THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E8. | THE MEN TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

Last week’s The Golden Bachelorette was a tough one! 3 dates with the remaining guys after their Hometowns and Joan Vassos has to really get the answers and insight that she was looking for! Who knew that Pascale would leave as he was always our favorite! Only Guy and Chock are left and we’ll have to waut until next week to see them. As we wait for the part 2 of this finale, we head into the The Men Tell All! This lets us catch up with our favorites and to get more info on what went down during the season.

We join Jesse Palmer who will make sure that we get all of our questions ready and surely, he will tease the upcoming episode as well. Seeing the men back definitely felt like seeing old friends. Jesse lets us know that they have also their kids there as we all loved seeing the videos that were made to share their love for their dads. Jesse talks about their experience, kickball, Chippendales, and so much more! We also got to hear about grill gate and it’s such a nice walk down memory lane. We also hear that Michael was battling cancer when he was on the show. He is fine now, but so interesting to hear some of the backstory that we didn’t know about these men.

The first person to join the hot seat is Jonathan who was eliminated after Joan went to his Hometown. We get to see his experience on the show and we see how emotional he was when he was sent home. He shares that the experience was incredible and she made him feel seen. We also saw the bromance between Mark and Jonathan! Who knew that they were such buddies - Mark leaving the post-it-notes for Jonathan is so sweet!

Mark joins the hot seat as we know him from Joey’s (who is in the audience and taking a break from Dancing with the Stars) season on The Bachelor and we all knew he would be a great contestant for The Golden Bachelorette! We watch how his story unfolds on the show and without a doubt, he was great to be part of this group of men!

The moment we have been waiting for - Charles L is in the hot seat! Who doesn’t love this man? Seeing his journey was such a sweet moment. He even says that he didn’t know who Jesse was at the time and not to take an offense to it! His daughter says that after being on the show, they went to a wedding in London and he had a new confidence and he hit the dance floor! He said he is ready to date again and that his body is lighter and he hopes that he will meet the lucky one. An audience member said that he should be the next The Golden Bachelor and if not, she has a mom who is single.

We see that Pascal gave the men a self-care day with a bit of meditation. They have face masks and even did a meditation that he learned in India. The men enjoyed it.Of course we learn that he didn’t know anything about meditation!

We get to see Kim’s time on the show - including the Mansion Men song. The Gay Men’s Chorus of LA sing Kim’s song the treatment that it deserves and it was a pretty cool way to see the show! You can see how moved Kim is to see his song come to life and he shakes each member of the chorus’ hand.

Pascal comes to the hot seat as we watch how his time on the show progressed until his self-proclaimed exit. We definitely thought that they would end up together, but unfortunately, that was not in the cards. Pascal lets Jesse know that seeing his exit from the show was emotional and that it was so hard for him to say goodbye to her. He did not intend to hurt her, he just knows that he couldn’t give her what she wanted. He said that being with the men, he learned a lot for them about being vulnerable. His son also acknowledges that when he saw him being vulnerable, it helped him see that that is something that he can be without feeling that it makes him less than.

Joan joins the men and looks fabulous! Jesse acknowledges that we saw her last week and we know that she has been going through it, but she looks great sitting on the couch. He talks about the first night and what her experience has been. Gary sends love to Joan’s mother as he wrote a prayer for her when she wasn’t feeling well. Charles says he misses her and that being with her was a turning point. She lets him know that he looks so handsome and that he has such a pure heart. She promises to exchange phone numbers with him. Jonathan also sends love to her and lets her know that has met someone and that he is happy. Pascal and Joan exchange words and you can see the love that is between them. She lets them know that she misses them and she wants to stay friends and in connection with them.

It’s been one of our favorite The Men Tell All episodes! We get to see some amazing bloopers and a peek into the finale episode!

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES OUT THIS DURING FINALE PART I | Chock, Guy

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

THE FINAL TWO!

CHOCK

GUY

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E7. | WELCOME TO FANTASY SUITES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette bring us the first portion of the Finale! With the cold opening, we can tell that something has taken place that has shaken Joan Vassos. Until then, we see her in the airport in LA making her way to Tahiti to be with the remaining men. She has Guy, Pascal, and Chock and while she sails a cruiseliner, she’s excited that her fellow The Golden Bachelor contestant, Nancy is there with her. They catch up as they talk about her experience so far.

We know that Guy told her that he was falling in love with her and she wonders if he is ahead of her in terms of the feelings that he has. She likes Pascal, but she knows that he is guarded, but he lives big just like her husband. Then she knows that Chock is amazing; however, she wonders if he is too good to be true!

Nancy and Joan talk about the importance of Fantasy Suites and that being off camera allows her to have those deep conversations that she is looking for. Nancy listens to her and she also boosts her feelings to let her know that she is where she needs to be. She lets her know that she will stay with her this week as she navigates these next few days while she makes her decisions.

Her first takes place in Moorea with Guy. We see him getting ready for his date and we know that he is excited to meet with her and the fact that he will get to spend all this time with her. He believes he is falling in love with her and he can see a future with her as well.

She can see a future with him and she acknowledges that they are not in the same place in this relationship. So she is looking forward to getting where he is and wants to keep an open mind about him. She talks about their Hometowns and how she enjoyed meeting his family. They enjoyed lounging on a boat and diving underwater.

As they get closer, we see Chock and Jesse Palmer chatting about what the experience has been like thus far. He acknowledges that Guy and Paslcal bring a lot to the table, but he is willing to put his best foot forward and to give it everything that he has.

The evening portion of the date begins and she lets them know that they made good memories together. She lets him know that the overnight of the Fantasy Suites will be about being off-camera and talking. But it will not be about being physical and that she doesn’t want to do that with 3 people and wants to do that with her final person. He lets her know that she respects that and isn’t surprised that that was what she wants to do.

We see Guy leaving his overnight and stating that he had intimacy on an emotional level and he was able to say and got what he needed from the experience! He feels great about where things are between them.

Chock is making his way to Joan for their date. He is excited as he told her he was falling in love with her at his Hometowns in Witchita. Their date is on an HTV as they driving fast throughout the greenery around them. She trusted him and felt safe with him. They had a great dinner and they went to the Fantasy Suites. Chock lets us know he had a great time, it was everything he wanted, and that if Joan wanted to say what went down, she could, but he was just going to keep it to himself.

Jesse and Pascal sit down and chat and they talk about the conversation he had with Joan in Chicago during his Hometowns about opening up to people. He tells Jesse about a previous relationship that he has been involved with where he was in love, but that they couldn’t go forward. He wants to work on bringing his walls down and wants to open up with Joan.

Their date begins and they enjoy a buffet of foods and they are enjoying this. He is excited to have an easy day and then to be able to have serious conversations later. Pascal enjoyed the beginning of the date and they head into the next part, the bonding ceremony which is a traditional one that takes place in Tahiti. They both have to be vulnerable when you are talking about things. Although he thought the ceremony was beautiful, he was surprised about the seriousness of it as he was looking for something light. She feels that the experience has been great for both of them. He feels that he was not ready for this part of the date and he feels scared and he wasn’t ready for all of that.

While they sit down to dinner, Pascal asks the things that he has been thinking about - why she likes him, letting her know about his previous relationship, and he shares that the date scared him and he doesn’t want to hurt her. He doesn’t think that he can get to the place that she needs him to be. He tells her that he knows what love is and that he cares about her as a friend, but he is not in love and he can’t be there. He lets her know that no matter how much fun they have and the care he has for her - the spark is not there. She lets him know that she wishes he was ready and available, but she realizes that this is where they are. He knew that she was hurting and he felt awful that he did this to her. We’re sad to see Pascal go, but there is something to be said about people being honest in where they are at.

Next week, we have the Men Tell All and the week after, we have the second part of the Finale.

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES OUT THIS WEEK | Chock, Guy

GUYS WHO LEFT THIS WEEK | Pascal

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

THE FINAL TWO!

CHOCK

GUY

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

RJ

THOMAS

FAITH, FAMILY, FOOD CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA

This month, We're making the transition from the Summer to the Fall. We're thinking about all the things that this season is perfect for from still being able to enjoy being outdoors with a few layers, the crispness that begins to encompass the air, a number of fun festivals, apple/pumpkin picking, and so much more! The last few months have involved being out and about with friends and family, and of course the upcoming holiday season.

This sense of community and coming together with food is something that Chef Aarti Sequeira embodies. We've had the pleasure of interviewing her in our NOV ISSUE #71 a few years ago when her My Family Recipe Journal was released. At that time we talked about how she came to food, being a chef, Food Network's Halloween Wars, and more.

This month, we caught up with her to talk about her latest cookbook that came out last year - UNWIND: A Devotional Cookbook For The Harried and Hungry, food festivals that she is participated in and why she likes being involved, hosting Halloween Wars, why she likes being part of the Food Network family and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was so great chatting with you a few years ago where we talked about how you got into food, your food journey and everything that led up to the Family Recipe Journal that you dropped as at that time, you were a few days out from dropping that book!

So before we talk about things that have gone on since that book and things that are coming up, we’d love to know if you remember the dish that you had that made you first fall in love with food?

CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA: Oh wow! I mean, I don't remember doing this because I was just a baby but my mum, my most vivid memory of me with food is that she would be making dinner and she would just you know pick me up and put me on the counter next to her chopping board and she would just be slicing onions, garlic and ginger and she'd look away for a second. And you know, with my little like you know how babies don't have like knuckles, right?

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: They just have dimples. It’s just those teeny, tiny dimples in a fist and I'd grab the onions and I was just shoving them in my mouth!

AM: Oh!

CHEF AS: She couldn't, she couldn't believe it and I liked it! It’s ironic because I hate raw onions now.

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: But I loved it back then, and I think that, you know, just from then on that the kitchen is just always where I've wanted to be and there's always been food in my mouth haha.

AM: Which is a good thing! I feel like if people were less hangry, that things might be better!

CHEF AS: Well that is true!

AM: Well, when we last chatted you were like a couple of days out actually from the My Family Recipe Journal, but since that conversation in talking with you, you also have released UNWIND: A Devotional Cookbook For The Harried and Hungry. Can you tell us a bit about the book, why you wanted to create it, and what can we expect when we're reading this?

CHEF AS: Yeah, I really created it for people like me and maybe people who are not like me, but anyone who experiences that sort of 4:30pm/5:30pm salt in the wound?

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: You’ve had a full day and you've been all things to all people and then you’re like, “and now I’ve got to make dinner?”

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: Are you kidding? And it feels you know, it’s the last thing usually between you and bed.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: Haha or you and crappy television, you know what I mean?

AM: Exactly!

CHEF AS: It’s the last hump that you have to get over. And I just found myself taking this thing that had once been my joy and once been my Sanctuary and starting to resent. It was like I started to phone it in and that's not right because you know, I have children now!

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: I didn't want to be giving them or serving them resentment at the dinner table.

AM: Of course!

CHEF AS: So, one of the things that I remembered is that there was this woman that owned an Indian grocery store in LA. and when I had to talked to her about cooking, she had mentioned that she had always prayed before she cooked and that was such a light bulb moment for me! She's Hindu, and I'm Christian. and I just remember going, well if she's doing it - why am I not doing it, you know?

AM: Mmm

CHEF AS: So I did start praying before I cooked and I just found that it opened up a passageway, like a spiritual passageway that took this very mundane chore. This thing that I resented and helped me see it as a moment of sacred connection and it redeemed it, right? And what I found was that in what started off like, "oh Lord, please let this dish turn out right or okay,” you know what I mean? Or let the kids like it or not have anything fall on floor – turned into…

“You know, one of the reasons I'm really upset right now, Jesus is that I'm really feeling discouraged that I didn't get that job that I wanted.”

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: Or, “I'm really scared about this thing that's happening in my family or any number of things.” And so, while I was cooking, that's when that conversation was happening. And I found that there was so much healing.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: That healing that was happening through that whole process was amazing. And I was like, well, if it works for me, I would like to be the sort of guide that says, “hey guys, this can work for you too.” This can be a moment, a half hour, 45 minutes in the day, where okay, maybe you didn't have your quiet time today, or maybe you did, and you need another one. This can be It. And I think the lesson that I learned from that is that, you mentioned it! You know, so often when we're walking into the kitchen at that hour, we are tired and we are hungry and we are hangry. And that's when quite often we are in that space. So, if we can get into the practice of turning our eyes towards heaven, when we are at our worst in the kitchen, then we will do that when we are at our worst in the car, in a meeting, doing laundry, talking to someone that's very triggering.

AM: Oh yes!

CHEF AS: All of this stuff, it just builds up muscle in us. So, I now have learned after that experience and after writing UNWIND that how you show up in the kitchen and how you come out of that kitchen, is great practice for how you show up and leave every situation in your life.

AM: That really resonates because a lot of times when there's projects being worked on whether it's a series of business meetings or calls I need to make I'll do a prayer before.

CHEF AS: Yes!

AM: It could be a project or anything I’m doing where I need that reset, it allows my mind to take a pause a beat and then to almost get closer to certain things that maybe have nothing to do with what's going on. But you're able to kind of like categorize it and you just come out a lot better of a person versus me just running out and being like argh!!!

CHEF AS: It is good to sort of slow down. You know, I think a lot of people say, get present. And for me, getting present with myself is just not enough because myself is the problem. So I need to get present with God. That is the one that's going to pull me out of myself and actually fix it.

AM: That's true. That's very true. And, you know, do you find that, because I find that the books that you've done, it is so personal because you are talking about, you know, getting in touch with yourself, getting in touch with God, getting into a better place. Is it is it more difficult to have these books that have a cookbook component as well as this other inspirational component too? Do you feel the process in writing it is longer? Do you feel that you get, you know what I mean - like, because you're doing two different components putting it together. It's beautiful, and seamless, but I know a lot of times if I'm writing something that comes from more of a personal place in my heart, I'm gonna grapple with that for like 80 more hours.

CHEF AS: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think writing a cookbook is a much more difficult process than I imagined. I think before I kind of got into this world, I was like, oh, well, you know, you just write your recipes and blah blah.

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: But then once it becomes your way of life, at least for me, you know, I'm super critical.

AM: Yeah, same.

CHEF AS: Super critical of myself and so I'm questioning every instinct, every idea, every finished product. Wondering if it's good enough, wondering, if I've written it well, wondering - you know saying the worst things to myself. And so, then couple that with trying to be an ambassador for God.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: There is always like, there is so much room for failure. I did find it to be a really, really difficult process. We also did it so quickly. We did the whole thing in about 6 or 7 months.

AM: Whoa!

CHEF AS: You know, most people take like a year or 2 years because, you know, some of the people that I'm seeing putting cookbooks out, they're like, “you know, this has been the past 2 or 3 years of my life,” and I'm like, oh my God! You know, I don't know what's worse. Like I don't know if it's worse to live with something for 3 years and live with that kind of pressure for three years.

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: Am I a marathon runner or am I a sprinter? I think I've always been a sprinter.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: So I think that God kind of knew, you know, what kind of project it needed to be for me. But yeah, I mean, I think I even posted on my social media about how difficult it was that like the process of creativity was not like - was not like a scene from Ratatouille and it has never been for me. It's never been - it's very rarely a moment of like the muse, you know, and going to bed where it’s saying, “hey, why don't you pull tamarind and ginger together and build ribs,” like it’s very rare that that happens. A lot of it is full on. It feels like you're working out, you are throwing weights around picking them back up again, throwing them down again that was the process for me and getting to write that book meant that I had to employ 2 very different parts of my brain and try to make them make sense. But it was also a great challenge, like, I really enjoyed it and I sort of felt like this idea for me felt like a download from heaven and so I was like at this moment in time, I'm the only person that is doing this. So I have to believe that I am also being totally equipped to do it. I have to thank my husband who helped me so much because he loves words and he loves the Bible and so it's really helpful to have him at my side literally for some of them like writing portions of it and then me being able to then put it in my own words. He was like such a such a rock to me.

AM: That's amazing!

Are you already thinking about that next cookbook? I mean, you've already done, you know, these last two. I mean, I know you had one before obviously, but you know, that's so quick between the recipe book. Now it's UNWIND! Is there something in the future that you're kind of sketching out?

CHEF AS: I don't know, you know, I think cookbooks are so hard because frankly there are just so many of them and it's hard to capture people's attention in between. I mean, I'd love to write another one, but I think I also would like some time to really fine tune you know, where is my cooking at this point? What is it that excites me. And what you know? I just feel a little bit all over the place because my career has really, has really taken off it feels like this year.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: I’m traveling, so much of that. I'm probably cooking for other people more than I'm cooking for my family.

AM: Wow.

CHEF AS: And yeah. And so, I want to get back to cooking for my family because I feel like that's like truly the essence of who I am or who I want to be. And so, I'm open to it, of course, and I'm open to even doing another one because I, I do think that I'm proud of it. I really, I'm really proud of it. And even, you know, and every time, just even the other day, someone sent me a photo of one of the recipes that they made and the fact that they were doing it in their small group and they were going through the devotions together. I mean, it just is like so meaningful to me more meaningful than anything else I've worked on, because yes, they're making the recipes, but they're also reading the words that I wrote and reflecting and when I read the words that I wrote, I'm so very convinced that I was not the one that was writing them because I don't recognize it!

AM: Haha right!

CHEF AS: You know, I'm a little nervous to go through that whole process again because, frankly, it was really rough. But when I look at it and I look at the fruit of it, I'm like, well, I mean, hi, I get to partner with God again and that’s kind of amazing.

AM: One thing I love when I'm looking at your IG, I love your Monday Motivations. I think they're so amazing.

CHEF AS: Oh thank you!

AM: And as we are dropping on Monday, do you have a Monday Motivation for us that we can share with our readers?

CHEF AS: Ooo. What have I been toggling in my mind? I think the message that I feel like keeps coming up is - if God is knocking on the door, he's kind of yelling through the door at you.

AM: Ha! I feel that one!

CHEF AS: Which is kind of, “are you more interested in what I can do through you or are you more interested in spending time with Me?”

AM: Ooo ...

CHEF AS: Because I have to say, I took inspiration from someone who posted it online - that concept, at least. But I have been feeling it -

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: You know what I mean?

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: The first one is about me.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: And the second one is about God.

AM: It's about Him. Yeah, you gave me goosebumps because I yeah, I thought about something very similar to that, a couple months ago, and I was like, well am I really trying to do that because I want to amplify Him or am I trying to do it so I can boost myself up? Like wow, yeah.

CHEF AS: Yeah, it hurts. So I did not like it.

AM: 100%

CHEF AS: When I saw it on IG and I still don't, but I think that's the point. I think that it's –

AM: It’s uncomfortable -

CHEF AS: It’s uncomfortable and I think those of us who are sort of our own turbines, who are in that sort of entrepreneurial space, it becomes a lot about me and what can I do? What can I accomplish and what's the next thing to build? How do I build on what I've already built? All that stuff and so then we try to kind of loop God into it saying, “you know use me for whatever it is that you want,” but you know intrinsically, we're like yeah we want to get some action, right?

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: You want to rustle up some action. And I think, especially for me, like I'm not really good at sitting very quietly.

AM: Same

CHEF AS: Or sitting in a posture of listening or just being or just any of those things.

AM: It's a good reminder.

CHEF AS: Yeah, that would be my Monday Motivation is just go sit and do nothing for a minute.

AM: Yeah, wow. Yeah.

CHEF AS: Haha I know!

AM: Well, you are always traveling! You were just on an amazing trip in Peru with some of our faves who have previously been in our issues - Chef Duff Goldman, Chef Fariyal Abdullahi who was our AUG ISSUE #104 cover, and Chef Marcel Vigneron. I love an immersive trip and it seemed like you guys got to combine your culinary knowledge along with those that were indigenous to the area and people, as well as to be part of some amazing cultural activities!

Right now your IG has a number of food festivals you’ve been at as well as those that are coming up! We are looking forward to the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival that takes place mid Oct. and I know that you’re not involved in that one, but Iove being able to go to festivals like this. What do you love about participating in food festival and can you tell me more about the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival that is next month? I mean that Spice Girls Dinner seems pretty amazing.

CHEF AS: Yeah, food festivals are so fun because it's sort of like, you know, that everybody there is one of you, you know what I mean?

AM: Yup!

CHEF AS: Like, these are people that love food and love food television and love to celebrate and love to gather!

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: The Gathering thing to me has really been feeling more and more important. I think because we have so many years of not gathering.

AM: Yeah that was tough!

CHEF AS: I heard once I was listening to a podcast and I'm not saying I've ever read Alexis de Tocqueville, but I guess when he visited America he was like, “the thing that's very interesting about Americans is that they love to gather.”

AM: Facts!

CHEF AS: They will find any reason to gather and so when we weren't gathering, it was like one of the most un-American things that we could have done.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: So I think that's one of the things that I have come to really appreciate about food festivals is we're all together. We're breaking bread, we're maybe having a couple cocktails.

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: You sort of feel like, this is who we are. This is the essence of our humanity, the essence of our identity as a people, you know? It's a very unifying moment. I think, especially for people who are creating content, whether it's, you know, on traditional streams, or on social media streams, or YouTube or whatever it is, you know, it kind of goes out into the ether and even if you get likes, yes, you get some sort of feedback, but to see the actual faces! To sort of interact with the actual spirits of people who were like, “I saw when you did that thing.” Oh, it feels real and it feels really gratifying in that moment, selfishly. And it feels very encouraging, honestly - to say, okay, I'm on the right path, I'm going to keep going because it can feel like a very isolating experience.

You know, basically, like I remember when Twitter came along we were all like, oh, doesn't it sort of feel like there's one million people and each of them has a megaphone and they're all yelling? So no one's listening to each other and so sometimes things like food festivals can be so gratifying because here are the people that have been listening!

AM: 100%

CHEF AS: You can see, you can then engage like, oh this is what touches people. And this is what people find necessary. And this is what sort of they find unique about when they come to my corner of IG and it can help sort of fine tune your voice.

AM: Exactly!

Tell me about the Spice Girls Dinner at the Del Mar Food Festival!

CHEF AS: Yeah, I'm excited about Del Mar because not only because it's a very beautiful food festival, this whole thing was spearheaded by Troy Johnson and his wife, Claire Johnson and you know I've known Troy forever for like decades through Guy's Grocery Games.

AM: Ok!

CHEF AS: No, no it’s not been that long! So this is the, you know, they already have babies, but this is another baby of theirs. They're really putting their money where their mouths are and trying to encourage the same thing, the sense of community and gathering, and celebration, and celebrating chefs who are, you know, taking risks in the kitchen and so, I'm really excited to go see people, but also support people who are risking it all you know.

AM: Wow.

CHEF AS: Like Troy and Claire, I think our dinner is going to be so interesting because I love Claudia Sandoval (winner of MasterChef S6, Judge on MasterChef Latinos, Host of Taste of the Border on Discovery+). I love the way she cooks. She has a really strong connection to where she comes from and in a way that I love because she sometimes will take the humblest of dishes, like, her grandmother's beans and she won't change it all that much. She will present it just like that because she's like they're actually good enough. That's very inspiring to me because there's, you know, a lot of the food that we all grew up with, it's not restaurant food.

AM: Correct.

CHEF AS: It's home food. I'm trying to figure out a way to gussy that up so that it looks pretty in an Instagram photo sometimes can feel very difficult!

AM: Daunting, yeah.

CHEF AS: So I I think that it's, I think it's really, it's been very inspiring to me to go, no, the dal, just the way it is. The dal just the way I grew up with is enough and good enough! So, I'm really excited to see where our spice palettes cross over, compliment each other, and contrast with each other. I think it's going to be a really fun dinner and I'm really excited also for the wine pairing because Neeta Mittal, owner of LXV Wines - she's Indian and so she's got a particular palette when she's looking at wines because she's going well, what wine will play well, with these spices - will amplify them and vice versa. So, I think it's gonna be a really interesting unique dinner in that way.

I'm relatively new to this circuit you know, compared to some people that have been doing it for a while and so you're only honestly, you're only as good as the organizers of the festival. It is such a beast to organize these things. There's always something that you didn't think about.

AM: Right, for sure.

CHEF AS: So that's a huge factor to me! I want to be at a festival where we’re all you know, you do your job, I do my job, but we do our job so that we can support each other and make each other look good. That's, you know, that's one of the big things.

AM: That's amazing.

CHEF AS: I love going to festivals where there's a lot of great food on display, you know, especially a lot of adventurous food because I'm like, oh, the people that are going to show up here are going to be willing to try things that, you know, they've maybe never tried before.

I just did the Ilani Wine and Food Festival at the Ilani Resort just outside of Portland. That one was so amazing because even though you know this festival's been going on forever, I made these Jackfruit Sliders with a date barbecue sauce. That was a two for two in terms of things that people haven't tried before. People were so willing like, when you know, I remember someone came over and they were like, “your pulled pork was amazing.” I was like, “that was jackfruit!” So I love going to festivals where I can bring something that someone hasn't had before. Not just for the the purpose of maybe trying something new but, then also that people go home and they're like, I'm going to buy that and I'm gonna work that into my meal plan, or whatever it is. You know, that's just like I want to be of service, and that's really helpful but I love festivals like that where I can be of service.

AM: I think that that’s amazing. And I saw those pictures of the Jackfruit Sliders. And I was just like, whoa, I've had jackfruit but never thought about barbecue sauce and dates – but ok!

CHEF AS: Yeah, well, you know, I had the barbecue sauce ready to go. I had that idea. I was just trying to think because I didn’t think that I was gonna have the time or the energy to like slow cook a ton of pork.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: So then it was like, what about, you know, I think actually I was talking to Damaris Phillips (2013 winner of Food Network Star, Guy’s Grocery Games Judge, author of Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy) about it and then we came up with that idea together, so that was super helpful.

AM: Love that! Ok, so Halloween Wars. I mean, first of all, I can't even believe that we're sitting in the fall.

CHEF AS: Yeah!

AM: It's rainy here in New York today and I'm like, wait, the holiday season is around the corner. I always know it's around the corner because I see the promos for Halloween Wars.

CHEF AS: Ha ha! I know! It’s all a long slippery slope from there!

AM: Yup! So what are you excited about for this season? I always look forward to the different things and I'm always amazed at how grotesque in the best way possible that some of the things end up being, I'm like, oh my God, who does that? I'm so scared! But at the same time, the baking capabilities and dedication to craft is next level when they’re on the clock!

CHEF AS: This season is so great because each of the teams is helmed by an All-Star. So each of these people have won before, they know what it feels like and they know what it takes. So, they’re kind of acting like team leaders to their teammates. There's a lot to, you know, you whenever you go into competition, you don't cook, carve, sculpt the way that you do –

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: At your bakery or at your place, you know? You've got to, you've got to do it in a way that is a work smarter not harder kind of mindset.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: And yet, you're still going for perfection as possible. So that's why this season is so great because and that's why that from day one like the displays were already almost like finale level.

AM: Ooo.

CHEF AS: Perfect, right?

AM: Yeah -

CHEF AS: You had these people who are veterans informing the entire process. So that's what's so great about this season.

AM: That is so exciting!

Tyler Florence’s, The Great Food Truck Race is one of my favorite shows. So, seeing you on the finale, this last season, I was like, wait, there's Aarti!

CHEF AS: Ahhh. Yeah, the food was legitimately awesome! You know, sometimes it's like you know with competition you have a lot of grace because things are not gonna - you just don't have the same amount of time that you would at home or in a restaurant. So I was so impressed, every bite that I took, I was like this tastes completely dialed in. It was amazing. It was truly amazing.

AM: Well, are there any other shows coming up that we should keep an eye out for because I always love when I see you at, like, Tournament of Champions or you're on Guys Grocery Games. And I'm like, this lady is working.

CHEF AS: I'm trying to work. I am trying to work. I just got something and I don't think they've announced it yet.

AM: Okay.

CHEF AS: That's going to be super exciting!

AM: Amazing.

CHEF AS: Thank you! And then you know, all the usual like Grocery Games and all that kind of stuff is still coming down the pipe. Yeah, it's just always such a privilege to be part of the part of the family over at Food Network. Whenever we get to see people, you know, you get the sense that that Food Network is on all day.

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: For some people, you know what I mean? It's just very cool that even if I'm not currently shooting something and they turn it on, more than likely one of us is on there. You know? It feels really intimate to be in people's homes that way, and I think that that's how they feel about us, you know, based on the reactions we get. So it's really such a privilege.

AM: I love that and are there just any upcoming projects In general that you would like to share to get out there or or, you know, just things that you have going on?

CHEF AS: Yeah. I mean, one of the most exciting things that's coming up in the short term is that I'm expanding my line with QVC.

AM: That’s amazing!

CHEF AS: Yeah, really amazing! It's such a huge community to be able to dive into and QVC has been so generous and so sweet with me to sort of pull me into the fold and say, hey what do you think about doing this? And here are the kinds of things that our people love and how would you put your own spin on it. And so, you know, it's a select few people that get to do that and I was really hopeful when we started the line last year that we would get to do this, and It has expanded exponentially and some of the things that we've got in the line, I use on a daily basis. They're unbelievably good quality, you know, I really wanted to make sure that it would be something I would use and it's just really exciting, so I think that's going to launch at the end of October.

AM: Congratulations on the continued success of your line with them and I’ve seen the cute kitchenware!

That's so exciting. Yay!

CHEF AS: Yeah!

AM: I just love that every time I see you on shows, you just have such a love and zest for food, and like you're talking about community and people coming together! What do you want your legacy, you know, to be in terms of the imprint that you've left on all of these different things that you're doing and whatever ends up being in the future - that may not be happening at this moment?

CHEF AS: Gosh. Well, I mean, the most important thing to me obviously is my family, right? And just for my girls to know that I did the best I could to balance these two parts of my life. But that they were always way more important than anything else, you know, for them and my husband to know that.

But outside of the home, I guess that I want people when they think of me to think of someone – who really valued coming around a table. Like, I really think that there are so many things that are coming in to distract us from connection with each other, you know, phones and social media. And I know there's been a lot of discussion and study recently on, you know, the impact of phones on kids.

AM: Yes.

CHEF AS: And teenagers. And what that does to the family and I really think that something as simple as sitting around the table and having dinner as many nights as possible is one of the most powerful things that we can do to combat that. Like so that would be probably part of my legacy. Then the other part is that, so often when I'm competing and doing things like that, I'm doing stuff that I feel completely out of my depths doing.

AM: I feel that.

CHEF AS: I'm, you know, like just recently I got booked for a bunch of things and it made me so scared. I was like crying in a fetal position.

AM: Oh no!

CHEF AS: It was bad because I was like, I cannot do this. I don't know how I'm gonna fail like. That has no matter how many times I do it, it just feels like it's something that I'm constantly fighting and I don't think I'm the only one.

AM: Nope!

CHEF AS: So I suppose part of my legacy, I hope these are very big words. It's just that, I was loud about feeling unequipped to do things, but doing them anyway!

AM: Which is huge! I tell people all the time, I’m always in my head, mulling over things and nervous before I do something. Even if it's like a million times, whatever, because everything is a little bit different and you just, I don't know, it's a thing, but I was like, if I feel that shaky about it, I have to kind of tell myself that you feel shaky because you want to do so well, and you care so much about what it represents for myself and what it is for the other people involved. So I try to turn it, although I'll still sit there and be like, I gotta run to the bathroom. This is crazy, but in the end, it does end up being lovely.

CHEF AS: Yeah, I think that there's the sense of like, if it isn't going easily, then you must be doing something wrong or you must be in the wrong place. Yeah, you must have made the wrong decision and I think that as I mean I'm 46 now. So hopefully it'll stick this year …

AM: It hasn’t yet, but it’s tough.

CHEF AS: Yeah, hopefully, but you know for the first time this year, I was like, after I had my little fetal position breakdown. I was like wait. Why don't I ever say to myself, “yes, I don't know how to do these things. I feel completely out of my depth. But the second half of that is, I'll figure it out.”

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: Yeah, figure it out. Just saying that has started to change things where I'm like, okay, you know, it may not go smoothly and it may not go off without a hitch.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: But, I will figure it out. You know what I mean? It doesn’t have to go perfectly. I'll land something out of there. And that has felt very empowering actually. I think that just saying that to ourselves can be very edifying.

AM: 100% I like that. I will try to remember that the next freakout that happens.

CHEF AS: I will figure it out!

IG @aartipaartipics

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 16 - 22 Rowan Daly | PG 25, 26 + 38 Food Network |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see FAITH, FAMILY, FOOD | Chef Aarti Sequeira in mag.

COOL AND CHILL | DEREK HOUGH

It’s always a pleasure to watch those that are truly one with their work! You see their passion and the care that they have for their craft and Derek Hough is one of those people! Whether you’re watching him dance, judge those on Dancing with the Stars, or working with other clients to get their vision to the stage in the way that they want it, he is a man who is full of life and shares that love with everyone who watches him! We had some time to chat with him to find out more about how he became a dancer and choreographer. This 4X Emmy winner for Outstanding Choreographer and 6X Mirror Ball winner for DWTS sat down to talk with us about his life and passion for dance, what we can expect from this season of DWTS and his partnership with Pepcid.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with dancing and when did you realize that you wanted to do it as a career?

DEREK HOUGH: I first fell in love with dancing when I was about 11 years old, my mom actually made me go to dance class. I have four sisters and she dragged me to dance. I walked in and I had an amazing teacher and he just made it really cool. He gave me a nickname, Heavy D, and I was like, oh, that's cool. But for me, I fell in love with dance really just with the music, just the way it made me feel, moving my body, syncing it up to the beats and the rhythms. I just fell in love with it, and I got to travel, and compete, and I had a great community. So dancing has been a really important part of my life, not just in the art form of it, but the social aspect of it as well, feeling a part of something, a community. So, yeah, dance has been part of my life for a long time.

AM: Your career has been phenomenal from being a dancer, choreographer, you even choreographed a dance routine for Olympians who were World Ice Champions for Sochi 2014 where they won Gold, you've acted and more! Did you imagine that dancing would allow your creativity to have access to these opportunities?

DH: You know, it's crazy growing up, we always want to be like rock stars, right? You're listening to music and you're playing air guitar on your bed, jumping up and down and imagining being on stage. It's kind of crazy to think that I'm able to sort of live out those childhood dreams but through dance, to go live on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people, honestly, perform in front of millions of people on television and meet an eclectic group of people. I’ve met astronauts and Oscar winners, Emmy winners, race car drivers, just people from all walks of life because of dance. I met my wife because of dance. I owe so much to this beautiful art form and this sport as well. It's an incredible gift that keeps on giving.

AM: You've been involved with Dancing with the Stars since Season 4 when you were a guest instructor and then in Season 5, you came on as part of the professional cast. What was it about the show that drew you to want to be part of it?

DH: Well, it's funny actually, originally, the producers asked me in season four when I was a guest on there they said, “Are you interested in doing the show?”. I was like, “No, it's not for me.” I'm in London doing a musical and this show isn't really my vibe and then my sister won season four and I was like, “Wait, hold up, hold up. What's this show again? Hold up, what's going on?” So I joined season five. It's funny that people back then were like, “oh, this show, it's so ridiculous, it's not going to be around that long." It's so interesting how it's one of the longest lasting shows honestly, knock on wood, it keeps going. But yeah, I love it, I love it so much. Again, the gift that keeps on giving. It really is, each season is just unique and different every time.

AM: What are you looking forward to this season?

DH: I'm looking forward to obviously all the contestants in their journeys and just seeing how it all evolves. There's a few little things that I'm actually planning, there might be a performance in the future, so I'm preparing for that. I'm looking forward to that, and I think this season holds something special. It's been a very interesting year with lots of highs and lows and challenges, and so to do something on this season, that will be meaningful. I'm looking forward to that, that's all I am going to say without saying too much about it.

AM: Being on the show as well as other projects that you're part of has to be a lot, how do you take time to relax so that you can be ready for the next day?

DH: There's so many different projects that I'm a part of - doing my tour, doing Dancing with the Stars, and it's important. It's about balance and the best way for me to switch off my brain because my brain just keeps going nonstop. One of my favorite things to do actually is I go home and I do my little snacking and streaming, just like we all do. Get home and watch my favorite show and I bust out the snacks and I am a prolific popcorn eater. I love popcorn so much, but it doesn't love me, but I had to have it anyways. It actually works out great because to manage that sort of heartburn if I overdo it, I have Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint and it just works really fast, it lasts all night unlike those antacids, and it provides an instant cooling sensation, which is great and again, it lasts all night. So I kind of call it my Chilling with Pepcid. I'm chilling with Pepcid, but that way I can enjoy my snacks, I can enjoy my shows, my hot sauces. Honestly, before I actually go on stage as well when I go on tour, because there's nothing worse than when you eat something and you go on stage, you have to sing and perform and talk and host, and you just have that burning sensation. So it's great to have that instant cooling sensation with Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint. (Editor’s Note: Based on 9-hour acid control studies during the day and 12-hour acid control studies during the night. Acid control does not imply symptom relief.)

AM: Obviously, dancing is a total body workout, what are other things that you do to stay in shape as well?

DH: Lots of stretching, I do yoga, working out, and just strength exercises to sort of engage the muscles to turn them on. Speaking of icy cool, man, it’s ice baths pretty much twice a day and just PT work. I have to do all the things, you know what I mean? I'm almost 40 years old and I was told that my dancing career will be over by like 22 years old. So I'm like, we'll see about that. It's important that I'm mindful and I take care of my body for longevity and I do anything and everything I can to sort of maintain that. There's lots that goes into it for sure.

AM: When you're traveling due to tours or being on set, what are your must have travel essentials?

DH: My dog, my baby, Luna, she's sort of the emotional therapy dog. I must have water. My physical therapist is a must have, I have to have that because the training is so vigorous and the performance is so intense, that we need to have that. I'm a pretty simple guy, honestly. I'm pretty simple, you know, my rider, you know, how people have riders, like, in their things, I’m pretty basic. I'm pretty boring, honestly. I should be a little bit more of a diva honestly but I'm not, I'm really simple, I just like simple things. When I get back on the bus, especially on days off, I just enjoy myself with the snacks. All the snacks, popcorn, nuts, I love chips and salsa, jalapenos. I love jalapenos so much, I can just eat them in a bowl just raw by themselves, it's delicious. Some chocolate stuff, peanut M&M's, Red Vines.

AM: You have partnered with Pepcid recently. Why was this synergistic with you to work with them?

DH: I think that that's part of it really, was that ability to sort of have something on hand that works fast, it lasts all night, and when I perform where I get that heartburn before going on stage and to have that instant relief that, that cooling sensation, it's really genuinely, really helpful. It also allows me to have a bit more balance in my life to enjoy myself a little bit. I have a really strict regimen in my training and when I'm on tour and my diet and everything I do, but it's also nice to just enjoy myself, and just chill and snack, snack down a little bit and popcorn doesn't love me, but I still love popcorn.

IG @derekhough

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 64 -69 Disney/Eric McCandless | PG 70 Jesse Bauer |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see COOL AND CHILL | Derek Hough in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E6. | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette brings us to Hometowns where we get to know more about the men and to see their families! Joan Vassos has a busy week ahead with the 4 men.

We start off in Lake Tahoe, Nevada with Guy! They ride around his boat and throw wishing stones which is a nice portion of their date.

They then meet Guy’s family and catch everyone up on what they have been up to. The family really likes her and they can imagine having her with them.

We make our way to Chicago and we’re now with Pascal! We can’t wait to see what his salon looks like. He shows it to her and she gets treatments and it’s nice to see his space and how he operates! They openly talk about their feelings and where they are. It’s nice to see him when he’s a bit quieter and he lets her know that he is guarded because he has been hurt, but that he cares for her. It’s nice to see his friends and family. Joan fits in so well and we see how much he loves his family.

Joan is staying in Chicago to hang out with Jordan. They take in some of his favorite places that he likes to eat at. They meet his family and you can see how loved he is and how much they support him. Joan lets one of his daughter’s know that she is concerned that he wouldn’t pick her. She lets her dad know as she wants him to get there and to be able to talk with Joan.

Joan Finally leaves Chicago and makes her way to Witchita, Kansas to meet up with Chock! SHe is meeting his friends and family and she notes that their family has had a hard time due to the death of his mother. That would be difficult for anyone to navigate. They plant a tree at the ranch in honor of Chock’s mother. She talks with his friends and family and he speaks with them as well. It’s nice to see that wherever she went across the 4 dates, the families were very warm and receptive to her.

It’s time for the rose ceremony and there is still 40mins left of the show. We know that she feels that Pascal and Jordan have been a bit noncomittal versus Guy and Chock. She is handing out 3 roses and she doesn’t know what she will do. Jesse meets up with her to check in on how she is feeling. She lets him know that after Hometowns, she is feeling even more conflicted. She feels a strong connection with Chock and can see a future with him. Guy is another one that she feels is easy and that they have synergistic values. Now she’s talking about Chicago although she had a great day with him, she notes that he never said that he feels there is a future. She feels that Pascal is also in that same boat. She feels very strongly about him as well and she is concerned that he may need more time to get there. So sending someone home who needs more time is something that she is concerned about.

After their debrief, she arrives at the rose ceremony and thanks them for their time! She knows that she is getting closer to finding her person and to is looking forward to commit to one of them. We’re down to 3 people now and they will leave the mansion and they’re heading to Tahiti.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy, Pascal

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Jordan

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

HERE’S WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

GUY

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

9PLAYLIST | CALVIN HARRIS

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Calvin Harris in mag.

9PLAYLIST | CHANEL IMAN

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Chanel Iman in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E5. | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette we hear the guys talk about how the house is so different with the other men no longer there. They also know that the time with Joan Vassos this week is important because Hometowns are next week. Keith knows that he needs to step it up so that he can move on and continue dating her.

Joan meets with Trista and they catch up on where she is feeling. Trista shares that her biggest regret is that she didn’t open up with Ryan so he didn’t know where they stood when they were in their journey.

The date card arrives and Keith is on the 1-on-1 date. They meet and hop on a helicopter and fly over the house where the guys are in the pool. They make their way to Babcock Winery to get to know more about one another. This week the dates will not have roses.

Back at the house, we see that Mark is struggling with the fact that his wife died 6 years ago and also that he isn’t sure if he has the connection with Joan. He sits down with Pascal and Jordan to talk with him and to let him know that he got a sign from his wife in the form of a hummingbird.

Back on the date, Keith opens up about his life and experiences. He lets her know that he was holding back.But now she is excited that he is serious as well as being fun loving.

At the house, the next date card arrives. Guy, Jordan, Jonathan, Pascal, and Chock are going on a bowling group date. That means that Mark is now getting a 1-on-1 with her. This is the final 1-on1 date!

We see the group date assemble at the bowling alley and they see that Joan got a strike. The date is moving along, but Chock is taking more of her time and making his body give the impression that they were together on their own date! Even Guy lets him know that he needs to let others have a chance.

Mark is excited to go on the date and is talking with the guys in the house. Joan lets us know that Mark needs to open up as although she would love to meet his family, she doesn’t want to waste that experience with someone who still has their walls up and won’t let her in. Mark is just a quiet guy and there isn’t an easy flow with one another. They are sitting on a yacht and taking in everything around them. She feels that pressure that if he doesn’t open up, she will send him home.

Jesse creates a scavenger hunt for them which allowed him to start opening up, to loosen up, and to see their compatibility. The lighthearted nature of the game allowed the ice to break so that Mark could feel comfortable. After the game, they continue to talk about their lives as they have a lot of similarities.

We’re back at the house and the guys are all talking about what is coming up. Mark tells them that he is excited to show her his home and life. Joan shows up and pulls him aside and lets him know that she enjoyed their date and being able to hear more about who he is! She appreciates that he was vulnerable with him. She knows that they bonded in such an amazing way and she felt supported. Even with that connection and commonality between the two, she knows his heart is mending, but she feels that she didn’t see him thinking abou ther and having her in mind with his plans. She tells him that maybe he is too early in his journey and she didn’t want him to have to be at the ceremony when she knows that it will not work out for them. Mark lets her know that he appreciates being there, is leaving there a better person, and he knows that he has grown so much. She sends him home. Watching how the men reacted to hearing this news is so sad.

Next week is Hometowns!

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy,Jordan, Pascal

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Jonathan, Keith, Mark

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

HERE’S WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

GUY

JORDAN

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

9PLAYLIST MULTI | ALYSIA REINER

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Alysia Reiner in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | GRANT HOLLOWAY

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Grant Holloway in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | NASTIA LIUKIN

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Nastia Liukin in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | JULIAN WORKS

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Julian Works in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E4. | JOAN DIGS DEEPER

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette is going to be a bit of a doozy it seems as we see Joan Vassos and Chock hugging one another and you hear them crying.

We hear Chock talk about what the experience has been like and we see Pascal learning how to do his laundry!

The date card arrives and they find out that Jonathan, Pascal, Dan, Charles, Gary, Mark, Gil, Chock, and Keith will be on a group date. Guy and Jordan were not called. The group date men arrive at a theater and see Joan on the stage. Kaitlyn Bristowe joins her on the stage. We see the Chippendales dancers as well as the original Chippendales dancers! They are partnering with Stand Up to Cancer as well to dance in honor of supporting this important charity.

She thanks them for the date and being open! She enjoys spending time with each of them and you can see the guys are really present with her. Chock receives the group date rose.

When we’re back from commercial break, we realize that Chock’s mom passed. He tells the guys that he is going to leave because he has things that he needs to take care of. Joan heads to the house for her 1-on-1 with Jordan and she is met by Chock. He tells her that his mother passed.He needs to go home to take care of things and Joan knows how it is when you need to take care of your family even when you feel that you’re experiencing an amazing connection.

Jill is sad that Chock left, but she knows she must be present for Jordan who has his date. She is excited that they’re going ice skating. Jordan takes a nasty fall, but they have a fun time spending time with one another. They get to chat a bit while enjoying some treats. REO Speedwagon also performs for them in their winter wonderland! He receives a rose as well. Although she was sad about Chock, she said she laughed more with him than anyone.

For her 1-on-1 date with Guy, they are at her home and they are cooking together! It’s a great way for them to interact with one another, follow instructions, and just to get to know more about one another. We can tell that Guy is not a cook, but you can see that he is enjoying it.In addition to making pasta, they also make dessert together as well. They have a great conversation and she offers him a rose as well!

Going into the rose ceremony, she’s still thinking about Chock and wondering if he will be back and how he is doing. She sees the men and lets them know that she realizes that they have families and situations back home and that’s a lot for them to put on hold to be there with her. She spends time with each of them to get to know more about them and it’s nice to see how they continue to move forward. As each week passes, we know how difficult it will be when she has to still send guys home. Chock is back and in his time away, he was glad to handle what he needed to do and then he realized that he wants to put his walls down.

It wasn’t until the rose ceremony that we realized that we hadn’t seen Jesse Palmer all episode!

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Pascal, and Mark

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Charles, Dan, Gary, and Gil

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

JONATHAN

MARK

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E3. | LET'S PLAY BALL!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

We see a flash forward of how Joan Vassos is trying to get into the mindset of moving forward and she knows that she is still attached to her husband which is a sweet and honest moment. We also check in on how the men sleep/snore and pass the time to kick of this week’s episode of The Golden Bachelorette as we watch Joan Vassos navigate the next few weeks!

Jesse Palmer checks in with men to see how they are doing and we find out that Pascal doesn’t cook his own food or make his own coffee. He also leaves them with the info that there are 2 1-on-1 dates as well as a competitive group date! The date card goes to Pascal and he looks forward to seeing if they are a good match.

Joan picks up Pascal in a red sports car where she lets him know that she will be driving, they hop on a private flight to go to Las Vegas. Joan lets us know that she is aware that he lives a very comfortable lifestyle and that he dresses well, but she wants to know if he has a heart and if they can connect and are compatible. They navigate the strip in a limo with champagne and head to the Paris Hotel. They arrive at a suite that is filled with stunning dresses, suits, and accessories that have been picked out for them. There is a piano that plays for them as they try out outfits. They select their outfits and look so chic for a night out in Vegas.

Back at the house, Charles and Gary hit up the farmacy to get the guys things that they need to stop the snoring and ensure that everyone gets a good night sleep!

Back in Vegas, Wayne Newton comes in and sings for this chic 1-on-1 date! The day date has shifted to the night and they have an outdoor dinner where they can see the Eiffel tower. She’s excited to know more about him and he wants to share more about who he is as a person outside of the life that he has made for himself. He talks about when we think of Paris, we think of the beautiful side, but he didn’t grow up with money and he had tough times growing up and when he came to the US he willed himself to do better and to make something of himself. He said that being vulnerable is hard for him; however, when he shares his story, you realize that you can’t make assumptions about people. Pascal receives the date rose.

Back at the house, the next date card arrives and the group date lets Chock, Gil, Charles, Dan, CK, Gregg, Gary, Guy, Kim, Jordan, Mark, and Keith know that they will have time with Joan. Jonathan is excited to have the 1-on-1 date, but he is emotional because he doesn’t feel ready to do this and is concerned that he may be going home!

We’re on the football field for their next date. Eric Dickerson and Andre Reed are on the date. They hear that they will play kickball and we see them stretching. The winners go to the after party and the losers go back to the mansion. We watch the guys play kickball and we have to say that it’s a strong game and even Charles who has never played kicks the ball and helps some of the others cross home plate! In the battle between the Red Team and the Blue Team, the Blue Team wins! June meets up with the Blue Team and she lets them know that she loved the kindness that she saw on both sides of the ball and she starts to spend time with each of the winners. She got to know a lot more about the men and we hear that Joan’s mom isn’t doing well (reminds us of last season when Joan’s daughter needed her to come home). She gives Gil the group date rose.

Back at the house, the men are gifted massages by Joan to work out their muscles.

Jonathan makes his way to Joan for their 1-on-1 date. He knows that he will be totally exposed on this date and hopes he won’t be afraid to share things with her. They’re going horseback riding and Joan isn’t a fan of them as she was bitten by one and Jonathan has never been on one.

After horseback riding, they make their way to enjoy some champagne with her as they sit and talk. He tells her about how he got divorced and that he was blindsided and that he wondered if he would ever be enough! She lets him know that he is enough and she gives him the 1-on-1 date rose.

Throughout this week she has been dealing with her emotions about the death of her husband as well as her mom not feeling well. She is someone who pushes her feelings down because she is a caregiver and now she realizes that she needs to share so that it is fair to them as well. She thanks the men for being amazing and that she loves that she is hearing important things about them. She lets them know that she wants to take care of them as she is a caregiver and she realized that that is causing her to mask and so now she is going to be vulnerable with them as well. She lets them know that being strong is tiring, she misses her family, her kids, her mom who is sick as she is 92, and then she tells them about her husband and that she will always only by 80 ior 90% available. She cries and she is concerned how they will take in what she has said. They tell her thank you and they like that she has shared this information.

Gerry makes his way to the mansion and they have a catch up season. She lets him know that it has been emotional, but she has a great group of men. She also let’s him know that she understands how it is to be in a situation when you are thinking about your husband and moving forward and she gets how Gerry felt. He asked her if she considered that there may be a possibility that her person may not be there. He lets her know that he is rooting for her. He tells her to not be perfect, but to be herself. He leaves after giving her a boost. The men lift her spirits and find way to connect with her and let her know that they are ok with her being vulnerable. She thanks them and lets them know that she has a connection with each one and it’s hard when you realize that to get to the end, only 1 will be left.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Charles L, Chock, Dan, Gary, Gil, Guy, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Pascal, and Mark

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | CK, Gregg, and Kim

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

JONATHAN

MARK

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GIL

GREGG

GUY

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

FROM STUDIO TO SMILES | KEEGAN MICHAEL KEY

We had the pleasure of catching up with Keegan Michael-Key who is an actor who always leaves us in good spirits! His ability to make you laugh and think is something that we appreciate. We enjoyed talking with him about his work as a teacher, investing in children’s lives through learning, partnering with Lysol promote clean environments in school and at home, and of course his work on one of our favorite shows Abbott Elementary and other projects we’re excited about!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours for a number of years and have loved your shows and of course most recently, Abbott Elementary. But you actually have teaching experience at Penn State and at Second City. Can you tell us more about this?

KEEGAN MICHAEL-KEY: Yes, I was a graduate student at Penn State and I taught Fundamental Acting, Non-Majors and I had a really fulfilling and fun time doing that. I had a great time with the students and I also interestingly learned a lot and it helped reinforce the training that I was getting.

When I was a performer at the Second City Theater, both in Detroit and also in Chicago, I spent a good deal of time teaching improv as well as communications techniques to people. And also in Detroit at the Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit, I spent time going to classrooms and teaching children improv skills. That was also a very fulfilling experience too. So I have done a lot of teaching in my past and I really really loved it.

AM: That is such a great story! When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?

KMK: I realized that I wanted to be an actor probably when gosh, I would have been around 14 or 15 and that would put me in high school. I was encouraged by a family friend and my drama teacher in school was really hands on and very supportive. She really helped to pull me into that world! Once I was in it, I was in love!

AM: Why do you feel that hands on learning is so important and can you tell us about HERE For Healthy Schools?

KMK: Yeah, to answer the first question, I think that when kids have an opportunity to do things hands on and interactive, I really feel that the information that they are being given that the teachers desires for them to receive, really gets into their minds better and they can practically handle things and move through things. It’s more effective learning and that is kind of why I wanted to work with Lysol at the HERE for Healthy Schools Program this particular year. Because, what they are doing with the initiative this year, is that they are putting together the Lysol Minilabs Science Kits and the kits are going to contain educational materials that are designed to be hands-on so that the kids can learn about germ education, healthy habits, and how to keep the classroom environment as well as the general environment clean.

AM: Whether you have children that are going back to school, maybe you’re an aunt or uncle, or you just live alone solo, what are some healthy habits that we need to know about so that we’re not transferring germs and we’re reducing all the ick?

KMK: Ha – all the ick! You know, I think that the first thing across the board that everyone can do and that we can always teach children, is of course, washing our hands. Washing our hands after an activity, washing our hands after using the bathroom so that we’re not the germ spreaders if that makes any sense? We’re so mobile as humans, and then we’re the ones spreading the germs! So cutting that off at the pass if you will and then also, when you think about countertops, and desktops, and door handles which are things that we come into contact with every single day, and many times during the day, it’s just a wipe here or a spray there that can hopefully keep the germs down. Then we're allowing ourselves to be in a cleaner environment!

AM:100%!

Obviously, you have so many awesome things that are coming up - Season 4 of Abbott Elementary is slated to premiere on ABC on Oct 9th! Every time that we see you on the screen we just know that it’s going to be good. What can you tell us about – obviously not a lot – as we prepare for the next season?

KMK: Well, without giving away next season, you can stream Season 3 now of Abbott Elementary now which I am really happy for people as you can enjoy repeat viewings if you feel so inclined! I have a small arc on the show in the season where I play the Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia which is where Janine, Quinta Brunson’s (A Black Lady Sketch Show, History of the World: Part II, Weird: The Al Yankovick Story) character works now and she feels encouraged to affect more change in the school system. You get to watch that story play out and really the big thing that you get to watch is this struggle between her love for everyone and the students at Abbott Elementary and then this more macro environment with the Superintendent and there is this struggle of being pulled between these two things. Can I do more good here? Should I go back to Abbott and be more of a boots on the ground? She’s trying to figure out what way can she be more effective for the students?

AM: We enjoyed watching the 3rd season and getting that layer.

What attracted you to want to be on this show? So many people love this show and so many actors and other people are trying to find ways to get into this show!

KMK: Oh yeah!

AM: What was it for you that made you want to do it?

KMK: First of all, I think that Quinta is a real amazing talent and I have known her for years and I have watched her grow as an artist and the pride I feel for her is overwhelming because what she has done is such an achievement! But also, within that, is the humanity of the show. I think that just the thematic subject matter of the show is about nurturing and investing in our future which is about children. It’s also this kind of intrinsic, American underdog story – an underfunded school district, how do we pull ourselves up by the boot straps and do what we have to do for the betterment of these children. So that is really heartwarming in a way it is very inviting because they are letting the world in and it is inspiring. That is why I wanted to be part of it. It’s also very funny!

AM: Oh it’s very funny!

KMK: So funny!

AM: Well you’re also in Transformers One and Dear Santa! That’s 2 amazing additional projects that are coming out! We’re sure that you’re excited about them and can you tell us about them?

KMK: Well, Transformers One will be coming out in September 20th and it’s a really exciting project to work on. The director is a gentleman by the name of Josh Cooley (Up, Inside Out, Soul), very talented animation director. He directed Toy Story 4 that I starred in with Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope). We played partners – we played a little stuffed duck and a little stuffed rabbit that were connected to each other and we had such a great time that Josh asked me to come on and play Bumblebee in Transformers One which really is an honor because he’s a very popular character in the Transformers universe!

Dear Santa is a holiday movie that stars Jack Black (Jumanji universe, Kung Fu Panda universe, The Super Mario Bros. Movie) and he is absolutely fantastic and I hope you fo see it and everyone that you know goes to see it! It’s really fun and it has a lot of heart. It’s silly and zany and it’s going to be great!

AM: Do you have any other projects whether it’s TV, film, or philanthropic that you would like for us to know about that we should keep an eye out for because you’re always doing great things! It’s great to see you in a number of commercials as well as you are a busy man!

KMK: Ha ha yes I am praise God!

Well one thing in September that is coming up, I wrote a book with my partner at Elle Key (August, Fair Game, The Blackout), we wrote a book called The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor, and the audio version of that book is coming out then. So again, I know that it is early for the holiday season, but if people want to, they have the opportunity to download that or to send it as a gift and it was a real passion project for us and we’re really proud of the book. So there is also that! So that’s about it for right now if that’s not enough!

IG @keeganmichaelkey

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 156 - 159 Disney/Giles Mingasson | PG 160 - 161 Michael Simon |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FROM STUDIO TO SMILED | Keegan Michael Key in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E2. | THE JOURNEY BEGINS!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

The first night is over and now, we’re in the thick of starting the journey on The Golden Bachelorette as we watch Joan Vassos navigate the next few weeks!

We see the guys settle into the mansion and we learn that Pascal sleeps in the nude! There will be 2 Group Dates and then 1 1-on-1 date. Jesse Palmer tells them that that if you go on the 1-on-1 date and you don’t get a rose, you will be going home. He gives them a Date Card rose and we find out that Gary, Bob, Jonathan, Charles L, Mark, Jordan, Guy, and Keith will be on the Group Date. They go to the other room and see that they will be going to the Prom. There are clothes on a rack as they put together their suits for the date. Pascal helping Charles L get ready is pretty cute to see. They head to the venue in a party limo and Joan is excited for their Senior Senior Prom. She feels that prom brings you back to your first dance, first kiss, and first love. They enter and there are other guests that are there to celebrate the 1st Golden Prom. Jessie lets them know that they all want to know who will be crowned the Prom King and will receive the First Date Rose. Taylor Dane performs for them. She also spends time with each of them to know more about their backgrounds, how they grew up, and more. You also hear a few stories that sound a bit sad as it has a bit of their trauma so elements of this are a bit of a healing moment.

Back at the house, the next Date Card arrives and Chock gets the 1-on-1 Date Card! That means the remainder (Charles K, Christopher, Dan, Gil, Gregg, Jack, Pascal, and Michael) of the men will be on the 2nd Group Date! Back at Prom, The Prom King is Jonathan which is so sweet!

It’s the next day and we see the guys enjoying the house, doing cannonballs, Gregg doing Pascal’s laundry and just enjoying life. Chock gets ready for his date which will be at The Happiest Place On Earth - Disneyland! Rocjing their ears and meeting Mickey and Minnie is so cute! Interesting that she wasn’t sure whether Chock would be fun or childlike and wanted him on this date so that she could see that - smart! She lets him know that she is having fun with him and they talk about what they love about Disneyland.

At the night portion of their date, Joan is dressed like Disney Princess Joan with her Cinderella-inspired dress and Chock looks dapper. They talk about how their partners before they died let them know that they needed to continue on and find a partner. She gives him the rose and they go out and see the fireworks with the other guests at the park.

Back at the house, we see the men taking care of the house fixing things that are broken! The second Date Card arrives and Chock lets them know that this date will be a Talent Show and they take some time to practice their skills. We all get to see Joan’s talent show experience when she was on The Golden Bachelor! Loni Love comes out as the guest judge that will do this alongside Joan and Jesse. The winner of this group date will get a 1-on-1 dinner with her!

The men share their talents - Pascal did a fun bob in 3 minutes, Charles K broke a board, people sang, did standup, and more. You could tell that the men showed Joan that they wanted to be there and they cared about her even if their talents weren’t traditional! The winner of the talent show is Dan!

Dan and Joan have their evening portion of their date. Joan lets him know how brave it was for him to share his trimmer with everyone. The remainder of the men return to the house. The men realize that Kim is sad that he didn’t have that 1-on-1 time. Back on the date, Dan receives the rose.

She gets to hang out with all of the men at a BBQ at the mansion and spends time with everyone! She gets to play games as well as spend time with each of them to find out more! After all the fun and games, it’s time for the Rose Ceremony. She;s sad that she will have to let some men go, but knows that they will be ok and that the situation is just unfortunate.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Charles K, Charles L, Chock, Dan, Gary, Gil, Gregg, Guy, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Kim, Pascal, and Mark

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Bob, Christopher, Jack, and Michael

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

JONATHAN

KIM

MARK

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BILL

BOB

CHARLES K.

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GIL

GREGG

GUY

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

BAD MONKEY | NATALIE MARTINEZ

We're always looking at what will be our next movie or show to watch whether we're taking a break between one project or another or are taking significant time off for a proper binge! Bad Monkey premiered on Aug 14th and is streaming on Apple TV+ with its season finale dropping on Oct 9th. This series is an adaptation of the Carl Hiassen's New York Times bestselling novel of the same name.

We follow former Miami Police Department office Andrew Yang (Vince Vaughn) as he becomes a health inspector in the Keys. When he stumbles upon a case due to a human arm being fished out by a tourist, he believes that if he can solve the murder, he will be able to go back to MPD!

He works alongside an interesting cast of characters which includes the coroner, Dr Rosa Campesino which is played by Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome, Kingdom, Ordinary Joe). We sat down with her to find out about the show and why she wanted to be involved in this comedy drama series!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What do you love about storytelling?

NATALIE MARTINEZ: I mean, everything! Storytelling goes on before our time I feel! It’s how traditions are passed through. It’s a great form of entertainment and it starts from the beginning. I have a 1 and a half month year old and he doesn’t even know how to speak, but he loves reading books and it really shows you that it is kind of in us and it’s just in our nature to love storytelling! Especially when you have an ensemble cast such as this with an amazing writing and creator with a book to adapt from, it just makes for a really good story!

AM: We love that!

What drew you to Bad Monkey and how did you prepare to play your character, Dr. Rosa?

NM: I got a call from Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Scrubs) actually who asked me to be part of Bad Monkey and asked and telling me about the character. It’s crazy because the character and I have so much in common. I mean, she’s Cuban American, she’s born and raised in Miami as am I. Just having Bill Lawrence as the Creator, Executive Producer, and writer for the show as I am a huge fan of his. Seeing this ensemble cast with Vince Vaughn (Swingers, Anchorman franchise, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible franchise, True Detective, MaXXXine), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim, Anne Boleyn, The Acolyte) as well – everyone is so talented and they bring so much to it that it was something that sounded like a really fun project and I love a murder mystery! I had never really done comedy before so to be able to go head-to-head with Vince Vaughn on a comedy – come on, how was I going to pass that up?

AM: 100%

What can you tell us about the character that you play as well as the show?

NM: I play Dr. Rosa Campesino, she is the coroner. When you have her in the script, she’s not fulfilled in her job being a coroner. She loves what she does and there is so much value to it and people are able to find closure and it helps solve cases. It’s a very important job to do, but it also weighs on you after awhile! The things that are coming through those doors can be a little taxing! So I think that she is in a point in her life where she doesn’t know what she wants and is a kind of a little stuck and then Andrew Yancy who is played by Vince Vaughn comes along with this arm that they found in the ocean. The case intrigues her, he intrigues her because he is this quirky big kind of personality. They both get what I would say is obsessed with this case. They want to figure it out and she finds this kind of perspective in life and a new energy that kind of gives her the motivation to find out what she wants to do.

AM: What do you hope that viewers will walk away with in watching this series?

NM: All I can hope for is when people walk away from this series is that they just had a good time! I think that that is one of the most beautiful things about storytelling and one of the beautiful things of creating these shows is that sometimes we just need an escape. We need a story to be able to sink our teeth into it and to dive in. This story gives you a hell of a ride, it’s so much fun, and you have twist and turns. You have a cliffhanger in every episode and then you get that satisfaction of the case at the end and you meet a lot of funny characters along the way!

IG @iamnataliemartinez

PHOTOS COURTESY | Bad Monkey/Apple TV+

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see BAD MONKEY | Natalie Martinez in mag.

CATCHING UP WITH ALYSIA REINER

It's always great to circle back to our faves and in this month's issue we sit down with Alysia Reiner who was our cover for our JUN ISSUE #18 in 2017 where we talked with her about Netflix's Orange is the New Black and we also chatted with her in our JUN ISSUE #78 in 2022 talking about Ms. Marvel ahead of the show dropping on Disney+ as well as becoming a volunteer fire fighter!

This month, we find out what she has been up to from joining the cast of Netflix's DIPLOMAT (which we loved the 1st season), to additional shows we can look out for, how she is staying in shape, traveling, and of course, sharing some of her must-haves with us in terms of sustainable style!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It's always fun catching up with you to find out what you were working on. Last time we talked, it was ahead of Ms. Marvel and you were in Shining Vale! Are there any projects coming up that you're able to share with us that we can see you in or keep an eye out for whether it's on the stage, in front of the camera or behind it?

ALYSIA REINER: I’m currently filming the Netflix show THE DIPLOMAT, season 2 comes out Oct 31st! I am also now filming a new independent film called OUR BODIES & OTHER SHAMES, and a film I did called GOING PLACES will be in theaters in the Fall. Also look for the short I made WE SHOULD EAT on the festival circuit!

AM: This year has definitely been interesting! We had an earthquake here in NY, an eclipse, some of us saw the Northern Lights, and we're only halfway through the summer. What have you been up to this summer?

AR: Its a wild world right?? I have been filming in London playing secret service (shhhhh), on fun adventures in Amsterdam and Paris, and relaxing and on duty as a volunteer fire fighter (yes really!) in Fire Island.

AM: You have always been one that enjoys a good workout! This summer, what have been some of your favorite studios that you have been working out at?

AR: I always love RUMBLE IN NYC, and tried RUMBLE in the UK which is a HIIT gym I loved! I also went to Camden Boxing in the UK. AARMY is my go to for cycle both in person and on-line when I am away - I LOVE AKIN so very much as a human and coach - he is magic - the perfect balance of pushing us all to greatness - but with KINDNESS and LOVE.

Here in Fire Island I also train and do BOOTCAMP with Jim - a former marine who kills us!

I just got the META QUEST for workouts with FITXR and cannot wait to try it! I hear such great things!

AM: Do you have any foods or drinks that you like to incorporate into your workouts whether it's for energy or recovery?

AR: YES YES YES! I love to make my own protein smoothies - I keep it very simple but delicious - people say it tastes like ice cream but super clean and sugar free!!!

I LOVE MY SODA STREAM and to add yummy/healthy drops to it - my favs right now are JING and PURE INVENTIONS - both sugar free, zero calories, no chemicals and lots of amazing health benefits from vitamins, electrolytes and adaptogenic mushrooms!

When I am out & about I love a GORGIE or COVE soda, both zero sugar, zero artificial junk and so yum.

MORTAL HYDRATION, CURE, as well as PURE BOOST are my favorite energy/electrolyte packs to throw in my purse or carry on bag for travel - all have yummy and fun flavors - again no crap and lots of health/hydration benefits!

I come from a family of diabetes, so I have to be super careful with sugar - My favorite protein bars are MISFITS and N!CKS - both super low sugar, high protein and taste like CANDY!! NIcks also makes THE BEST (healthy!!) ICE CREAM ON THE PLANET.

AM: What do you do in terms of stretching or relaxing your muscles post workout?

AR: The #1 thing I do is meditation - changes my life daily - so helps me not hold stress in my body. And here is a special discount link to MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MEDITATION APP - it is THE BEST !!! I also love YOGA WITH KASSANDRA (free on you tube!), and I try to roll on a roller every night before bed (and also use my red light face mask at the same time - multitasker)

AM: In the next few weeks, we have Fashion Week coming up and you're known for rocking sustainable brands. Are there 3 designers that we should have our eye out for?

AR: I am still mourning Mara Hoffman closing her doors - she is so incredible, a real game changer in Sustainable fashion. I love love love Gabriela Hearst, and I just found Lauren Altman Studio - all repurposed & up cycled and hand painted - I get more compliments on her dress than anything I have ever worn! Check out https://www.instagram.com/remakeourworld for more truth about sustainable fashion!!

IG @alysiareiner

CREDITS | PG 104 PHOTOGRAPHY Laurie Bailey MUA Nova Kaplan | PG 106 PHOTOGRAPHY Anthony Rhoades MUA Brian Dean HAIR Damian Monzillo |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see CATCHING UP WITH ALYSIA REINER in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E1. | WELCOME JOAN TO THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

The series premier of The Golden Bachelorette is finally here and we’re excited for Joan Vassos to start her journey and to see where all the twists and turns will take her! We love that they open with her doing her makeup and seeing what her outfit will be accessorized with. It’s always fun catching these details and seeing how they all come together along with possible options that she could have worn as she gets ready in Malibu.

We get to hear her back story about her life with her husband, John. We see a number of images of her life with him alongside her family. You can tell that there was a lot of love there and then she shares how he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She relates to all of us how her life shifted and although she is a mother and a grandmother, it’s time that she focuses on her life now. We liked watching Joan during Gerry Turner’s season of The Golden Bachelor and now she will take center stage and we hope that she has a great group of men that she can learn about.

Her car pulls up and of course, Jesse Palmer is there ready to navigate this experience with her. They both talk about how excited she is to be here as she thought that when she left the mansion, she would not be back.

We get to meet the men that are here for her and they have such great personalities! There’s a retired Naval Captain, a retired FDNY Captain, those who have worked in finance, beauty, and more. All of them are putting their best foot forward and as one man says, “it’s also like meeting my brothers.” The one thing that we really enjoyed about The Golden Bachelor is that for the most part the women were really connected with one another and really leaned on one another and even helped each other prep for dates! It will be interesting to see if that continues in this series as well - but so far, so good! We even see Mark, Kelsey’s dad and it’s great that he was in his own limo with his daughter.

She thanks them for coming and knows how it is to give up things in order to be there. She realizes that when she came last year, she was looking for love and felt deserving after her experience there. We love that Pascal snagged her first! Joan connects with a number of men and then Jesse arrives with the First Impression rose. We see her pick it up and walk past the groups of men to find Keith! She loves that he had a big personality, made her feel safe and even described a date that she would enjoy.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Bob, Charles K, Charles L, Chock, Christopher, Dan, Gary, Gil, Gregg, Guy, Jack, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Kim, Pascal, Mark, and Michael.

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Bill, David, Ken, Pablo, RJ, and Thomas.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette 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 WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CHRISTOPHER

KIM

MARK

PASCAL

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BILL

BOB

CHARLES K.

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GIL

GREGG

GUY

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE BACHELORETTE S21. E9. | THE FINALE

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelorette

We’re down to the end now and a decision will be made! We’ll see who Jenn Tran picks or doesn’t on tonight’s episode of The Bachelorette. Devin and Marcus are left to meet Jenn’s family.

While we watch how it all ends, Jesse Palmer is hosting the After the Rose Ceremony and we see Jesse and Jonathan in the audience who cryptically say that they are there for the rumors of whatever happened! Tell us more!

Devin is up first and the family takes some time to get to know him more. Devin speaks so highly of Jenn and you can tell that he has feelings for her. Devin asks Jenn’s brother if he can have the blessing and he says he appreciates that he asked, but he hasn’t talked to the second guy.

Marcus now meets her family and talks about his experience with Jenn and how he wants to see it all the way through with her. Marcus tells his mom and sister that he is trying to get there and his mom says, “oh, you’re not ready to get engaged?” Her brother tells her that she can’t make excuses for him and she needs to know where he stands. In addition, she asks him point blank and he keeps saying things that were said make him feel better, but he is still trying to get there and she feels confused.

Devin and Jenn do a fun ceremony with Hawaaians from the island. They talk about their concerns and worries with one another even though they are excited to be with one another. He hears that she has a fear of abandonment and he realizes that they are a couple and that he will need to be there for her as well. They throw large rocks into the ocean to signify issues that they have had that wore them down that are not being lifted off of them. They submerge themselves into the water so that they can emerge as a new person who are ready to move on. She enjoyed her date with Devin and she enjoyed the love and respect that she felt from him and that he knows what he wants. She also has a final date with Marcus and she doesn’t know where he’s at with her and even when she asks, she can’t get a response so that she can be settled with his answer.

Jesse and Marcus meet up to catch up with what is going on. Even Jesse is confused about how Marcus still doesn’t know and he tells him he needs to look from within to see if he really does love her and if so, he needs to tell her. While she is getting ready for her final date with Marcus, she decides that it is time to get her answers and she’s not going to wait and makes her way to him. She still doesn’t get the answers that she is looking for and he says that he is in love with her and is afraid to lose her, but the fact that it always feels like she has to pull answers out of him and he says that he is scared, that doesn’t necessarily make people excited to be in that situation either. She gets up to take a minute and she knows she has spent a lot of time and energy on someone who doesn’t feel the same way. She comes back and he continues to talk about his love for her and how he has been scared and honest with himself. He tells her he’s not giving her what she needs, She lets him know that she opened his heart to him every time and that she got lost in it and gave too much along the way. She doesn’t want to give and prove herself to be considered to be worth it. She doesn’t want to wait around and see if someone will get there. She lets him know that she is done and although she had hope, she is walking away. She lets him know that she appreciates his honesty so that she got the answers that she needed.

Marcus is on the couch in front of Jesse. He explains that it was tough to watch that back and he knows that it was tough for both of them. He talks about what being in Hawaii was like and how he reflected on where his feelings were and whether he was living up to her expectations. He said that he stumbled on some painful truths and he wanted her to know about them. He explains that when he got home, he wasn’t sure if they made the right choice, but once he was home, he realized that they made the right choice to not go forward. Although it seems that Jenn was the one that said she had to move on.

Although we don’t know what happened between her and Devin yet, she comes out to chat with Marcus. She tells him that the way Devin came to her, she realized that they were not aligned and that her heart was not in the place that she could be with him. She felt that it made sense to talk with him on what would have been their last date so that they could have that closure.

We’re back in Hawaii and we see Devin selecting rings with Neil Lane. She talks with Jesse and says that she will not let him propose to her, she will propose to him so that he knows he will fight for her every day.

We expected to watch the proposal which seemed it would be sweet; however, Jesse said that he couldn’t show the footage without have Jenn say what happened. They left Hawaii engaged; however, he began pulling away from her and not letting her hang with his family or doing any of the promises that he made to her. He broke it off with her and said he had felt this way for a long time and all of a sudden there was nothing.

They still show the video of the proposal which is super uncomfortable to watch. It’s something that definitely made us leave feeling pretty icky.

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

During each week, we 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!

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WHO IS CONTINUING BEYOND HOMETOWNS

DEVIN (Copy)

JONATHAN (Copy)

MARCUS (Copy)

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Ricky Middlesworth

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THE BACHELORETTE CONTESTANTS

AARON (Copy)

AUSTIN (Copy)

BRENDAN (Copy)

BRETT (Copy)

BRIAN (Copy)

DAKOTA (Copy)

DEVIN (Copy)

DYLAN (Copy)

GRANT (Copy)

HAKEEM (Copy)

JAHAAN (Copy)

JEREMY (Copy)

JOHN M. (Copy)

JONATHAN J. (Copy)

KEVIN (Copy)

MARCUS (Copy)

MARVIN (Copy)

MATT (Copy)

MOZE (Copy)

RICKY (Copy)

SAM M. (Copy)

SAM N. (Copy)

SPENCER (Copy)

THOMAS (Copy)

TOMAS (Copy)

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.