Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Christine Shevchenko in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST 9M3NU | Spring to Summer in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Benito Antonio X Zara in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE BEAUTY in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see KUMQUAT BEAUTY in mag.
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with 3X World Series Champ, 10X All Star, Boston Red Sox DH, FOX Sports Analyst and Owner of Ozama Rum, David "Big Papi" Ortiz. We talk with him about baseball, his love of the game, his career, being an analyst for FOX Sports, competing in Masked Singer, his latest venture Ozama Rum, being a family man, and his legacy.
Next month, BCB Brooklyn will take place from Jun 9th + 10th where the hospitality industry comes together to learn about new spirit brands as well as those that have been on our bar carts for quite some time! We always love checking in with Jackie Williams, EVP of BCB Brooklyn to see what we can expect when we hit the trade show floors in Industry City next month. In addition, next month we will have a post recap of brands and offsite events we attended as well in our JUN ISSUE #126.
We kicked off the beginning of this month with our DEC ISSUE #60 cover, EDM DJ/Producer Benny Benassi. With the release of his album, Feel the Bass, he launched it in a number of events around the city from Marquee, Marquee Skydeck, riding and DJ'ing at the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, and more! We talked with him about his passion for music, why he came to NYC to drop his album in this way, and what he loves about his latest album.
We've been fans of the iconic band, The Rolling Stones and with their launch of Crossfire Hurricane Rum, this spirit is the merge of the band's love of Jamaica and their time recording there as well as creating a spirit that embraces their music and pushing the envelope.
We have enjoyed seeing Hemky Madera play a number of roles including one of our favorite shows, Queen of the South as well as Perry Mason! Currently, he is in Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer, HBO's Euphoria, and is back in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. We talk about how he approaches his characters and what he looks for in his projects!
We head into the world of Hip-Hop Freestyling when we sit down and chat with Red Bull's Marlee Hightower to talk about her MOTIV crew and MOTIV Dance Studio. She shared how she got into the industy, competitions that she participated, her work with artists that have included Janet Jackson, Pharrell Williams, and Coldplay. We also talk about her upcoming projects.
This month we had our THE 9LIST Event Series at Lore Bathing Club in NYC's NoHo. We had members of our readership/community attend this newly opened bath house where you can enjoy cold plunges and saunas in a 75 mins session. We sat down with the team of LBC to find out more about bathing culture, its historical roots, and what can be enjoyed when you come to this destination.
Next month, we will be at Gov Ball and ahead of this jammed pack weekend of music, food and vibes, our pre-coverage will share what you can expect from this festival.
This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Midtown in NYC to an amazing experience of Indian cuisine at Chatti by Regi Mathew. Having a meal here is not just an amazing series of dishes, but it is an immersive experience that starts from the time you walk in until you take your last bite.
This month's Athleisure List comes from The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection and Four Seasons Mykonos!
Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from EDM DJ/Producer Benny Benassi, ABT principal ballet dancer Christine Shevchenko, and Muse New York Hotel. All 3 share what they do, enjoy, or have in the Morning, Afternoon, and Night. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Red Bull Hip-Hop Freestyler, Marlee Hightower where she shares her must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 9PLAYLIST comes from global icon and fashion designer Victoria Beckham whose collaboration with GAP has made everyone excited! She shares with us what is on her playlist in her GAP X Victoria Beckham playlist. Our THE 9LIST 9M3NU comes from Chef Regi Mathew of Chatti, Chef Henry Laprte of Salt Hank's, and Big Papi.
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag.
This month’s APR ISSUE #124 cover is with the Rip and Dip Queen herself, Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja, who is the Chef/Partner of Shuka and Shukette! She’s known for her bold Mediterranean flavors and has showcased her passion for cooking on a number of shows including joining S4 of Bobby’s Triple Threat on Food Network! We had the pleasure of seeing her at last year’s NYC Wine Food Festival and her love for what she does is evident when meeting her!
We sat down with her to find out how she got into culinary, her restaurants, looking ahead to S5 of Bobby’s Triple Threat, which will be back in September, her first cookbook which drops this Fall and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first dish that you ate that made you fall in love with food?
CHEF AYESHA NURDJAJA: My father was a chef, and my mother is an instinctive cook with a talent for making everything absolutely delicious. I always felt like I grew up on the original set of Chopped, getting to eat the best food from two people trying to outdo each other.
If I had to pick just one dish it would be the one that inspired me to cook, Lidia Bastianich’s risotto-stuffed tomatoes. Thanks to my parents, I had always been a great eater, but it wasn’t until then that I realized that I loved to cook.
I watched her on TV and taped the episode. Making this dish gave me a whole new connection with food. It awakened my soul because I made it with my own hands.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?
CHEF AN: I remember when I staged at Felidia. I was stuck between the dish pit and the pastry station, watching this unspoken symphony of cooks, chefs and dishwashers working to put out this gorgeous food. It was like watching ballet. There was this choreography that everyone executed seamlessly, responding to cues that I didn’t understand yet. It was so beautiful. I soaked it all in the way people do when they go to the opera. It really was an emotional experience for me. And that was the moment that I knew I wanted to be a chef.
AM: Tell us about your culinary background, where you went to school and kitchens you trained in.
CHEF AN: I trained at ICE and got my degree, but it wasn’t until I started my first job at Felidia that my real education began. Felidia was my dream restaurant. I finessed my way into a position there and started out sweeping the floors and washing dishes. I steadily worked my way through every job in the kitchen, eventually ending as a sous chef. I learned about real restaurant life, and boy, was it a crash course. Long days filled with learning, failures, and celebrations of growth. There were cuts, burns, tears of happiness, and many times I thought to myself “what am I doing here?”
I went on to work in some of the best restaurants in New York, including Picholine with Terrance Brennan and Missy Robbins’ A Voce. These were my “Yes, chef!” years, where the hours were long and the environments competitive. You had to prove yourself every day. I learned how to butcher, how to make pasta, how to run every station with efficiency and purpose, how to create new dishes and how a restaurant is run. I saw great leadership and where I wanted to do things differently. I took in everything, and the experience prepared me to be the chef I am today.
AM: How would you define your style of cooking?
CHEF AN: My cooking is rooted in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, featuring bold, bright flavors built on solid technique, using seasonality as my North Star. The dishes look effortless, but behind them is the precision and discipline. I developed working in fine dining kitchens, and they are full of craveable soul.
My cooking is about the table. I believe food is meant to be shared, torn, scooped, passed around, and celebrated together. That philosophy shapes how I cook and how I design menus, which developed into my “Rip and Dip” mantra.
AM: You have received a number of accolades including James Beard Award Semifinalist in 2022 and 2023 and for 2026, you are a Finalist for Best Chef NY State. What has this meant to you and how excited are you for this distinction?
CHEF AN: I am so humbled. I grew up thinking I would be a lawyer, because that’s what my parents wanted for me, then threw away conventions to follow my heart. Getting these accolades from my peers is the greatest recognition possible. The years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice were about learning, honing my craft and my constant desire to be the best that I could be.
The Best Chef: New York State category is so special. The New York City restaurant scene is so competitive - I mean there’s an average of three or so restaurants on every block. So to think that the James Beard Foundation recognizes my restaurant as one of the best, not just in the city, but in the entire state, makes me speechless (which is no small thing for me!). It is such a great honor, and I hope it will be an inspiration for others that when you put your all into something, even your biggest dreams are within reach.
AM: You have been a chef at a number of restaurants. What has it meant to you that for the past decade or so, you have been the Executive Chef and partner of Shuka and Shukette at The Bowery Group. What has that meant to you to be there for a significant period of time and to grow your concepts?
CHEF AN: Discovering your own cooking style is a key milestone for any chef. I joined The Bowery Group as the chef at Hundred Acres, an American farm-to-table bistro. But the food that inspired me was Middle Eastern/Mediterranean. Then, I inherited the Shuka, and it’s the restaurant where I really got the opportunity to create my signature culinary style. I started to sneak in spices like turmeric and would layer in other middle eastern flavors. Once given the chance to start from scratch and open Shukette, I wanted to create a restaurant that I would personally be a regular in. It was kind of like wearing a dress without spanx – I was still cooking, but felt free with two feet on the ground.
AM: Tell us about Shuka as you created this restaurant. Why did you want to open it, what is the cuisine served here, and what is the ambiance like?
CHEF AN: My Italian grandmother was an adventurous woman for her time. She migrated here from Italy and lived in Cobble Hill. For her, cooking was a part of her role as the family matriarch. She would shop for ingredients and take me along. We shopped on Atlantic Avenue, and it was like getting our passport stamped. We would try shawarma, medjoul date cookies, za’atar flatbreads, hummus, and more. She ignited this curiosity within me about all the different kinds of flavors out there.
Even though I was obsessed with Italian cuisine and the power of “flour + water = pasta,” on my days off, I would still find myself at Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants to get my rip and dip fix.
The generosity of spirit that is inherent in the cuisine was deeply resonant with me, and eventually, I convinced my partners to let me throw a Middle Eastern feast for New Year’s Eve. It was a hit, and Shuka was born.
I love a party so the vibe of my restaurants are always high energy. And you can’t have a party without great music, so there is always a fun playlist. The food comes fast and it’s a little loud. You move a little closer to talk. You share what you’re eating. It feels like you walked into a surprise party with your favorite people and you never want to leave.
AM: What are 3 main dishes that are a must-try when we come in for our next meal there?
CHEF AN: I love working with peak-season produce, so the menus at both restaurants are always changing. But there are certain things that would make our guests riot if we ever take them off the menu. It’s impossible to pick just three. When you come to Shuka, you have to start with the Labne which we make every day. It’s thick and creamy (not your typical labne), and is always adorned with seasonal toppings. One of my favorites is strawberries with harissa, lime and basil.
You also have to have the Whipped Feta + Pistachio Dip. It’s the first dish I ever created for the Shuka menu, and is studded with pistachios, herbs and garlic.
Lastly, the Fried Halloumi. It’s like meteorite craters of crispy fried halloumi drizzled in our spiced yogurt sauce and showered with tons of za’atar. Are you sure you only want me to pick three?!
AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should enjoy at Shuka?
CHEF AN: I’m a sucker for a frozen drink - a good one that is not overly sweet and where you can taste the alcohol. For me, that’s the Limonana, made with fresh squeezed lemon juice and vodka. Regardless of the weather outside, the limonana always puts a smile on my face.
The Ankara is a little exotic. It is a bourbon-based cocktail that is finished with a lemon-turmeric cordial and ginger juice. I love the flavor combinations. It is savory and perfectly balanced between warm and spicy – just like me!
I don’t drink tequila often, but if I’m in the mood for it, the Tangier hits the spot. It’s made with spicy tequila, pineapple juice and lime and kissed with a little sesame oil.
AM: 4 years later, you launched Shukette! Tell us why you launched this sister location, the cuisine that is available here, and the ambiance?
CHEF AN: I had more to say. One restaurant could not possibly contain all my creativity. With Shukette, I was able to design from scratch, so it really has my personality. After working in basements for most of my career, I knew I wanted an open kitchen that lets me be a part of the action in the dining room. I love interacting with guests and being on the line with my crew. I wanted to blur the lines between the front and the back of house. I finally got to see the positive reactions to my food - eyes rolling in the back of their head, insisting that everyone else at the table taste what they just did right now. The playlist is fire, because for me the music is just as important as the food. It creates the vibe that I crave - curated chaos, flames in the background, warm and attentive service, and a rip and dip conga line of dishes coming to your table.
AM: What are the similarities/differences of these 2 restaurants?
CHEF AN: Shuka is like my firstborn, the one who follows curfew and plays by the rules, while Shukette is her wild little sister. She turns up the music a few notches. There’s more theatrics, almost an element of entertainment.
AM: What are 3 dishes that we should order when we come to Shukette?
CHEF AN: We make four breads to order at Shukette; something that I was unable to do at Shuka. Our Frena is the queen, but the other three are neck-and-neck. The Frena is made to order in a cast iron pan, which creates a crispy bottom and pillowy top pocked with dimples that perfectly house large pieces of confit garlic. This bread is meant to be ripped and dipped into any of our dips, but it also stands on its own. A pro move is to order one for each person and share the other breads.
Our Joojeh Chicken is cooked entirely on the grill, creating a nice crispy skin packed with delicious flavors of saffron, dill and yogurt - it is possibly one of the juiciest birds out there.
And our Fish in a Cage represents the cuisine so well. I wanted to choose a local fish, so porgy it is! The whole fish is glossed with a harissa-tomato glaze, and served with grilled vegetables, charred lemon and zhoug. It is light but packed in flavor, and served in the cage that it is grilled in.
As a bonus, if you come in the Summer, don’t miss anything with tomatoes or our crispy fairy tale eggplant!
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should try there?
CHEF AN: We’re known for our Gazoz, a spritz-style cocktail made with natural infusions of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables that celebrate the season and topped off with my favorite wine, champagne!
AM: After cooking for over 20 years, where do you continue to look for inspiration?
CHEF AN: Inspiration is everywhere. In my heart, I’m still a cook. I love working with ingredients and coming up with new dishes with my team. I have been working in the kitchen for over twenty springtimes, and I’m still a little giddy when the first peas hit the market.
Travel is the other thing that always inspires me. I love to discover new places and seeing how they treat familiar ingredients, or use things that are new to me. I still feel like there is so much to learn.
AM: How do you balance your time between these 2 restaurants?
CHEF AN: Balance is a difficult concept. Everyone talks about it but does anyone really ever achieve it? For me, the most important thing I do is encourage my staff to take ownership of the restaurant so that when I am “balancing” my time between both (and all my other projects) I can count on having people that are really invested and believe in upholding my vision.
AM: You have been competing on TV for Food Network since 2009! We actually met you briefly at last year’s NYCWFF as you were at Chef Jean Georges’ (another recent fabulous cover story with Chef Gregory Gourdet) with previous cover, Chef Esther Choi, and you landed on Food Network’s 2025 Hot List. How important has it been to you to add TV personality and culinary competitor to your portfolio in addition to being an Executive Chef?
CHEF AN: NYCWFF is always a great time. Being on TV has opened so many doors for me. I love being recognized by the fans. They want to take pictures and they root for me regardless of how the judging goes. It has been an amazing experience.
AM: You joined S4 of Bobby’s Triple Threat, how did you get attached to this show and what was it like competing on this show?
CHEF AN: Bobby Flay called and asked me to come on the show. I was thinking, he has to be joking. I never wanted to cook competitively, so I immediately said, “no”. Then he said, “yes” and it went on that way for a while. I couldn’t refuse him, so eventually I agreed on the condition that he train me. He got in the kitchen with me and showed me the ropes and now I’m a Titan.
AM: Will you come back for S5? What are you looking forward to for next season?
CHEF AN: Yes, I am back for Season 5, and can’t wait! Spoiler alert – we have 12 episodes this time, rather than 10!
AM: We also saw that you were part of this year’s Puerto Rico Food and Wine Festival! Why did you want to participate, what did you make, and what did you enjoy about being part of it?
CHEF AN: I love Puerto Rico, so it’s a no-brainer for me. I love being down there. The weather is perfect, the food is always great and the people are incredibly warm and welcoming. I went down to the festival last year, so when they asked me back, I jumped at the chance. Plus, coming from New York, why would I say no to the beach in April?
You know that I am the dip queen, so I brought my Carrot Hummus with garlic yogurt, sesame, harissa, chives and za’atar pita chips. It was a hit!
AM: You have a cookbook coming out! Tell us about Mediterranean All the Way! Why did you want to launch the cookbook and what has the process been like for you?
CHEF AN: Yeah, I’ve got a cookbook coming out – finally! It’s called Mediterranean All the Way, and it’s how I actually cook, not how people think chefs cook. I didn’t want to make one of those books that looks pretty, but makes your head spin halfway through a recipe. You’re cooking, not performing surgery, you know? I just want to give people that feeling like, oh, I can actually do this. The book’s out October 20 and I can’t wait. There are over 120 recipes, and none of them are pretentious. Big herbs, bold spices, food you actually want to eat and share. If it feels like I’m standing next to you in the kitchen telling you to stop overthinking it and just rip the herbs and get on with it, then I did my job.
AM: What do you want people to walk away with when purchasing the book and making recipes from it?
CHEF AN: Confidence. I want people to stop treating cooking like a test they’re going to fail. The recipes are built for real life – you can mess with them, swap things, push them a little. That’s the point. There’s a music theme in the book too, because that’s my other obsession. Cooking is the same idea. You’re layering flavors the way you layer sound. You need a bassline, you need something sharp, something bright. Once you get that, you can do whatever you want. So find your groove, trust your taste, and start having fun with it.
AM: Will you do any events around the launch of this book?
CHEF AN: Have you met me? I’m not just going to drop a book and call it a day. There’s a full tour coming, plus some other fun events to celebrate. The book is available for pre-sale now, and be sure to keep your eyes glued to @ayesha_rare on Instagram for all the juicy details - you won’t want to miss it.
AM: Are there any other projects that you want to share that we should keep our eye out for?
CHEF AN: Season 5 of Triple Threat premiers in September. For all the fans, just wait, this season is the best yet. And if you haven’t watched, now is the perfect time to catch up on previous seasons so you’re ready for what’s coming next.
AM: When you’re not working in your restaurants, doing culinary competitions etc. how do you take time for yourself?
CHEF AN: This will sound crazy, but I cook. Just not in a restaurant. I have people over, we eat, we hang out, it turns into a whole thing. I don’t know how to cook small - never learned, and not interested - so everyone leaves with containers. That’s just how it goes at my house. I’ve had the same group of girlfriends since I was a kid, so there’s no performance there. It’s easy. That’s my reset, just being around my people. And I love to go out to eat. It’s nice to be on the other side of the dining room once in a while. A good steakhouse, a cold martini, maybe a cigar, that’s a perfect night.
AM: With over 20 years of experience under your belt, what do you want your legacy to be seen as when people think about you, your passion for food, and more?
CHEF AN: More than anything, I hope to be an inspiration to the people I work with. Not just better cooks, but better positioned, more confident, actually moving forward in their careers. This industry gave me everything, so I take it seriously. You build good kitchens, you mentor people, you open doors where you can. That’s the work. If that’s what people remember, I’m good.
IG @ayesha_rare
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Front Cover Clay Williams | PG 16, 19 - 21, 24 - 27 Jen Davidson | PG 38 Paul Farkas | PG 40 - 43 Food Network | PG 29 - 37 Shukette | Back Cover Alexa Bennett |
Read the APR ISSUE #124 of Athleisure Mag and see RIP AND DIP QUEEN | Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja in mag.
We have been fans of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Sammy Hagar whether from his solo career, as a member of Van Halen, or in super bands! He is a noted singer/songwriter, guitarist, an entrepreneur with an amazing portfolio, and philanthropist. Whether it’s his music, restaurants, spirit brands, etc. he is about loving life and enjoying it to the fullest.
His latest venture is one that is important to him as it is about longevity and nourishing your body as he continues to tour and has his residency in Vegas at Park MGM. Red Rocker Essentials is a line of vitamins that he partnered with noted wellness supplement guru, Wayne Gorsek, who founded and sold Vitacoast, and with Nature Labs, has this new line of products, as well as Sammy’s own supplements. We sat down with this duo to talk music, life, and the importance of vitamins as we navigate our day to day.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Red Rocker Essentials, we’d like to talk a bit about your music.
When did you first fall in love with music? I have been a fan of yours for decades. And so being able to connect with you is definitely a pleasure, Sammy Hagar.
SAMMY HAGAR: Well, I’m thrilled. Thank you! But, you know, I think probably the first time I went crazy and said, “wow, I want to do that,” was when Elvis Presley - I was like 4 years old or something... My teenage sisters were watching his debut on TV or it might have been the Ed Sullivan Show or whatever it was, but Elvis Presley comes on and my sisters are sitting there going crazy right? Screaming, holding their faces - watching a guy in black and white on TV you know.
I’m going, “wow, that’s pretty cool you know?” I might want to do that right? I want to be that guy. But really, my dad was always singing and whistling and he could yodel country music. He was listening to Hank Williams and Hank Snow and people like that. I’d sit in the car and hear him sing to the radio. That kind of got my attention too. I was kind of raised around music, even though no one played music around me. Everyone kind of liked music. My sisters would dance and they’d dance with me, you know, and my dad would sing to the radio. I guess I was influenced by music right away.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a recording artist? You’re an amazing guitarist, a vocalist, you write songs...
SH: Well, I had an older friend that used to go to school with my brother and he played guitar. I used to always dress the part. My sisters always had me looking like the latest rock star, whoever it was. It was Elvis Presley or whoever the next person was, my sisters would comb my hair like that and roll up my sleeves. I swear, they dolled me up all the time like I was their playmate.
I think this guy who played guitar, he came over to my house to see my brother. He’s going, “did you ever think about being a singer?” And I’m going, yeah, you know, and he played guitar. So he started playing guitar and I started singing a couple songs. I knew a few songs from the radio, same kind of thing. So I started a band with him. He took me to see The Rolling Stones when they came to San Bernardino Swing Auditorium the first time they played in America and that was where I lived. George Babcock from a radio station, 590 AM, brought The Stones and we went to see them. And I just said, that’s it. Boom. I saw their first American performance and I wasn’t even driving a car yet, you know. So this guy had a car and we drove over and I think that’s what really did it.
Then to play guitar, that was just wanting to be a singer. My friend played guitar and I just sang all the time. Then I went to see Cream’s first American performance with Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker at the Whiskey A Go Go, I went into a music store the next day and I stole my first guitar! I mean, I hate to say it, but I wanted to play like that and I knew I was going to sing like Mick Jagger and I’m going to play guitar like Eric Clapton!
That really set me on my course and that’s all I wanted to do. You couldn’t have talked to me out of it. I thought I was going to be rich and famous someday and I was determined. Pretty lucky guy, I’d say, you know? But I did the work.
AM: Oh, you did the work. I mean, you have been part of so many different bands as well as being a solo artist!
Before we delve into Red Rocker Essentials, Wayne, can you tell me a bit about your background and what led you to the wellness industry?
WAYNE GORSEK: I just learned a little more about Sammy! I didn’t realize Elvis inspired Sammy. Look at my shirt (Editor’s Note: Wayne’s shirt is a button down that has Elvis on it).
SH: What a trip!
WG: It’s actually made by the clothier that supplied Elvis in Memphis.
AM: Oh, wow.
WG: It’s made in America. I got like 5 of them. I’ll answer your question 2 ways. What got me into music as I grew up in Illinois. My family had horses, so I started out learning, Glen Campbell, Country Western music. And then as I got in my teen years, I watched Smokey and the Bandit. I got a black Trans Am. I started to get into Classic Rock. First concert was Eddie Money. Then I discovered Sammy.
In fact, Sammy, I grew up by St. Louis. You said that you had the record amount of tickets sold in St. Louis I think you said.
SH: Yeah, I still do! I think I still hold the record of the most tickets ever sold by one artist in in one city in St. Louis and I don’t know how that happened! But you know, Wayne I’d tell you in a second if I knew how that happened! I would have made that happen in every city!
WG: Well, I think Sammy, his songs relate to us folks in the Midwest. I Can’t Drive 55.
AM: I’m from Indianapolis originally. So yes, it definitely syncs in with the Midwest.
WG: Yeah! Trans Am and Eagles Fly. I mean, so many great songs and the St. Louis rock station really supported you.
SH: Yeah, yeah, they definitely did.
But Wayne, I think your question is not how you got into Sammy Hagar. It’s how you got into vitamins, then you met Sammy Hagar, and then we did vitamins together. Now, can you follow the damn questions here, Wayne?
WG: Haha Yes! The way I got into vitamins, I grew up believing that doctors could fix everything. My grandparents raised me, adopted me, and I have a lot of good memories, but the bad memories were when I entered my teen years, they entered their 70s. This would be in the 80s, and they got a lot of diseases. They got Parkinson’s, arthritis, depression, heart failure, you name it. I thought the doctors could fix them, took them to a lot of doctors, and I saw a lot of side effects, a lot of big bills. The bills now are probably 4X higher now if you go to the doctor. I saw lots of side effects with the drugs, and I thought there’s got to be a better way.
So I went to the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Library, nights, weekends, and I studied what is Parkinson’s, and what is arthritis? How do you fix these things? I came across nutrition. I came across herbs, vitamins, foods.
So I take these articles from the medical journals to their doctors, and the doctors admitted they knew nothing about it. They don’t teach them in medical school. So I started going to the vitamin stores and buying 8, 10, 12 bottles of all these herbs, vitamins, and I saw that they helped them. I realized that the average person isn’t going to do all that research and they’re not going to go out and buy 8-12 bottles so I decided to start a company that made a good multi that would work. Put it all in one and it did work. My last company we sold billions of dollars, we did IPO, sold to Kroger, and this is my second now!
AM: Wow I am very familiar with your first company, Vitacoast so you are definitely well versed in this space!
How did the two of you guys come together? Sammy, you’ve always been focused on wellness and longevity. How did the two of you come together?
SH: Well, I guess Wayne came to see me in concert in Las Vegas, and this is a story that he told me. But he said, “wow, this guy at his age, sure has got a lot of energy! Of course he needs that energy to keep doing what he’s doing if he wants to keep doing this, you know.”
We had a little conversation and I said, no, I’ve always been in the supplements and here’s what I take and here’s what I do. He’s going, oh, “you can do better than that. You know, some of these supplements have things in them that really aren’t good for you, or they’re not the best quality of Vitamin B, or the C that has a little bit more, and those organic products out there. He asked me if I read about everything that I take. I’m spending about two seconds on the back of a bottle! It’s got the stuff I want and then he’s going yeah. but where’s it coming from?
He just said come on down to my lab and let’s work on some stuff. So I went to the lab. I didn’t just say, “oh throw my name on some vitamins.” No, hell no man! I went down there and put on the suit, the hairband and went through a sterilization program. And we spent the whole damn afternoon in there. I was really impressed and I was very interested in upgrading my supplements. So, here we go, you know?
AM: Wow.
SH: I also want to say that there were things that were important to me like energy, natural energy without the crash, heart health, and flexibility!
Over time, I have figured out what I needed because I know as I get older, my joints are getting stiff. I need flexibility on stage. If I go out there and I’m not warmed up and I really haven’t really stretched well before I get out there – it can be tough. You get out there in front of thousands of people and your energy level – that adrenaline spikes and you do crazy stuff and if you’re not flexible, you’ll throw your back out, which I have done many times. I have thrown my neck out. You’re coming off the next morning feeling like I have head banged too hard. But, yeah, things like that.
I’m concerned about my heart because my mother had heart disease. My brother had heart disease. It’s in my family. I get myself checked out all the time about that. So, you know, I mentioned that. And I like an energy boost, but I can’t stand the products that are out there. I won’t mention the names, but I cannot even take 1 sip out of 90% of the assortment that exists right onw of those energy drinks. I don’t do it. I don’t drink coffee before a show either because it dries out my throat. So I used to take a little sip of a Coca-Cola and stuff like that with my rum or my tequila in there to get the relaxed buzz for a relaxed energy rush.
But anyway, Wayne says, no, I got you. I got you on all this stuff. The energy without the crash. You’re crashing because of the caffeine. You have to have different intake for it. So he knows all the answers to all that stuff. He’s the one that created this stuff for me to fit my lifestyle and my fans are you know almost my age some of them are my age and older even and um so I thought, “hey this is a good thing to pass on to them.” If it works for me with what I do, it’s going to [likely] work for you in your everyday life and that’s kind of the way I’ve always went about my restaurants, the way I’ve always went about my music.
If I have a message in my music it’s usually something that I wanted to tell my fans that this is a cool way to live. You know, I wrote the song Cabo Wabo, because I discovered Cabo back when it was undiscovered sand I said, “man you guys got to go to this place, you know you got to go there!” I mean, I’m telling you right now you go there you’re gonna be happy. So, I built a place down there for them, it’s really the way I think about my fans. It’s my family first, and my fans, they’re my extended family. So I think about them right along with the rest of my family, you know? And so that’s why I wanted to create this stuff. I want to upgrade them. Everyone takes vitamins. I bet you 90% of my fans take them, but half of them are probably taking stuff that’s been sitting on the shelves too long. It’s about taking a better supplement. So I’m trying to help them out.
WG: Well, you know, Sammy, you’re accurate. The typical multi, there’s tons of studies showing they don’t work because they got too little actives and they use forms of B vitamins that most people can’t utilize and absorb. So, we put in the active Bs that you can utilize. And we put in enough to work, levels that are much higher than the worthless daily values. If you want to be healthy, you cannot take the minimum. You’ve got to take optimal levels, which are much higher than the minimum DVs.
SH: I didn’t mention when I take my supplements. I personally don’t take my supplements until I have a decent meal. You know, like I don’t take them first thing in the morning because I just don’t like the way they feel on my stomach. A lot of times I take my supplements if I have a big lunch, I take them with my lunch, but I take them with food. And I think it’s really important that that’s half of what they do. You’re not living on the supplements. You’re living on the food you’re taking. You take supplements with it and you. get more of the nutrients out of the food and out of your supplements and it goes into your body better. It’s all about assimilation to me.
WG: Well said, well said, spot on.
SH: Yeah, so he didn’t teach me that. I knew that already. It is better with food. It is better with food. I really recommend that. A heavy vitamin can be rough on your stomach in the morning with just water.
WG: When you look at Sammy’s supplements, it’s a vegetarian capsule, you absorb that in just minutes. It breaks down in minutes, not hours. Some of those tablets from other brand never break down.
AM: So you have the initial products that launched last month. Are there going to be additional products that you plan on adding to this line?
WG: Oh, yes. Absolutely. We started Sammy’s line with Men’s, Women’s, Multi Energy Drink Powder.
SH: I’m open to new products as I get older for more brain health and a little bit more cutting edge stuff. Right now, we’re doing a good job. We’re putting good stuff in the normal stuff.
AM: Right.
SH: I’m an experimental guy. I’m willing to say, let’s go for some life extension products here. I rely on Wayne to guide me through that because I don’t want to get out there and just start taking a bunch of stuff and find out later, oh, no, you shouldn’t have taken that. So Wayne’s my guru here, you know. He’s my nutritional guru, substance guru, you know. I’m so happy since I ran into Wayne because he’s just so knowledgeable about all this stuff. You know, a lot of people will just try and do anything. And, you know, you can do more harm than good sometimes. So, yeah, we’re looking to expand as soon as we get everything just right.
AM: And what does this look like in terms of like rolling it out to consumers? Obviously, people can go to the website and different distribution/retailer points. But when you’re on tour or on your residency, will you be sharing this with fans in terms of awareness?
SH: Well, the awareness part, I always wear shirts. Like right now, I got my Red Rocker Beer shirt. I’m always sharing my apparel with my products and I get tattoos on my arm like Cabo Wabo, Santo, Beach Bar products and that’s Bogus Otis. I’m just one of those guys like a NASCAR person, but I don’t have to put the suit on. I just put the tattoos on. I don’t want to take my shirt off. Rather than shove it down their throats or talk about it too much. I drink my tequila on stage. I drink my rum on stage. It’s real. It’s organic with me. I own these companies except for Wayne here, but it’s still my stuff. I can’t make vitamins. So I have Wayne to do it. I don’t just endorse things and I never have. So that’s why I’m willing to get the tattoos. That’s a real endorsement.
I wouldn’t sell vitamins in concert. People that follow me, they go to my website and look at it all the time and tell them where they can get things. You know, the world’s so much about online right now. But I think Wayne’s got it covered. That’s his distribution thing. He’s got it down with his stuff. His stuff’s good stuff. It’s in all the good stores.
WG: I currently manufacture about a million bottles a month for some of the largest retailers – my customers. As Sammy grows, he’ll never outgrow us you know and we do plan to expand as he said - products for brain memory, cognitive, and joints. We can pretty much help people with any health concern with the right nutrients.
AM: That’s amazing. Sammy, We’ve been a fan of yours musically as well as an entrepreneur. Santo is a great tequila, Cabo - we went with friends because we heard the song growing up.
What do you want your legacy to be known as since you have been involved in so many things in your life as a musician and as a successful entrepreneur?
SH: Oh, my! I want my legacy just to say that, you know, I want people to smile when they think of me. I want to make people happy to make their lives better. I want to help people that I can help. You know, Paul Newman said something one time I saw him in an interview and it just changed my life. It was years and years ago after he had died. But it was at a benefit where he said, you know, “when you’re in a position to be able to help people and you see someone that needs help, you have to do it. If you see a person fall down, you’ve got to stop and pick them up.” I thought, wow, it just really touched me. I thought, yeah, I can help people. You know, I got extra money and I’ve got the ability to make people happy. So, when I walk out on stage. I want to make people really happy. I want to bring them joy. And I want to make them cry, too. I want to touch them deep in their hearts. I always want to leave them at my concert with a ballad. I don’t leave you with this big, crazy, high-energy song that makes you want to run out in the street and get in a car wreck. I’m going, no, no, no, no. You’ve got to settle down. I like to touch their hearts at the end of a show so that they remember it. In the morning, they smile. They wake up, and they remember the show, and they think about it, and they start smiling. And it makes them feel good. That’s my legacy. I’m gonna make people feel good and enrich their lives in any way I can.
IG @sammyhagar
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Rob Shanahan
Read the APR ISSUE #124 of Athleisure Mag and see THE RED ROCKER | Sammy Hagar in mag.
We have been a long time fan of June Ambrose who has been in the industry not only for decades, but if you grew up watching music videos done by Hype Williams, saw epic style statements by Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott - you were enjoying a living masterclass by June Ambrose. You were seeing her work. The clothing, the hues, the storytelling that was done that was bordered by the videos, lyrics, dancing, and more. She set the tone and continues to do so in her projects.
This stylist, Costume Designer, and Creative Director continues to push the envelope. She recently launched another capsule collection for Naturalizer X June Ambrose. We talk with her about the shoes, her approach to her work, and what we can keep an eye out for!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with fashion?
JUNE AMBROSE: I fell in love with fashion before I even had the language for it. Growing up in the Bronx, style was survival - it was expression, armor, aspiration. MTV just amplified what I already felt in my bones. I realized early that clothing could shift energy in a room. That was my first understanding of power.
AM: When did you realize this could be your career?
JA: The moment I saw that my point of view could move culture - not just dress it. When artists trusted me to translate their sound into a visual language, I understood this wasn’t just styling and costume design… it was authorship. That’s when it became a calling.
AM: How would you define your personal style and 3 favorite accessories?
JA: My style is intentional contradiction - tailored yet fluid, disciplined but expressive. It’s what I call Authentic Intelligence.
My essentials? A statement heel (always), fun hat, and a fun and iconic shaped bag that feels like art.
AM: Where do you start creatively on a project?
JA: I always begin with narrative. Who is this person? What is the emotional temperature? I build from story, then silhouette, then texture. I’m not dressing bodies - I’m designing moments that add punctuation to your look.
AM: What have been your 3 favorite projects that you have done?
JA: Building Missy Elliott’s iconic persona, starting with her Supa Dupa Fly music video, launching women’s basket and motor sport catergory for Puma, and building the STYLE-LETICS universe. Each one pushed culture forward in a different way.
AM: Tell me about STYLE-LETICS and Naturalizer?
JA: STYLE-LETICS is where fashion meets velocity. It’s a new category where the elegance of pumps and sandals moves like a sneaker. My partnership with Naturalizer was rooted in a shared belief: comfort should never compromise style. Together, we challenged the idea that fashionable shoes require sacrifice.
AM: Tell me about the Macy’s event that took place this month.
JA: At Macy’s Herald Square, we didn’t just host an event - we activated a movement. Women stepped into the arena, tried on power, and walked in confidence. It was immersive, high-energy, and deeply personal. Style became a shared experience.
AM: What was your approach to the capsule collection?
JA: Precision. Each drop was engineered for versatility and transformation. I wanted silhouettes that could move from work to play and dancing all night without losing intention. Every piece had to perform - emotionally and physically.
AM: What do you love about your partnership with Naturalizer?
JA: It’s alignment. They understand that a woman’s life is dynamic - so her wardrobe must be too. We’re not just designing shoes, we’re designing freedom and taking risk.
AM: We always like asking our faves about 3 workouts that you love doing!
JA: Pilates for elongation, strength training for power, and walking - intentional, styled walking - for clarity. Movement is part of my creative process.
AM: How do you replenish your cup?
JA: I disconnect to reconnect. Silence, travel, and moments with my family. Stillness is where my next vision reveals itself.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep our eye out for?
JA: Expansion of the STYLE-LETICS universe - new silhouettes, deeper storytelling, and hopefully global activations. And of course, continuing to build platforms where style and culture intersect in meaningful ways.
IG @juneambrose
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | June Ambrose X Naturalizer
We had the opportunity to talk with various team members from Women’s Health Sport and Performance (WHSP) Institute which was Co-Founded by Dr. Kate Ackerman which integrates research, education, and specialized clinical care under one roof to advance female athlete health. With over $50 million in funding, it focuses on closing the gap in sports science, offering evidence-based, personalized care for female athletes across all ages and levels.
We wanted to find out a bit more about her background, her connection to athletes, and what we can expect from the institute.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into WHSP Institute, can you tell us about your athletic background as you rowed in college and still row currently as well?
DR. KATE ACKERMAN: Yes. While I was an active kid, I was much more into music and theater before I got to college and discovered rowing. Rowing has been an integral part of my life ever since. I rowed throughout college, competed on the national team after I graduated, made lifelong friends and met my husband through the sport. I’ve been one of the US Rowing team physicians for almost 20 years and continue to row and sometimes compete as a masters athlete. That lived experience informs how I care for athletes and understand the physical and psychological demands of high-performance sport. It also reinforces my commitment to improving athlete health and safety across all levels.
AM: As a doctor, you have such an impressive background. Can you tell us about that and what led to you becoming the Co-Founder and Director of WHSP Medical and WHSP Institute?
DR. KA: My academic background really just evolved from curiosity. I believe in lifelong learning and I’m fortunate to have found things I’m passionate about. My clinical and academic career has focused on sports medicine and endocrinology, with a particular focus on female athlete health, and advocacy for women’s health and participation in general. Over time, it became clear that there were significant gaps in how we understand and care for female athletes and active women, from research to clinical practice. When generous donors with aligned interests came along (Clara Wu Tsai and Jane and David Ott), founding WHSP Medical and the WHSP Institute was a natural extension of that work. Our goal is to bring together clinical care, research, education, and advocacy in a way that is truly interdisciplinary and evidence-driven, while centering the unique physiological needs of women.
AM: You chair a number of committees from US Rowing Medical Committee, Co-Chair of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Women’s Health Task Force, member of the World Rowing Medical Commission, member of the Women’s Tennis Association Women’s Health Taskforce, and are a Deputy Editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Why do you like focusing on female athlete health?
DR. KA: For far too long, female athletes have been underrepresented in research and underserved in clinical care. That gap has real consequences from injury risk to long-term health outcomes. I focus on female athlete health because it is a health equity issue and a performance issue.
When we better understand female physiology (for example, hormones, biomechanics) and girls’ and women’s sporting environments (such as access to resources and how they’re treated), we can learn how biology and environment interact and work to optimize health and performance.
So much of our sports medicine and sports science has been based on men. I’m happy to continue to care for male athletes. But it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of advancing the field of female athlete health, which is finally gaining the attention it deserves.
AM: What are your day-to-day roles and responsibilities at WHSP?
DR. KA: That part is a bit daunting! My role spans clinical care, research leadership, education, and organizational strategy. Clinically, I care for athletes with basic sports medicine musculoskeletal injuries to those with complex conditions, such as REDs, hormonal dysfunction, bone health issues, and medical mysteries. I love teasing apart complex medical conundrums– a collection of signs and symptoms that seemingly don’t have a connection, but may all fit together with the right investigation. I also enjoy working with our team of providers (sports medicine, nutrition, psychology, rehabilitation) to ensure we’re delivering comprehensive, evidence-based care. It is deeply satisfying to be able to provide quality care all under one roof, putting the needs of the whole patient first. On the research side, I help set our research agenda and guide projects that advance our understanding of female physiology and performance– from sample collection to writing protocols, study manuscripts, and eventually clinical guidelines. In addition, a large part of my role involves building partnerships, mentoring trainees, and shaping the broader vision of the Clinic and Institute.
AM: What are some of the research projects that you are excited about or that have been released?
DR. KA: We’re particularly excited about work focused on energy availability, menstrual health, and bone stress injuries in athletes. We’re also advancing research on how hormonal fluctuations may impact performance and recovery, which is an area that has historically been overlooked. Another key area is improving screening and early identification of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) and related conditions, so we can intervene earlier and more effectively. As we continue to expand our team of WHSP-based researchers and our team of international collaborators, we’re growing our work in the postpartum and postmenopausal athletes space, as well. All of this is with the intention of translating scientific discoveries into practical tools that clinicians, coaches, and athletes can actually use.
AM: What are some topics that you are looking forward to finding more about?
DR. KA: There is still so much to learn. I’m especially interested in better understanding the interaction between hormones and performance, particularly across the lifespan from adolescence through menopause. There is a lot of noise in the media and online about what girls and women should do to train, what they should eat, what supplements they should take, what they should be tracking. So much of it is at best, anecdotal. At WHSP, we’re testing theories to advance the science, in addition to creating a space where people can come for honest answers about what is really known thus far. At this stage of my career, I’m fairly good at reviewing data, understanding the limitations of certain hormonal assays and sports science study protocols, and interpreting scientific literature. And I’m humble enough to know that I want to be surround by excellence in other fields to make sure we have lots of talent investigating an issue. I love working on interdisciplinary research teams, because we all know a bit about each others’ fields, but together we bring much more depth to a project, which always makes the work better and more reliable. I have a deep sense of responsibility for ensuring we enlist diverse expertise, so that we can to do quality work and share findings in an accurate way.
AM: As we navigate 2026, what can we expect to see in terms of WHSP, whether it’s studies that have been released, activations, etc.?
DR. KA: In 2026, you’ll see continued growth in both our research and clinical programs, as well as the expansion of the WHSP Academy within the WHSP Institute. We are launching new studies focused on female athlete health and performance, while also increasing our educational initiatives for clinicians and athletes. Additionally, we’re building strategic collaborations across sports organizations and research institutions to accelerate progress in this field. Our goal is to continue leading with data-driven, impactful work that improves outcomes for female athletes globally.
AM: Tell me about the Biennial International Female Athlete Conference and what takes place there.
DR. KA: The Biennial International Female Athlete Conference is a cornerstone of our educational mission. Before WHSP was even a figment of our imagination, I co-created the FAC in 2013 to bring athletes, coaches, parents, health providers, researchers, and other experts together every other year to connect and share the latest science and best practices for female athlete health and performance. It was the first of its kind, and like what we’d like WHSP to be, it has become a bit of a mothership for how to bring people together to connect, collaborate, and learn from each other about female athlete health and performance issues. What started as a 2-day conference with under 300 attendees has grown into an inperson and virtual, 4-day, international event that sells out during early-bird registration and draws about 1500 people representing over 40 countries. We’re currently deciding if it should keep its present size and location for consistency and opportunities for people to effectively meet and connect. Like everything I’m excited about, the conference is highly interdisciplinary and relationship-building is an important element there. The FAC covers topics such as REDs, hormonal health, mental health, injury prevention, and performance optimization. I hope the FAC and WHSP continue to inspire and foster advanced knowledge for female athletes and positive change for women.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | WHSP Institute
Read the APR ISSUE #124 of Athleisure Mag and see WOMEN’S HEALTH AND SPORT’S PERFORMANCE.
