cutting-edge diagnostics. The specific assessments included depend on your membership tier. Core Membership includes essential diagnostics such as Whole-Body MRI, VO2 Max testing, Genetic Testing, and DEXA Body Composition Analysis. The Black Membership adds advanced screenings like CT Coronary Angiography, Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing, and Multi-Modal Brain Health Assessments.”

They have private suites to serve as sanctuaries where members can disconnect from external pressures and immerse fully in their personalized health experience. Each suite is thoughtfully appointed to create a restorative, stress-free environment tailored to the needs of high-performing individuals who often arrive with very little downtime.

BIOGRAPH

NYC

27 Park Row

NY, NY 10038

San Francisco Bay Area

2850 S Delaware St Ste 100

San Mateo, CA 94403

biograph.com

PHOTO CREDITS | Adam Rouse

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Biograph in mag.

ORANGE GLOU '25

We enjoyed attending Orange Glou Fair, which is founded by Doreen Winkler who owns Orange Glou, which connects you to phenomenal Orange Wines from natural wine producers from around the world! Her expertise in the industry whether she is consulting as a somm or simply sharing wines with her community of enthusiasts, is what we have enjoyed! We always enjoy hearing from her!

At this year’s Orange Glou Fair, over 200 Orange Wines are available to taste whether you purchase a ticket for their first or second session! We wanted to know what to expect from this year’s event taking place on Oct 26th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed attending the Orange Glou Fair a few years ago and are looking forward to the next one! For those that have yet to attend what is Orange Glou Wine Fair?

DOREEN WINKLER: Our Wine Fair celebrates top orange and amber wines from around the world, with a special focus on the Republic of Georgia and Europe this year. It’s a relaxed walk-around tasting where winemakers share the stories behind their wines. Only top orange wines from the best producers will be tasted, so it’s super selective. Guests can expect to taste over 150 wines this year.

AM: What can we expect for this year’s event and is there anything new that is taking place that we should know about?

DW: This year, the fair will be held over two floors at Home Studios in Flatiron. One room will host producers primarily from Austria and Germany, while another will feature Hungarian, Italian, and American wines. The third room will showcase Georgian wines. Georgian restaurant Chito Gvrito will provide warm Georgian bites available for purchase, and we will offer cheese plates for purchase again this year. Also, we will host a panel about Georgian wines with producers and a wine journalist in the first session.

AM: Are tickets still available and is there a difference between the two sessions?

DW: Yes, tickets are live now! Our first session is from 11am to 2:30pm and everyone who attends it will also have the opportunity to join our Georgian Wine Panel from 1:45-2:45pm. The first session tickets are only $49. The second session is from 3pm-6:30pm for $59. All tickets also include an Orange Glou Fair glass to keep!

AM: For those who are unable to attend this year, is there a way that they can purchase wines that were available at the event?

DW: Fair attendees will receive a booklet with the wines being tasted and it will be noted where to purchase them. We will email this information after the event to attendees as well so those who cannot attend this year, can email us at info@orangegloufair.com.

AM: Tell us more about the Orange Glou Wine Club.

DW: Orange Glou launched in 2019 as the world’s first subscription dedicated solely to orange wines. We offer a range of exceptional orange wines spanning the entire spectrum from sparkling to light to fuller-bodied still wines, featuring mineral, floral, and tropical notes, from young and ready to drink to older vintages. Every month, a special curated box will arrive at your home. 3 bottles are $105, 6 bottles are $195, and 12 bottles are $385. We work with many up and coming natural wine producers as well as established superstars. Each subscription comes with notes about all the wines and club members get access to special events for free. The club is highly curated and planned months in advance - our members get access to the best orange wines in the world.

AM: Are there any upcoming events coming up that we should know about?

DW: We’re currently focusing on the Orange Glou Fair as it is our biggest annual edition yet! However, we are planning some smaller events and tastings at wine bars and wine shops. They will be announced closer to the Fair on our Instagram @orangeglou_fair.

AM: Are there 3 Orange Wines that we should have in mind as we begin to enjoy our favorite Fall dishes?

DW: We just had a sparkling wine called Cotar Bela in the club, the wine is made in Karst, Slovenia from Malvasia and Vitovska grapes and has some real density. It is medium-bodied with notes like ripe apricot, pineapple, and white flowers and pairs perfectly with fried chicken with autumn spices like smoked paprika, ginger, and thyme and some fall vegetables and gravy. Markus Altenburger from Burgenland in Austria makes a blend from Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Neuburger, which he calls Skins and Stones. The wine has juicy stone fruit, zesty citrus, nutty tones, and herbal complexity, it pairs well with a warm butternut squash salad. And then there is a wine from Ruth Lewandowski called Chilion - a very aromatic blend with notes of baking spice, oregano, and ripe apricot. This pairs perfectly with a whole chicken with roasted root vegetables. All of these producers will be at our fair!

IG @orangeglou_fair

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Nina Scholl

Read Athleisure Mag’s SEP ISSUE #117 and see Orange Glou ‘25 in mag.

AWARDS SEASON | DAYTIME EMMYS WINNERS

Today, the National Academy of Television and Arts & Sciences hit the record carpet to reveal the winners of the 52nd Daytime Emmys which took place tonight on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. As we do throughout Awards Season, we share our predictions in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics. On the night of the event, we will share who we predicted correctly as well as those we didn’t that won.

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series

Days of Our Lives - Peacock

General Hospital - ABC

The Young and the Restless - CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Daytime Drama Series

Sharon Case as Sharon Newman - The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott - The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea Lawson - The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis Davis - General Hospital (ABC)

Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers - The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Laura Wright as Carly Spencer - General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Daytime Drama Series

Peter Bergman as Jack Abbott - The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Eric Martsolf as Brady Black - Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Greg Rikaart as Leo Stark - Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Paul Telfer as Xander Kiriakis - Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Dominic Zamprogna as Dante Falconeri - General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Daytime Talk Series

The Drew Barrymore Show - CBS Media Ventures

The Jennifer Hudson Show - Warner Brothers Television Distribution [JHUD Productions | Warner Bros. Unscripted Television | Telepictures]

The Kelly Clarkson Show - NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Live with Kelly and Mark - Disney Entertainment Distribution

The View - ABC

Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host

Drew Barrymore - The Drew Barrymore Show; CBS Media Ventures

Jenna Bush Hager, Hoda Kotb - Today with Hoda and Jenna; NBC

Kelly Clarkson - The Kelly Clarkson Show; NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa - Live with Kelly and Mark; Disney Entertainment Distribution

Jennifer Hudson - The Jennifer Hudson Show; Warner Brothers Television Distribution

Outstanding Lifestyle Program

George to the Rescue - NBC

Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut; Netflix [Tremolo Productions]

Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward - NBC [Hearst Media Production Group]

Homegrown Magnolia Network [Eclipse Creative]

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment Netflix [Netflix | OPS | The Vogt Foundation]

Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program

Expedition Unknown Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]

Field Trip with Curtis Stone Hong Kong PBS [Sunny Side Up Productions]

The Good Road PBS [Good All Over]

How I Got Here BYUtv [FORTÉ Entertainment]

Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out PBS

Mexico Made With Love PBS [Symbio Studios]

Outstanding Culinary Host

Kardea Brown Delicious Miss Brown Food Network

Joanna Gaines Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines Magnolia Network [Blind Nil]

Ina Garten Be My Guest with Ina Garten Food Network

Emeril Lagasse Emeril Cooks Roku [Marquee Brands]

Michael Symon Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out Food Network

Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series

Be My Guest with Ina Garten Food Network [Pacific Productions]

Delicious Miss Brown Food Network [FRANK.]

Emeril Cooks Roku [Marquee Brands]

Lidia’s Kitchen PBS [Tavola Productions]

Selena + Restaurant Food Network [July Moon Productions | Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)]

Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series

BBQ High Magnolia Network [Hit + Run]

Chasing Flavor with Carla Hall HBO | Max [Max | Fremantle’s Original Productions]

Ingrediente: Mexico Amazon Prime Video

TrueSouth ESPN | ABC | SEC Network [Bluefoot Entertainment]

Outstanding Instructional/How-To Program

Dime Como Hacerlo Roku [This Old House Productions]

The Fixers BYUtv

Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse Magnolia Network [Blind Nil]

Going Home with Tyler Cameron Amazon Prime Video [Amazon MGM Studios | High Noon Entertainment]

Married to Real Estate HGTV

Martha Gardens Roku [Marquee Brands]

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Daytime Drama Series

Tajh Bellow as TJ Ashford General Hospital (ABC)

Blake Berris as Everett Lynch Days of our Lives (Peacock)

Michael Graziadei as Daniel Romalotti The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Gregory Harrison as Gregory Chase General Hospital (ABC)

Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Daytime Drama Series

Linsey Godfrey as Sarah Horton Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Courtney Hope as Sally Spectra The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Kate Mansi as Kristina Corinthos Davis General Hospital (ABC)

Emily O’Brien as Theresa Donovan Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Susan Walters as Diane Jenkins Abbott The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Outstanding Guest Performance In A Daytime Drama Series

Linden Ashby as Cameron Kirsten The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Clint Howard as Tom Starr The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)

Jacqueline Lopez as Blaze General Hospital (ABC)

Alley Mills as Heather Webber General Hospital (ABC)

Valarie Pettiford as Amy Lewis The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Avery Kristen Pohl as Esme Prince General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Emerging Talent In A Daytime Drama Series

Olivia d’Abo as Fifi Garrett The Bay (Popstar! TV [LANY Entertainment | SheMogul Entertainment])

AnnaLynne McCord as Cat Greene Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Ashley Puzemis as Holly Jonas Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Christian Weissmann as Remy Pryce The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)

Lisa Yamada as Luna Nozawa The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)

Outstanding Daytime Personality – Daily

Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner Entertainment Tonight CBS Media Ventures

Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez Access Hollywood NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Star Jones, Corey Jovan Divorce Court Fox

Whitney Kumar, Kevin Rasco, Sarah Rose & Judge Judy Sheindlin Judy Justice
Amazon Prime Video [Amazon MGM Studios | Sox Entertainment]

Outstanding Daytime Personality – Non-Daily

Sir David Attenborough Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Brad Bestelink Living with Leopards Netflix [Wild Space | Natural History Film Unit Botswana | Freeborne Media | Netflix]

Andi Sweeney Blanco, Courtney Dober, Rob North & Kirin Stone The Fixers BYUtv

Anthony Mackie Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast National Geographic [Nutopia]

Martha Stewart Martha Gardens Roku [Marquee Brands]

Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program

Black Barbie Netflix [shondalandmedia]

Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame PBS [Bright Blue Media Group]

Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter IFC [The Hollywood Reporter]

The Swift Effect Peacock

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors PBS

Outstanding Science and Nature Program

Living with Leopards Netflix [Wild Space | Natural History Film Unit Botswana | Freeborne Media | Netflix]

National Parks: USA National Geographic [Stronghold Studios, LLC]

The Secret Lives of Animals Apple TV+

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Secrets of the Neanderthals Netflix [BBC Studios]

Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program

America’s Court with Judge Kevin Ross Entertainment Studios [Allen Media Group]

Divorce Court Fox

Hot Bench CBS Media Ventures

Judy Justice Amazon Prime Video [Amazon MGM Studios | Sox Entertainment]

Justice For The People with Judge Milian Entertainment Studios [Allen Media Group]

We The People with Judge Lauren Lake Entertainment Studios [Allen Media Group]

Outstanding Entertainment News Series

Access Hollywood NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

E! News E! Entertainment

Entertainment Tonight CBS Media Ventures

Extra Warner Brothers Television Distribution [Warner Bros. Unscripted Television | Telepictures

Outstanding Short Form Program

Ballin’ Out Outsports

Billboard Presents Billboard.com

Catalyst LinkedIn News

Eat This With Yara The Chef Preserving Gaza’s Cuisine Amid a Genocide AJ+

Live Like A Champion Healthline [Lucky Tiger Productions]

Outstanding Daytime Special

Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter An “Entertainment Tonight” Special CBS

Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés Amazon Prime Video [Film 45 | Amazon MGM Studios | José Andrés Media]

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Film 45 | EverWonder Studio | Yellow Shoes Studio]

98th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC [Silent House Productions]

Shelter Me: The Cancer Pioneers PBS [Steven Latham Productions]

Outstanding Directing Team For A Single Camera Daytime Non-Fiction Program

Living with Leopards Netflix [Wild Space | Natural History Film Unit Botswana | Freeborne Media | Netflix]

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild NBC [Hearst Media Production Group]

The Secret Lives of Animals Apple TV+

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast National Geographic [Nutopia]

Outstanding Directing Team For A Multiple Camera Daytime Non-Fiction Program

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Film 45 | EverWonder Studio | Yellow Shoes Studio]

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

The Good Road PBS [Good All Over]

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

The Wizard of Paws BYUtv [Vox Media Studios | The Dodo | Nomadica Films]

Outstanding Directing Team For A Daytime Drama Series

Days of Our Lives Peacock

General Hospital ABC

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Writing Team For A Daytime Non-Fiction Program

Black Barbie Netflix [shondalandmedia]

Modern Pioneering with Georgia Pellegrini PBS [Georgia Pellegrini Media Group, Inc.]

National Parks: USA National Geographic [Stronghold Studios, LLC]

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Shelter Me: The Cancer Pioneers PBS [Steven Latham Productions]

Outstanding Writing Team For A Daytime Drama Series

Days of Our Lives Peacock

General Hospital ABC

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Hairstyling And Makeup

The Bold and the Beautiful CBS

The Drew Barrymore Show7 CBS Media Ventures

General Hospital ABC

The Jennifer Hudson Show Warner Brothers Television Distribution

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Secrets of the Neanderthals Netflix [BBC Studios]

Sherri Debmar-Mercury

Outstanding Costume Design/Styling

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

General Hospital ABC

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors Netflix

Sherri Debmar-Mercury

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Live with Kelly and Mark Disney Entertainment Distribution

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors Netflix

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Casting

Days of Our Lives Peacock

General Hospital ABC

Making Good BYUtv

Start Up PBS [Arcadius Productions]

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Main Title And Graphic Design

Car Masters: Rust to Riches Netflix [MAK Pictures]

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

Hack Your Health The Secrets of Your Gut Netflix [Tremolo Productions]

Reconnecting Roots PBS [lilDRAGON]

Tex Mex Motors Netflix [Mak Pictures]

Outstanding Lighting Direction

Days of Our Lives Peacock

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

The View ABC

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Live Sound Mixing And Sound Editing

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

The Talk CBS

The View ABC

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Film 45 | EverWonder Studio | Yellow Shoes Studio]

The Fixers BYUtv

How I Got Here BYUtv [FORTÉ Entertainment]

The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Resurrected Rides Netflix [Bright Bay Creative]

Outstanding Single Camera Editing

Hack Your Health The Secrets of Your Gut Netflix [Tremolo Productions]

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors Netflix

The Secret Lives of Animals Apple TV+

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Secrets of the Neanderthals Netflix [BBC Studios]

Outstanding Cinematography

Living with Leopards Netflix [Wild Space | Natural History Film Unit Botswana | Freeborne Media | Netflix]

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors Netflix

National Parks: USA National Geographic [Stronghold Studios, LLC]

The Secret Lives of Animals Apple TV+

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Film 45 | EverWonder Studio | Yellow Shoes Studio]

The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures

Neighbours Amazon Prime Video [Amazon MGM Studios | FremantleMedia Limited]

The View ABC

The Young and the Restless CBS

Outstanding Music Direction And Composition

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors Netflix

National Parks: USA National Geographic [Stronghold Studios, LLC]

The Secret Lives of Animals Apple TV+

Secret Lives of Orangutans Netflix [Silverback Films]

Secrets of the Neanderthals Netflix [BBC Studios]

Outstanding Regional Content In A Daytime Genre

Chicagoland’s Best Bites WMAQ-TV [Chicago/Midwest Chapter]

createid | SARA: A Life in Dreams and Symbols Idaho Public Television [Northwest Chapter]

Danzando para Sanar WWDT-TV [Suncoast Chapter]

Hidden Homicide WGN-TV [Chicago/Midwest Chapter]

Relish Twin Cities PBS [Upper Midwest Chapter]

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | LEONETTA

When we want to tuck into a nice Mediterranean meal without having to hop a flight to our favorite destinations, we suggest that you need to make a reservation to Leonetta for a savory experience that is accented with fabulous cocktails and wines! Every dish that we enjoyed hit the spot and made us think about the next time that we planned on swinging by!

As this month’s The Art of the Snack, we sat down with Leonetta’s founder and Chef Ed Cotton, their Wine Program Director Torrey Grant, and Beverage Program Director Mark Rancourt. Together they provided more insight on this eatery that is a total vibe that you can enjoy on date night, with friends, family, and colleagues!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Leonetta, we’d love to know more about your background, Chef Ed Cotton, in terms of where you went to culinary school, as well as kitchens you trained in prior to opening this restaurant.

CHEF ED COTTON: I grew up in Massachusetts and attended the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, I was fortunate to train under chefs like Daniel Boulud and David Burke, and served as the Corporate Executive Chef for Tourondel’s Hospitality Group, where I oversaw the culinary programs for 12 restaurants globally.

AM: We enjoyed seeing you in S7 of Bravo’s Top Chef. Why did you want to be on this show and what did you learn from participating in this cooking competition show?

CHEF EC: At first, the prize money and exposure were definitely enticing, but beyond that I’ve always been competitive and I genuinely enjoy cooking under pressure. Top Chef felt like the perfect arena to challenge myself, have some fun, and see how I stacked up against other talented chefs.

AM: Why did you want to open Leonetta?

CHEF EC: Leonetta is a very personal project for me. One of my first jobs was in Charlestown, Massachusetts, working under Todd English at Olives, a Mediterranean restaurant I absolutely loved. Opening Leonetta has given me the chance to return to that style of cooking — creating a menu rooted in those fun, bold flavors, while reconnecting with my own culinary beginnings.

AM: When did Leonetta open and what is the cuisine that can be enjoyed here?

CHEF EC: We opened Leonetta in the fall of 2024, and the cuisine is Mediterranean.

AM: What are the ingredients and spices that are indicative of this cuisine?

CHEF EC: There are so many different types of flavor profiles and ingredients when creating a Mediterranean menu. Some standouts are Zaatar, Sumac, Ras el hanout, Aleppo pepper, Black Persian limes, and spice blends that are both created inhouse and sourced from La Boite.

AM: For Lunch, what are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should have in mind when coming in?

CHEF EC: LAMB TARTARE - Harissa Aioli, Mint, Sumac-Lavash Crisp, CHOPPED TUNA “PUTTANESCA” - Tomato, Olive, Capers, Anchovy, Sesame Grissini, and BLACK GARLIC HUMMUS - Toasted Everything Spice, Marinated Chickpeas.

AM: What are 3 mains for Lunch that we should consider when coming in with friends, family, and colleagues?

CHEF EC: GRILLED TUNA CLUB - Bacon, Pickles, Egg, Spicy Club Sauce, Herb Mayo & Potato Chips, LAMB PANINI - Fontina, Arugula, Caramelized Onion, Rosemary-Lamb Jus, and ROCK SHRIMP COUS COUS - Israeli Cous Cous, Zucchini, Arugula, Basil, Sun-Dried Tomato.

AM: To enhance our Lunch, what are 3 sides that we should share for the table?

CHEF EC: ZA’ATAR STEAK FRIES - Feta, Harissa Ketchup, Roasted mushrooms, Crispy Basmati rice, BAHARAT ROASTED MUSHROOMS - Sour Cherries, Cipollini Onions, and CRISPY BASMATI RICE - Medjool Dates, Black Mission Figs

AM: In terms of dessert, what are 3 options that we should be thinking about?

CHEF EC: CHOCOLATE PUDDING - Orange-Saffron Marmalade, Vanilla Chantilly, TIRAMISU - Coffee-Soaked Lady Fingers, Mascarpone, and OLIVE OIL SEMOLINA CAKE - Fior di Latte Gelato, Pine Nut-Rosemary Crumble.

AM: We had the pleasure of coming in for Dinner which was such a vibe. What are 3 appetizers that we should keep in mind?

CHEF EC: HAMACHI CRUDO “ACQUA PAZZO” - Pickled Watermelon, Lemon Mostarda, Calabrian Chili Ponzu, BEETROOT TZATZIKI - Dill, Garlic, Lemon, and JUMBO LUMP CRAB CEVICHE - Avocado, Cilantro, Radish, Sofrito Vinaigrette.

AM: To complete our meal, what are 3 mains that we should think about?

CHEF EC: ROCK SHRIMP COUS COUS - Israeli Cous Cous, Zucchini, Arugula, Basil, Sun-Dried Tomato, BRICK CHICKEN “PEPERONATA” - Esposito Pork Sausage, Peppers & Onions, and PORK SHANK SHAWARMA - Pita Bread, Tumeric Pickles, 6th Ave White & Red Sauce.

AM: To complete this culinary spread for Dinner what are 3 sides that we should have in mind?

CHEF EC: Our dinner menu shares the same sides as the lunch menu, and you can add in the CHARRED BROCCOLINI - Lemon, Anchovy, Ricotta Salata.

AM: Dessert is always a great way to end a meal - what are 3 desserts that we should think about?

CHEF EC: Our dinner menu shares the same desserts as the lunch menu, and you can add in the GELATO & ALMOND BISCOTTI (Choice of Three Scoops) and YOGURT PANNA COTTA - Blood Orange Caramel, Pistachio.

AM: We love a signature cocktail. What are 3 that we should enjoy?

CHEF EC: ITALO DISCO - redacted mediterranean lemon gin, aperol, bitter bianco, yuzu sake, sicilian lemonade, PALOMA PICASSO blanco tequila, grapefruit, cartron bergamote, combier pamplemousse, fevertree grapefruit soda, and PEPINO FIZZ - japanese whisky, rockey’s botanical, antica torino genziana, dolin dry vermouth, matsui umeshu, lemon, cucumber soda.

AM: Torrey, you are Leonetta’s Wine Program Director, tell us about your flight program, which we had the pleasure of enjoying.

TORREY GRANT: We offer 3 separate wine flights now, which consist of 3 wines each served in 3 ounce pours. Each flight is themed with a different destination: Greece, Italy, and the Islands. Guests receive a “boarding pass” that explains the wines and sets the tone for the experience. It’s a cool way for guests to try several wines at once and not commit to one glass or a bottle.

AM: Mark, you’re Leonetta’s Beverage Program Director and Brunch is our favorite meal of the week. Tell us about 3 dishes that we should consider and what cocktail would you pair with it?

MARK RANCOURT: BABKA FRENCH TOAST - Whipped Cheesecake, Wild Berries, Orange Blossom Syrup - If you’re going the “dessert-for-breakfast” route, let’s go all in. Replace your morning coffee with an Espress-O’Tini. A fresh shot of premium espresso paired Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, Madagascar Vanilla, Banana Liqueur, and Cafeto, Mexican Coffee Liqueur

WILD MUSHROOM SCRAMBLE - Farm Eggs, Black Truffle, Sesame Crostino - Let’s stay light and bright by pairing with our Cardoon Spritz. Crisp cava bubbles along with tangy, tropical passion fruit counter-balanced by Cardamaro, a slightly bitter Italian wine and artichoke-based amaro from the Piedmont region.

SHAWARMA SPICED BACON - All that savory, spicy flavor needs one thing... more savory spice! Order the Leonetta Bloody Mary. The garden-fresh flavor of St. George Green Chile Vodka paired with pureed tomato, char-roasted red pepper, capers, lemons, horseradish, and North African harissa to deliver a most delicious version of the brunch staple.

AM: Tell us about your Aperitivo Hour as this is always a great way to end the day or to be a gateway to a fun night out.

CHEF EC: Our Aperitivo Hour is something we offer during the summer months that is all about that Italian tradition of winding down the day with a spritz, small bites, and friends. We offer shareable snacks — cured meats, cheeses, olives and country bread — alongside a select menu of Negronis, Spirits, and wine. It sets the stage whether you’re heading into dinner or just enjoying a relaxed evening.

AM: As we navigate from the Summer into the Fall, will there be new additions to the menu that we should know about?

CHEF EC: Yes, we’re really excited about some new fall additions. We’ll be introducing a Vegan Bolognese that’s hearty and comforting, perfect for the season. Our hamachi crudo will get a fresh update with new fall flavors, and we’ll be expanding both the raw bar and pasta selections to highlight what’s best right now.

Our Hamachi Crudo will get a fresh update with new fall flavors, and we’ll be expanding both the Raw Bar and pasta selections to highlight what’s best right now.

AM: Are there upcoming events that we should keep in mind as we look ahead to the Fall and Holiday season?

CHEF EC: Absolutely — we have a really fun lineup ahead. Our cocktail lounge, Leo’s Famous, is kicking things off with a Halloween party where guests are encouraged to dress as a ‘famous Leo’ — whether it’s Leonardo DiCaprio or your favorite celebrity born under the Leo sign. For Thanksgiving, we’ll be offering a special menu that celebrates the holiday with Italian flair. In December, we’re rolling out festive Christmas cocktails that are perfect for celebrating with friends and family. And of course, we’ll be closing out the year with a big New Year’s Eve party here at Leonetta — a lively way to ring in 2026 with great food, drinks, and energy.

IG @leonettanyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Leonetta

Read Athleisure Mag’s SEP ISSUE #117 and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Leonetta in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

THE RUNNING BUCKET LIST

VeloPress

Jeff Horowitz

In The Running Bucket List: 106 Ideas to Inspire Every Runner, if you weren’t sure where to start in your journey as a runner, this book lets you know about little-known races and international competitions. It also looks at new training techniques and travel destinations.

Whether you run to lose or keep your weight where you like it, to be healthy, or simply to declutter your mind - doing this can assist those areas and a lot more! Even though it has many benefits, some can get stuck in monotony.

The book has a list of things you can check off your bucket list, whether it’s joining races, or ticking off things that may seem more mundane.

As you check off the list, you can assess your relationship with running and find a deeper meaning as you go along or to share it with others that you run with.

ULTRA PROTEIN

VeloPress

Melanie en Veganie

In Ultra Protein: 55 Plant-Based Recipes to Maximize Body and Brain Health, if you’ve ever wondered how much protein your should consume or how you can shake up what it is you are eating so that you have variety - this cookbook aims to help you with that and more!

In addition to recipes for those that are looking for plant-based options, you’ll find that you’ll understand more about sources that can provide this, nutritional structure, and how they work in your body. Knowing this will let you have a better view of why this is important to know as you navigate your own dietary needs.

We have our eye on making their Spinach and Spirulina Green Smoothie, Spicy Black Bean Quesadillas, and One-Pot Lasagna.

We also like that they have the Protein Kit which will help with our shopping lists as well as making sure we have what we need to make our dishes!

THE SECRET OF SECRETS

Clarkson Potter

Dan Brown

We have been long time fans of Dan Brown’s series that involves Robert Langdon, who we met in The Davinci Code. He’s back in The Secret of Secrets. We catch him on his way to Prague to attend a lecture by Katherine Solomon who is a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship with! She is about to release a book that will disrupt various beliefs. A murder takes place and she disappears along with her manuscript.

In the chaos, he finds that he is also being targeted and that the plot is across various cities. While he is trying to find Katherine and getting answers he is toggling between future science, mystical lore, and finds surprising truths that will change the way we see the human mind.

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E5. | GETTING OUR WELLNESS

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we learn that Hometowns in next week and only 3 women will get it. There are only 2 dates - one is a group date and the other is a 1-on-1. There will be no roses given until the ceremony! The news Jesse Palmer gives them definitely feels ominous!

Peg, Debbie, Cheryl, Nicolle, and Carol will be on the group date. That means that Cindy will get the 1-on1 with Mel.

The group date is on Butterfly Mountain and he feels that as a spiritual person, this will be a great date to have with them to see how their energy aligns with one another. They do a number of activities that allow them to open up with one another. The first one is in a group and the rest are 1-on1 activities so they can share an experience as well as to get to know more about one another. It seems like all of the dates go well although Mel just started seeing some of the things that we have all seen about Nicolle (we now know that in addition to growing her social following, she wants to do a cookbook). Just when Carol and Mel get a bit cozy talking about Hometowns, she lets him know that they will not be continuing as she doesn’t think that they are a fit!

On Mel’s 1-on-1 date, he rides a horse with Cindy which is so cute as she is from Texas. They also talk about her past in terms of her marriage, being a parent, and realizing that the relationship wasn’t one that she wanted to be in and how hard it was for her to get to that understanding. Although we loved the idea of Carol and Mel, we have always liked him and Cindy! Maybe they will go all the way! They end their date looking at stars and seeing the city.

Mel arrives at the house and sees Jesse. He knows that now that he is down to 5 women, he needs to pick the right 3 women. They talk about each of the women and you hear how much he likes the 4 women and how he has enjoyed hearing how they feel about them. Then there is Nicolle - he says that there is attraction there and Jesse agrees that he has seen that; however, he wants to know more about what she does and he feels that he never gets that answer from her.

The Hometown group is now locked in! He walks the other women out and of course Nicolle says that if it doesn’t work out, then he can call her because she knows it won’t. In the car, she says that maybe she will be chosen as The Golden Bachelorette - yikes!

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Cindy, Debbie, and Peg

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Carol, Cheryl, and Nicolle

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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HERE’S WHO IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CINDY

DEBBIE

PEG

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

BINGELY TV/STREAMING

BLACK RABBIT

Netflix Originals

Netflix

After NYFW, our team was ready to binge a few shows just to get back to our normally scheduled program of sorts! We found ourselves enthralled in Black Rabbit which dropped this month! The brother duo we didn’t know we needed, drew us into restaurateurs, crime, and a dark and gritty series. When we meet Jake Friedken (Jude Law), we know that he is a rising restaurateur with a successful restaurant, plans to take on NYC’s dining scene and he knows all the right people. As the series continues, his need to help his brother Vince Friedken (Jason Bateman) we learn that he lives a completely different life that is not only dangerous but continues to generate more complications!

As they continue to work together, we learn about why they were estranged from one another and how far one will go to protect their family!

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

Hulu Original

Hulu

If you’re not currently watching S5 of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, we don’t know what to say! We return to the Arconia where murders continue to happen and we pick up right where S4 left off. We don’t want to give any spoilers away, but suffice it to say that a beloved character was killed last season. Our lovel true crime podcasters once again come together in order to find out who did it, why and how it is all connected. Of course, along the way, they find out more secrets of what has been taking place in the building practically in plain sight!

As they also increase their presence for their podcast, Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) continues to find out how they can maintain their friendship as things continue to change around them! Make sure to also listen/watch the companion podcast as well.

THE CHINATOWN STING

Pushkin Industries

Spotify

We’ve been enjoying The Chinatown Sting where we are introduced to a group of women during the late 1980’s that enjoy playing mahjong in NYC’s Chinatown. Who knew this game amongst the community would lead to a massive undercover drug bust?

But this drug bust was not an isolated event. Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter Shuyu Wang investigate the events that led to this as well as the repercussions that still exist to this day. The episodes have interview sources who have never talked before, but now are sharing on the record from witnesses, defendants, and federal prosecutors. This is definitely a true crime case that will have you putting the pieces together while you listen.

Read Athleisure Mag’s SEP ISSUE #117 and see BINGELY TV/STREAMING in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | AESCAPE

Aescape officially launched in 2024 after 7 years in stealth. People choose Aescape because it delivers intelligent massage for every body—giving you total control over pressure, duration, music, and focus areas, all personalized in real time. It’s consistent, private, convenient, and designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.

Aescape is a nod to everyone’s need for time away from the grind of daily life, a personal moment to recharge, and restore. “Aes” carries deeper inspiration: It’s drawn from Aesculapius, the Roman name for Asclepius—the Greek god of medicine and healing. His mastery of restoring health and balance has long symbolized the power of care and recovery. That lineage connects directly to their focus on intelligent and restorative massage experiences designed for every body.

You can experience Aescape at more than 100 partner locations across the U.S.—from fitness clubs to spas, hotels, and wellness studios. This includes Equinox clubs, select Hand & Stone and Life Time Fitness locations, Ritz-Carlton resorts, and more. You don’t need to be a member to book, and the full list of locations with booking links is available on the site.

The Aescape experience starts with light compression apparel that helps the system deliver precision and consistency. Once you’re set, the table begins with a full-body scan, capturing over 1.2 million data points to map your body in detail, and tailor every stroke to you.

Their award-winning massage table has been engineered from the ground up for comfort and performance. Integrated into the table are advanced robotic arms that move in sync—delivering consistent pressure, heated touch points, and thorough body area coverage.

Before your session begins, you’ll use their app or website to choose your desired massage length and areas of focus. Once you’re on the table, control stays with you through an tablet, designed to fit seamlessly below the face cradle. From there you can adjust pressure in real time, skip to another region or pause entirely, select music or immersive visual environments, and favorite parts of the massage for the next time.

Aescape offers a full range of sessions—15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. You can choose to focus on specific areas like shoulders, glutes, hamstrings, or calves, or opt for a complete full-body experience. Some massages are designed to deeply relax you, while others are built to energize and power you up.

Aescape One, is their first-ever home model available for pre-order. It’s the same advanced table you’ll find at their partner locations, designed for in-home use with an evolving massage library, regular software updates, and dedicated concierge support. A refundable deposit secures your spot for the Founder’s Edition, with delivery targeted for 2026.

AESCAPE

aescape.com

IG @letsaescape

PHOTO CREDITS | Aescape

Read Athleisure Mag’s SEP ISSUE #117 and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Aescape in mag.

NYCWFF '25

We’re excited that next month we’ll be attending and covering this year’s Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ from Oct 15 - 19th which will be held in their brand new home at The Seaport! It’s an event we enjoy covering as we connect with a number of our favorite chefs who have been previous covers, inbooks, etc. over the past few years. We love being able to enjoy a number of restaurants that are local to this city as well as giving us tastes from other eateries as well. It’s about the love of the community coming together from TV personalities, cookbook authors, and more.

To get an idea of what it’s liking being at the NYCWFF, you can see our coverage from last year (we’ve included a few of our favorite moments from last year here). We’re looking forward to tasting a number of great dishes, connecting with our favorite chefs, and a number of surprised along the way.

There are a number of events throughout the 5 days of this food festival! We’re excited that we will be attending A Taste of the Tin Building: A Culinary Journey hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Gregory Gourdet, Asian Night Market hosted by Padma Lakshmi and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, The Agave Experience: Fine Tequila, Mezcals and Mexican Flavors hosted by Brie Larson and Courtney McBroom, FoodieCon, and Sunday Supper presented by Peroni hosted by “The Pasta Queen” Nadia Caterina Munno and Lil Mo Mozzarella.

Next month, in our OCT ISSUE #118, we will recap this event as well as share interviews that we did during this time as well!

IG @nycwff

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see NYCWFF ‘25 in mag.

9PLAYLIST | WITH LOVE, MEGHAN

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | With Love, Meghan in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | JEEZY

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Jeezy in mag.

9LOOKS | SHAO NEW YORK

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Shao New York in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | JESSY DOVER

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Jessy Dover in mag.