ALL IN TOGETHER NOW

This month's cover story features Jonathan Jones, Brandon King and Obi Melifonwu of the Super Bowl LIII Winning Champions New England Patriots. The road to success is one that is truly a journey that isn't a straight line. In our interview we hear how these teammates fell in love with the game, made their way to the Patriots and how they get ready for their games every week! In addition, we also had the opportunity to talk with their Sports Agent, Sean Stellato of SES Sports, whose own life has been infused with sports as an athlete who then made the Jerry McGuire transition to being on the other side of the ball. The relationship between players and the agent is essential to their success.

Our shoot took place in Tribeca at the Serafina Tribeca, which is one of our favorite places for Italian comfort food. When it comes to hospitality and having the right vibe for a celebration, the General Manager, Christian Ferrara makes everyone feel at home while educating them on his cuisine and culture.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to play professional football and what was your journey to get to the New England Patriots?

JONATHAN JONES: I grew up loving watching the games as young as when I was 3 or 4 years old. I played high school football in Georgia and high school football in Georgia is just big! I went to Auburn, we won a National Championship. Leaving Auburn, I was a free agent and I chose to come to New England and it was probably the best decision of my life honestly as I have had the chance to go to 3 straight Super Bowls. It’s been a great journey as far as the NFL goes! But for my entire journey to come from where I come from to make it to the Patriots, it’s been a blessing!

AM: Tell us about the position you play and who do you work with closely on that portion of the team?

JJ: I play defensive back cornerback and mostly we work with the safeties and sometimes the linebackers.

AM: During the season what is your week like in terms of practicing to get to Sunday’s game?

JJ: After a game on Sunday, you come in on Monday and first thing you want to handle and collect everything from the previous game. You then want to start working on your body. Tuesday is a day of recovery for your body getting a massage, getting treatments for pains that took place from the last game. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is all about training and practice. Saturday, it just depends on whether it is a home or an away game. But, it’s a full week and Tuesday isn’t like a day off, but more like a day to get ready.

AM: What are 3 songs that are on your playlist that get you ready for whatever game you’re playing?

JJ: It’s always a classic with me with Young Jeezy – it doesn’t even matter what song it is! Right now I have Little Baby on my playlist and I’m from Georgia so any of the Georgian rappers that are out right now – they’re there too!

AM: What does it feel like to be a 2 X Super Bowl Winning Champ?

JJ: It feels great to win Super Bowl LI and LIII. To get there every time is always the goal. I’ve been there 3 years in a row and to win 2 of them is amazing. A lot of people never even get there so for me to be there 3 times and to have won 2 is great! Every year you get there, you have to refocus and remember what you did last time to get there and how great you were at that time to win.

AM: What is it like in the off season as you prepare for the regular season?

JJ: The first thing is to get your mind and body right. You have to take the time during the off season. You want to make sure that you spend time for yourself, with your friends and family. But then it’s like you’re right back to when it’s time to go back and you also want to make sure that you stay in shape as well. It’s a quick turnaround and you have to be ready.

AM: What are your goals for the upcoming season?

JJ: My goal is to develop my game and become more of a leader within the team and to definitely work on my game with me being a young player. I want to continue to improve.

AM: How do you define your personal style? What do you wear when you’re going out for fun or when it’s a special night out.

JJ: My personal style is always about being casual with nice jewelry. I’m a laid back person. When it’s about going out, you can never go wrong with a nice shirt and jeans with nice shoes. It’s always an easy fix.

AM: Now that you’re able to relax what are 3 shows that you’ll binge on Netflix?

JJ: Oooo 3 Daredevil, The Punisher and Iron Fist.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was your journey to get to the New England Patriots?

BRANDON KING: I went to Thompson High School in Alabama that was home for me. It was a pretty small town and in my senior year there, we got a movie theater and a Walmart which was pretty big for our town. Now, my high school is the biggest high school in the state which just goes to show how much it has grown! When I was there it was much smaller. During my junior year, coaches started coming in and recruiting and I talked to a lot of teams, but ended up falling short in my senior year by .03 to meet NCAA requirements.

A lot of people in my family were so happy that they thought I would be going to a Division I school on scholarship. So when I didn’t, a lot of people just put me on the back burner and a lot of people stopped talking to me because they felt that I was just going to be back at the house. But I knew what I wanted to do and I played for 2 years at Highland Community College in Kansas. At the time, I thought that I would be there for a year and then transfer to a Division I school, but that’s not how it turned out. I kept my head down to do what I needed to do so that I could continue to play football. I did well there and I got a lot of awards which I’m not big on as I believe the past is the past. You need to continue to work to do the things you need to do to be where you are. By staying there and doing the work, I got a scholarship to go to Auburn and transferred there. I played safety there and shortly after getting there, there was an injury to Justin Garrett the star linebacker which was a hybrid position between linebacker and safety so I changed to that position and I played that for most of my Junior year and then moved to linebacker. My senior year, I ended up breaking my thumb a week or two right before my first game of that year. I did everything that I could do to just stay at full speed. I treated everything with full respect, all of my teachers and anybody that could or would help me. I always had a smile on my face when I walked around as just having the opportunity to be there at Auburn was everything. Even in the worse times, you still have to smile. While at Auburn, I played linebacker, defensive end and safety. I was always ready for any opportunity and for people to see that I could do those positions being 225-226lbs was important and showed that I am versatile.

My senior year at Auburn, I was trying to do an internship while I was a full time student and trying to train for the NFL. I didn’t have an agent or anything like that because I didn’t have any money for that. When I was at Auburn, I played multiple positions, I was still under the radar for the most part. When I first got to Auburn, I just worked out with the strength coaches and I really appreciate them, because they prepared us very well in developing the athletes overall. I ended up just being there and working everyday and working in the schedule to actually be able to workout and I had to be productive and just go about a different way. I just came to work everyday and I don’t think it really matters, I have been in the league for 4 years and I still haven’t gone to a facility or trained with a specific individual. Being at Auburn and being with those coaches, they laid out what you had to and it wasn’t a big deal for me to get it done that way. After Pro Day came, I think I did pretty well and I walked up to the Canadian coaches and whoever was there and I wanted to shake everyone’s hands and to tell them thank you for coming by. We had all 32 NFL coaches there for our Pro Day I believe, to check out the talent. I tried to take the initiative to shake everyone’s hands that I could to show my appreciation. I did the same thing my last day at Auburn. Whether you were a positive influence or a negative influence, that’s what makes a person a person. Sometimes, people don’t realize that there is beauty in the pain and wherever you are in life, you can smile and do what you have got to do in life.

After that, I went back to work and I didn’t get any calls and then I got a call from one team with a contract. I just wanted to put my best foot forward and did everything I could do to play professionally – I didn’t want any regrets. That team called me and woke me up out of my sleep and I knew the dream was still alive and then a few days later, I got another call from another team and then I got a workout schedule from the Patriots and I never visited the Patriots or anything like that. I never went to check out the facility. I just had a workout set up at Samford University in Birmingham, AL and had an individual workout with him and it was the only thing I did. I got an opportunity to go out to other teams for my time to shine as a free agent. I wasn’t worried about the money it was finding the right opportunity – I chose the Patriots and I have been there ever since.

AM: Tell us about the position that you play and what portion of the team you work with closely?

BK: Right now I play linebacker. For the last 4 years, I have been a core special teams player. My position coach is Joe Judge – the special team’s coach. I work closely with Matt Slater, Nate Ebner – I work closely with those guys and just try to get all the ins and outs from those guys the best that I can. Those guys have been a part of a lot of Championship football. They have a lot that I feel that I can learn from. Maybe one day the goals that they have learned, I can reach back and help someone else too. They are great guys to be around, they put their pride to the side and put the team first. They don’t complain and they get it done. I have a lot of respect for them.

AM: During the regular season, what is your week like in terms of practicing and preparing for those Sunday games?

BK: I wake up at about 5:00/5:30/5:45am depending on whether I have an injury to tend to or not and it’s best to get working on that first thing in the morning. During the season I work, 12-13 hour days.

AM: What has playing in the Super Bowl been like for you?

BK: It’s been amazing. My first Super Bowl (LI), my head was kind of spinning with everything going on – I was going at like 100 miles a minute. This one, it was my 3rd one that I was a part of, and everything was a great experience, but I just wanted to get to the game. I knew how it felt to win a Super Bowl game and what it felt like to lose one. I knew what we came there for and it was nice to see my family and everything, as I don’t get to see my family a lot as they still work and I don’t get to see them that much. It was great to catch up with them, but at the end of the day, it’s a very long season and trying as you’re playing 34 games a year, as you have the preseason also and to play at that level. I wanted to do what we came there for and to put those distractions aside. You know what it’s like to watch the game when you’re younger and for me, it feels like the game gets too big and we all have different ways to approach it. Winning felt like weight coming off your shoulders. There are people that you bonded with in the beginning during training camp that don’t make it or you play with them half the season and something happens to them and they may not be on the team anymore. The new guys have to come in and fill in the voids fast, because no one is going to feel sorry for someone that doesn’t know what to do or not knowing the system. Everything counts and everyone needs to be on the same page to be successful. Playing with your team for awhile creates a sense of comfort. Winning and going through all that adversity is a lot – this season wasn’t perfect by any means! We knew that no one was going to be able to fix it but us. Our job is to get it done. It felt good to get it done and to be at 3 Superbowls in a row and to know what it is like to win and lose one and then to look at these guys I play with. I mean I have only been in the league for 4 years and I know my body doesn’t always feel too hot and to play with guys that have played 8/9/10/11/12 years, I have a lot of respect for them. It’s like ok, then let’s go! It’s a respect thing and everyone in that building comes to work every day and it’s hard for you to not do the same thing.

AM: So what do you do during the off season to prepare yourself for the next upcoming season?

BK: I take a week or 2 off as I feel that that is well deserved. The off season is really short. I feel like it’s only a month and a half off. By the time I get home it will be around Feb 28th and we have to report in April. I bought a home in Tennessee last year and I’m trying to get everything there and get the family settled in and then I have to see the family in Alabama.

AM: What are the goals for the next season?

BK: I’m not really big on setting goals because disappointment is one thing and I feel that you can get really deterred if you do set the goal. I take one day at a time. People will say that they want to do this or do that and then people will look at you and say, “hey you said you were going to do this and now look at you.” I’m the kind of person, that I just let things ride and happen the way that they happen. I will figure out the pieces of the puzzle to get to where I want, but hopefully, I will be able to put it together in the right way for the way that I want. I just want to be productive, dependable and that I am doing things in the right way.

AM: Since you are on the road so much, what are 3 items that you like to have with you that make you happy or comfortable?

BK: I try to keep a pair of headphones with me. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I listen to music in the locker room, sometimes I don’t. When I travel, I like to have headphones because you can block things out. This year I have been bringing my tablet with me more because I can watch my movies on Netflix and take my mind off of things. You’ve been putting in the work during the week to know who you are going against so I want to relax when I travel to the game. When I get to the hotel, then I like to be able to pick that back up again to think about the game.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So when did you realize that you wanted to play football professionally and tell us your journey on how you came to the New England Patriots.

OBI MELIFONWU: At the age of 9. Well it’s a funny story. I came to Massachusetts as the age of 3 and when I was about, I want to say between the age of 6/7, I watched the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI. I realized then that I really loved football and then at the age of 8, I brought a Pop Warner sign up sheet to my mom and she ended up throwing it out and saying it was too dangerous. I was crushed that year and I methodically thought about how I could get her to sign the sheet. So the next year, the same thing happened, I brought the sheet and she didn’t sign it and then I brought another sheet for her to sign and she ended up realizing that I was serious about it and she signed it. I’ve been playing football ever since!

My journey to the Patriots was one that I least expected. I went to high school and I got one offer from UCONN. It’s the only offer I got and I went there and had a pretty good year. Then I got drafted by the Raiders in the second round. Then after I got drafted I felt like that I was finally here and I could prove myself and play football. Unfortunately, I had injuries that happened to me that slowed things down. That last year, I ended up getting injured in August and I got cut. I was devastated. But I understood that everything happened for a reason. Nothing good good comes without perseverance and I really believe that God gives the strongest battles to the strongest war riors. I took that perspective and I just worked and got as healthy as I could and I got picked up by the Patriots. It was ironic as that was the team that I grew up watching playing. It was the team that I wanted to be on since I was little.

AM: Tell us about the position that you play and who do you work closely with in that portion of the team.

OM: The position I play is safety and that position is on defense. It is basically the last line of defense – you stop Receivers, running backs, any skilled position from scoring as that last line of defense. If stuff breaks through the line of the linebackers, even sometimes the cornerbacks. The Safety is the one that kind of has to save the day. Getting to the NFL and getting to the Patriots, I started to work really closely with the defensivebacks on the Patriots like Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon and Coach Belichik. They really helped me to improve as a player.

AM: During the regular season. What is your week like in terms of practice, working out, watching the game tape – what are the typical things that you tend to do as you prep for that gameday?

OM: A typical week is like a lot of studying and a lot of watching the games on your own. Everyone has their own routine and things that they like to do to help them get ready for the game. I just like to go into work and try to really take notes, implement the gameplan for that practice and do that everyday. As the gameday gets closer, just kind of take a step back from the physical part just really try to focus on what I need to do for that day. I’m visualizing different things like certain calls for certain formations and certain situations. Just mentally preparing to be ready for that game and I feel like that’s a good mindset to have. There are 53 people on a team, but only 47 people get dressed. Some weeks you might be up and some weeks you might not be. Some times you may be activated and other times you may not be activated. It’s almost like you have to take that approach every week because you don’t know when you’re number is going to be called. If you’re not ready for your number to be called, then you’re going to miss out on that opportunity at that time.

AM: You’re in amazing shape – how long are you in the gym and what are some of the key workouts that you do? Do you have 3 that are your go to in particular no matter what?

OM: Yeah, it’s funny that you say that because in college, I really just ate anything I wanted. In terms of healthy, I mean I just did everything and ate anything. But when I got further along in my career, I started really trying to watch what I ate. Even until now, I still do my best to stay healthy because I understand it will help me in the long run with my longevity.

In terms of gym workouts, I do the typical three which I feel is the bread and butter of bench, squats and power cleans. Then there are other things like core and I’m always trying to work on a lot of stability stuff to help maintain the strength of my arms. I’m really trying to get into yoga. I’ve tried it a couple of times and we just don’t have the best relationship right now haha. It’s something that I am going to try to continue to do.

AM: You’ll probably like Hot Yoga or a Cardio based one, it may make you feel more aligned to it more.

OM: Yeah.

AM: So what are your go-to foods in terms of what you do to maintain your body and then what splurge food do you enjoy eating?

OM: My go-to vegetable is broccoli. I love it grilled, cooked, sautéed, whatever! My go-to meal for fuel is pasta and meat sauce. I’m the type of person that when I am performing or doing any type of physical activity, I have to eat before. I feel like that I can feel my body using that to fuel me throughout whatever workout or activity that I’m doing. So that’s my go-to meal.

Splurge I mean – everything under the sun that’s sweet! I try to cut down on dairy – icecream not too much but chocolate, cake, cookies – whatever sweet that you can think of I will most likely eat. That’s really my splurge or any fast food.

AM: On game day, how do you prepare – do you have a routine that you go through or is it more of a mindset?

OM: It depends on how I am feeling for that game. I feel that how I prep is the same, but on that day of the game, some days I will listen to Future or Meek Mill to get hype. Then other times I will listen to Jhene Aiko’s, ‘The Calm Before the Storm’ to get ready. For game day the night before, I try to do a lot of visualization for the game. I try to put myself in the position of the game so if it should happen that way, it’s not the first time that that happened. I try to keep a level head and not think too above or below the game. I try to understand mentally that things will happen throughout the game and that I shouldn’t get too overworked about it especially as a DB because the position I play and that CornerBacks and Safety’s play you might get beat on the play or give up a touch down or you might give up a big chunk and in the position that we play – we have to have short memories. We can’t let that one play affect the rest of the game. So those are just things that I do before and during the game.

AM: What was Super Bowl Sunday like for you and what has it been like since the game? Obviously, we shot your cover days after the big win and we’ve been watching your Instagram.

OM: The experience has been really great. Like being able to be in a Super Bowl and just being able to soak it in – it’s a blessing because so many people go through a whole season, 10 seasons, 16 seasons all the way to get to here and they don’t win a Super Bowl. As a player, you play the Super Bowl for many reasons. I feel like you play to make it to the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl and then become a Hall of Famer. The fact that I got to experience that in my second year is something that I will not take for granted.

AM: You have great style – how would you define it? What do you wear when you’re just hanging out with friends or for a night out.

OM: With my friends, I just like to be comfortable. I wear a lot of joggers, a lot of sweats, nice comfy sandals, sweatshirts – I love sweatshirts like the one that I wore in the shoot, that’s the kind of things that I’m talking about.

When I go out, I’m a simple person. Obviously I like my figure and I like to take care of my body. I want to wear things that show that off whether I’m wearing slim fit shirts as well as slim fit and tapered jeans to show off my legs. Just something nice on my feet, whether they’re Yeezy’s, Timberland’s – any sneaker that looks neat and fit. My style is simple. I wear a lot of solid classic neutrals with a simple fit – nothing too extravagant.

AM: Now that you’re in the off season what are you thinking about and what goals are you setting to prepare for next year?

OM: My goals in terms of next season is that first, I have to get away from football. You work and you train for 8 months and then you have to go and take time to get away. I have really learned that in my time in the NFL. You have broken your body down to play and now you just need time to step back so that you can ease into it. I want to get my body right so that I can come correct in April. I can compete and everything I need to do but this year I am very focused on my body and mind being right emotionally and spiritually. This way I can perform at the level that I know I can and that I can show everybody else especially the Patriots organization that they didn’t make a mistake in picking me up and in giving me that chance.

AM: You’re based in Foxboro, where can we find you grabbing a meal, working out and shopping?

OM: Working out – I haven’t figured it out. I have a couple of places that I might try as I just got here. You can find me at the Patriots Place at Showcase Cinemas – I love the movies! I watch too many movies or playing video games or find me at the mall. Not even shopping, just walking around seeing things. I’m really observant and I like to see things.

I also wanted to say thank you for the interview and having us. I just want to thank everyone that helped me to get to this point and I don’t want to leave anybody out. To all the friends, coaches, everyone on this journey that has helped me out and you guys putting me in this magazine. I just want to say thank you!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed having you a part of our cover shoot and we know that prior to being a sports agent, you also had a career professionally in football. Can you tell us about your athletic career and then what took place that led you to becoming an agent and then eventually launching your firm?

SEAN STELLATO: What a great question. Well I was born and bred in Salem, Massachusetts. I played highschool football there and had a very successful career there. Actually, the spinoff from my book, No Backing Down, came from my Junior football season which had a very diverse underdog team, a legendary coach that I always call a first generation Bill Belichick. As the team was projected to not win a game they found themselves undefeated playing another undefeated team. A major teacher strike shut down the school system – we ended up playing in front of 12,000 people and I had my career game on National Television and that was kind of my coming out party. After graduating Salem, I had the opportunity to go to a Boarding School for a year called the Gunnery Prep School.

I’m fully indebted to them because they taught me the value of education. They gave me the opportunity as it was such a political spinoff with the team after the Junior year, because of the coach being fired, that all of the kids who were going to be seniors were pretty much in harms way. The new person that they hired didn’t care. People were looking out for themselves and not for the kids. So a lot of the minority kids who had single parents, didn’t have a father figure to look out for them and it ultimately killed their careers. I was fortunate and was the Lone Ranger that was able to fly from the nest and get an opportunity – a true blessing was Gunnery Prep School – they gave me a full scholarship which was $33,000 to go there! I mean there were 8 of us together in a 3-bedroom house where I grew up in Witch Craft Heights in Salem. My mom was a stay at home mom and my parents didn’t have a college degree. They gave me that blessing and opportunity and I was on the basketball and football team there. I went onto Marist College – my mother doesn’t fly so I gave the Heisman to them. I did receive denial letters from a couple of schools and I still do read them a couple of times a year because if I let rejection define me, I wouldn’t have been doing what I am doing.

I played Division I basketball and football there which, is 45 mins north of the city on the Hudson. It was a beautiful campus and had a successful career there. My junior and senior years there I was the leading wide receiver for the 2000-2001 season. I finished there 9 straight semesters on the Dean’s List. The beauty of an education and just remembering the first time that I had been on an airplane to play basketball at Pepperdine – an amazing journey through college. But we played down in Florida after 9/11 about 10 days after that and I got scouted by an Arena Football coach and he ended up following up with me after the season and I had the opportunity to play 2 years professionally for the Arena Football League for 2002 and 2003. One of my head coaches for one of my teams is now the head coach at Purdue and he beat Ohio State this year.

You know, I saw the movie Jerry McGuire back in 1996 in high school and I fell in love with the movie. I thought about how cool it would be. I mean, as a football player, you think that you’re immortal and that you can play forever and I had to face that reality. I could have played in 2004 and I said, “I’m going to go hard on this sports agent thing.” I had 2 agents that I had hired and then I fired. I felt that there was this gap between how I wanted to represent players and the lack of transparency that I was fed when I played. I felt that I wanted to reshuffle this industry and threw my hat in the ring and got licensed late 2005. I didn’t know what I was doing and I spent a few years banging around on my own for a few years and then I partnered up with a firm and then I got exploited and in 2013, I was with the firm for a few years. We joined with a client each and then it grew into 10. I was flying our New Year’s Eve, Christmas Day signing guys getting exploited making pennies on the dollar. The night I got inducted into my high school Hall of Fame, I told my wife, “I’m not happy where I am in my career.” I told her that I wanted to have my own firm and she said, ”let’s draft the termination letter today.”

I walked away and I had signed a Non Compete so I had to walk away from all of those guys. I had one loyal client that said, “I signed with you, you’re my guy.” He never played a down in the NFL after that point and he said, “I’m leaving and coming with you.” Like Jerry McGuire walking out with Ron Tisdale, a receiver and goldfish – I walked out with an unproven long snapper and a pet boxer dog named Sly. I remember when I left that firm, they said that I would never make it in the industry. But my whole life people said that I was too small to play football, that I wouldn’t play Division I or play pro. I feed off of and that’s all I needed to hear and my wife was my witness and I put my head down and went to work.

I signed my first player, Bryan Braman, who won the Super Bowl last year, he kept me in business and I made a pact when I got into the business and I said I would never go to the SuperBowl unless I had a client in the Super Bowl, and the last 5 years I have had my guys every single year play in the Super Bowl. My drive to be an agent is to be the best and football lifted my soul when I would step onto the field. It brought me so much structure and joy to my family’s life and my life as well as the ability to have an education and to network with the ability to meet people and to interact. It's a special place in my heart. I have been inducted into 3 Hall of Fames which I am so proud of that as I was statistically not supposed to be here in terms of how I was raised, my size. I never let my greatest asset – my work ethic, down. That is what I stayed true to!

AM: What is your day like during the season vs off-season? For those players that you rep, how much contact to you have with the team and the league?

SS: My day to day – my mornings start off very early. I can only workout very early because my phone is always blowing up with 100s of calls and 100s of emails a day. That’s a big part of my lifestyle that I approach every day as I lift and I run. I get my mind right and I try to read a book every 2-3 weeks. I'm finishing my second book and it all comes down to time of year right? So obviously, if you have clients who won the Super Bowl, you just go balls to the walls to try to monetize and to expose them and align brands with them that are in line with their missions. In terms of post SuperBowl, when you win, you’re talking about shifting gears. So let me rewind.

In the fall, you’re talking about recruiting kids for the 2019 the following draft. You’re going to college games and evaluating films. At the same token, you’re servicing your guys with their needs and what they want. Then you have the guys that are on the street. You have to designate x amount of hours to make sure that they are employed. For the guys that are playing during the season, you have to make sure that you get them appearances for their marketing. Right when the season is over, you go into guys who are unrestricted free agents that are able to test the open market - so gauging what their value is and seeing which teams best suit their needs.

You’re constantly trying to work on your relationships with teams as that’s key. In terms of having that relationship and letting them know you have great guys and you’re not just throwing people at coaches. It’s 24/7 – 365. I don’t really call anytime that I travel a vacation because I am constantly fielding guys and am a hands on kind of guy. It’s how I believe I should run this.

AM: Is it hard for you to represent clients that are on different teams?

SS: I’ve got guys in a lot of different markets. It’s great to be able to interact with so many teams as no one usually stays with the same team – maybe Brady and a handful of others. Shuffling around is just human nature in the NFL especially with salary caps. With free agency, it’s a different landscape than what it was 20 years ago. That being said, it’s important that if you have guys on other teams where if – for contract extensions or just to broker deals – it’s new markets that are important because every market is different. My conversation with the Dallas Cowboys is different than the New England Patriots. Everyone has different core values and beliefs – obviously everyone wants to win in this league and to monetize opportunities as the league has crossed over to $15B in revenue. It’s a fine tuned machine.

AM: I’m sure you have a number of people who request to be represented by you. What process do you have in deciding whether someone will join your roster?

SS: I tell everyone that there is 1,440 minutes in a day and I have two lives, one as a sports agent with SES Sports as my infrastructure and I also have my family which is my wife and 4 kids. I try to keep that balance and sometimes I leave my self a little thin and I try to be better at that.

In terms of managing expectation. My phone is constantly ringing, when I first started I was the one seeking out guys and now I can cherry pick guys that I want to have. Obviously if you get a 1st or 2nd rounder, you don’t want to miss that opportunity. I think managing expectations, having that connection with a player who has the core values and beliefs that alignment is important. Some guys put a higher value on their skill set and it’s like having a house that you try to sell in the open market where you think it’s $2M and everyone else thinks it’s $1M – it’s going to be tougher to sell. You have to compromise, and you can’t sugarcoat it with your clients, you have to keep it real and be transparent with them and do what is in their best interest.

AM: What is a typical Sunday like for you during the season?

SS: A typical Sunday is impossible for me to be in every market. I have yet to be in every market on the same day. Last year in the Superbowl having 8 guys in the game – 5 in the Patriots and 3 on the Eagles – I mastered it that day! In terms of a typical Sunday, I try to at least see every player each year. If not I have the NFL package and thank God for cell phones! My Director of Football operations is phenomenal and he doesn’t take his eye off the ball. He’s always keeping me in the loop on things, from Social Media, research, staying current on guys and watching everybody. I take watching these guys very seriously. When I go to the Superbowl and people go as fans, it’s different, I go in as a business. I don’t change my preparation in terms of game rituals. I stick with them as a player as I do as an agent.

AM: What are those rituals?

SS: I make sure that I have the same things for breakfast every Sunday. I always say a prayer before kickoff. I kiss my crucifix. When I go to church that morning, I pray for each player individually. Sometimes I wear the same socks is he plays from one week to the next. I always have the same snack before kickoff or during the game. During the Super Bowl, I will put my phone in the cup holder and not touch anything until something happens. During the AFC championship, I was very unprepared weather wise, but when I am suited up, I always put my baseball hat on and turn it backwards and pretended I was playing Little League Baseball with a rally cap on. I didn’t move it until they won it in overtime. My wife thinks I’m crazy with my superstitions, but I don’t know. I get superstitious on certain things and whatever works – works for you right?

AM: With this last Super Bowl win, what was that like for you and what is it like that you’re a part of these guys careers?

SS: Just surreal and gratifying. I tell everybody that when you have that baby and hold it in your hands, it’s a life changing moment. When you have these players and you have such a passion for football like I do, I took them as far as I could take them and see them taking it further it just touches my heart like no other. This one was the most special win, because clients like Jonathan Jones – he led the defense in tackles, he had a sack and contributed so much to that win. Ryan Allen could have been the MVP of the game. Brandon King, he’s just an absolute beast and Obi with his story of how he ended up here.

AM: His story is incredible.

SS: With Obi, we had 4 teams to pick through and I don’t ever like to take credit, but I really pushed and stressed the fact that he needed to be a Patriot and not a Saint or a Chief. We picked the winning lottery ticket there.

This one in particular meant more because I felt like my guys contributed more to that particular win. I had bigger roles and obviously in my mind, it has increased more in the last few months. I mean last year, it was special because of Bryan – he pretty much kept me in business and kept the lights on in 2014 when I was a year into it. It’s been remarkable. You want to see all of your clients win a ring. Obi got his this year, Bryan got his last year, Trey Sullivan got one last year. This year I didn’t have any players on the opposing team. Last year I felt bad for my Patriots clients that lost, but on the same token, I felt good for Bryan. For the Falcons/Patriots Super Bowl, I had 1 client on the Falcons whose family was completely devastated and my Patriot clients pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. It’s been a blessing to be affiliated with history. The Patriots, whether you love them or hate them, are remarkable in what they do and they have done what no other franchise has been able to do in these times. You can talk about the Cowboys, Steelers and Green Bay Packers, they did not do it in a time period like this. There was no free agency, there was no salary cap. It’s a completely different animal today. What Belichik and Brady are doing – it’s remarkable. I’ve been able to grow up in this area and be able to model and build a sports agency around and learning from them – how they negotiate, how they do things at the organization to how I manage the kids’ careers.

AM: With the draft coming up, what is your role for that and what do you do?

SS: It’s to be a confidant to the players that I represent and to know that they are not going to be a guinea pig. To know that they are with someone who is not going to reinvent the wheel. Being with someone who has the relationships in the league who is going to sell them and brand them organically to make them successful in the NFL. It's a very trying long time, but at the same token it’s a lot of time and emails – the combine is a tremendous amount of leg time getting in front of people. It’s constantly selling, planning, promoting, These calls build for the combine for their pro day so they can be successful and play in this league. It’s a process that I take very seriously – you want to have all the guys that you represent drafted, but at the end of the day – you manage their expectations and you hold their hand and say, “hey, if you’re undrafted. That’s ok. Some of the greatest players that ever played this game went undrafted.” That’s sometimes your destiny and your fate.

AM: When we were on set for the photoshoot, we enjoyed hearing about a number of projects that you are working on outside of your life as a sports agent. Can you share them with our readers here at Athleisure Mag?

SS: My first book, No Backing Down, which is a human triumph story on 3 levels – my personal story, legendary coach and our team, has a forward written by Doug Flutie and it was endorsed by Bill Belichik, Evander Holyfied, Mike Ditka, Washington Post, NY Daily News and it goes on. It’s an incredible book and it’s now in it’s second edition. The screenwriter/producer of Hoosiers and Rudy will finish the script for the movie shortly as we’re in the very early stages of that, but I like my chances with such an established and well known screenwriter. If you go to SeanStellato.com you can order the book and obviously you can get it on Kindle via Amazon. I’m going to have a Draft party on April 25th that is going to be a great night if you’re in the Boston area as it will be at the Ferncroft Country Club as it will be a chance to meet with some of the Super Bowl Champions – Jonathan, Obi, Brandon and some of the college kids. It also includes a Celebrity Golf tournament that will raise money for the Junior Golf Fund. We’ll have one of th e top Sushi Chefs in the world appearing and providing phenomenal sushi and we’ll have good Italian wines. The Draft party will also reveal the title of the children’s book. I love to read and as a kid, I read a lot of books that I couldn’t relate to.

July 19th, will be the release of my children’s book which will also be a magical day! It will be held at the historical Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA which opened in 1925. This book is a Friday Night Lights meets Harry Potter and it is a magical football story that is mostly fiction, but there is a non-fiction component to it. It takes place in my home city which I am excited about. One of the main characters is my daughter who is suffering from psoriatic arthritis and I am looking to bring awareness to this condition. It will be an evening with some of my clients and we will celebrate a post Super Bowl party as well as to unveil the book which is going to be a magical night for everyone.

Our football camp takes place July 21st and it’s our 12th year doing this. I try to make it Disney World for a day for a young girl or boy where they can attend this non-contact camp. The day is hosted by my clients and myself and they have an amazing day with goodie bags, they get autographs and they get their jerseys signed. They compete and the winners get awarded cool swag. They leave feeling so inspired and uplifted and that they can do anything and that is the message that we try to convey. No Backing Down isn’t just a book title, it’s our motto. It’s for every man, woman and child regardless of your gender. It’s for someone with a vision, someone that maybe they have been denied and told that they can’t do that they can be relentless in the pursuit of following their dreams. That is what we convey to everyone that comes through these doors. It’s my baby and it’s one day a year which takes 6 months of preparation that we try to go all out for the kids.

AM: How many kids would you say are at this camp?

SS: We get anywhere from 100-200.

The thing about this camp is, we may not have the household marquis huge names coming. But I have blue collar guys that can relate to these kids because there aren’t a lot of kids on the planet that are going to be 6’5” and 275lbs like Gronk. Someone like Jonathan Jones who is 5’9” and 180lbs and flies like the wind or like myself, I was an underdog, but if I can do it – anyone can do it. Sometimes you just need that person to just push you along to give them that advice. They can be advised and pushed in the right direction. That’s a great day obviously!

AM: How do you take time for yourself so you have what you need to fuel others?

SS: It’s a good point. I’m a stickler on my diet and on my preparation. It’s all about those endorphins, whether I’m jogging or in a swimming pool. I get a high when I get to spend time with my kids, see my daughter to play basketball, ballet or gymnastics. Occasionally, in the summer I do try to get some downtime and I love the beach and the ocean to get a little Vitamin D. Every year I spend time to take my family down to Disney World, which is a bit more exhausting than a true vacation ha! A true joy and high for me is giving back and touching lives like going to an orphanage or a Children’s Hospital. When I was trying to make it as an agent when I was nearly out of the business, I used to pray that if I was allowed to do what I do then I would make sure to give Him the glory and honor Him every day and would help kids. I stayed true to that promise when He blessed me and anointed me with this skill set to make a difference in this industry. I go to the chiropractor 2 times a week, Dr Garrity in Naherty, MA is phenomenal and he keeps me so right. My wife is an amazing cook. I'm fortunate when I’m not on the road so much, that I get those homemade meals! I’m young enough – I want to leave a mark on the life and blessings that I have got! I’m so passionate about what I am doing. I know that I always think about my ancestors who came over from a boat from Calabria, Italy with only a couple of meals and a suitcase to come and take that and run with it. I want to preserve their legacy and that is the true joy. I’m passionate about my Italian heritage and what my family went through so that I can do what I do now.

AM: Since you travel so much, what are 3 items that you always have on you/you’re carry on that you have when you’re on the road?

SS: Great point! I have to have Jesus Calling my little meditation and prayer book that has scriptures for every day that my Mother in Law gave me. It really starts my day off right. I carry a journal with me wherever I go. My wife laughs at me, but I don’t consider myself a writer, although I have written 2 books – I never know when that next thought of book might come into my mind. I just shut down and take an hour or two to write. I’d hate to forget something that – I mean Walter Payton who I loved, used to have old school pictures of his family. So I have 16 pictures in an album in my portfolio – my wife, my kids, my dog, my parents – at the end of the day, I reflect on that when I need it. This journey isn’t all vertical and I have people that care about me, love me and support me – it’s not just for the man in the mirror. Those are the 3 and I feel like I missed something but I know it’s only three and I hope that they are ok ha!

AM: It’s what you do and it’s more than ok!

FASHION CREDITS

OBI MELIFONWU PG 16, 32, 36 | NATALIE FEDNER David Bowie Tank | G STAR Denim | FERRAGAMO Belt | YEEZY ADIDAS Sneakers | PG 18 - 23, 29, 30 +_ BACK COVER | CLAUDE RUSSELL NYC Zipped Mesh Jacket | G STAR Denim | ETHIKA Underwear | FERRAGAMO Belt | PG 38 | TED BAKER Sweatshirt | G STAR Denim | YEEZY ADIDAS Sneakers | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Super Bowl Champions Player's Sweatshirt |

JONATHAN JONES COVER, PG 40 - 47 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS SUPER BOWL Game Day Player's Jersey | PG 16, 18, 26 - 37 | TED BAKER Blazer | HANRO Tee | ALL SAINTS Jeans | OFF-WHITE Sneakers |

BRANDON KING COVER, PG 40 - 48 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS SUPER BOWL GAME DAY Player's Jersey | Adidas | PG 16 -33, 37 | TED BAKER Short Sleeve Woven | KINROSS Cashmere Blazer | EMBELLISHMENT Jeans | PG 34 | KINROSS Cashmere Ombre Sweater |

SERAFINA TRIBECA FOOD CREDITS

Throughout the cover shoot, we shot within Serafina Tribeca's restaurant and in addition to the New England Patriots' Super Bowl Champions and their sports agent, Sean Stellato - we also had Christian Ferrara, the General Manager of the eatery included in our shoot who also shared a few dishes that appeared in the shoot as well as suggestions on what you should try when stopping in for a bite, wine or a few cocktails:

. 18oz Ribeye

Grass fed Ribeye simply marinated in extra virgin olive oil, pepper, touch of garlic and rosemary for three days. After that, naturally grilled without adding any butter.

It comes with crispy and flavorful roasted potatoes and string beans.

. Rigatoni Bolognese

Rigatoni al dente with the finest homemade 100% beef sauce.

. Spaghetti Carbonara

As our tradition says, we only use crispy pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months aged and Pecorino, eggs and crushed black pepper.

. Pizza al Tartufo Nero

Our secret recipe made from a bouquet of Italian cheeses, black truffle carpaccio and white truffle oil.

. Short Ribs

Slow cooked (4.5 hours) short ribs in our Chianti Riserva red wine, mixed vegetables and homemade gravy sauce Served with saffron risotto and Tuscan mushroom porcini crostini.

IG Stay in the loop with what the New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII Champions are up to: Jonathan Jones @GetItOnJones31, Brandon King @_King205, Obi Melifonwu @Obi_1nOnly, their sports agent Sean Stellato @SeanStellato and one of our favorite places to dine @SerafinaTribeca.

Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see All in Together Now in mag.

THE HUB WITH AL HORFORD

The month of February has a lot going on in the sports world. While our cover men enjoy their recent Super Bowl win, a number of people are focused on the NBA's All Star Weekend, which takes place this month in Charlotte. Just like fans enjoy attending this game, a number of your favorite NBA athletes enjoy this celebration of basketball. We took a few minutes to chat with Al Horford, the 5X All Star for the Boston Celtics to find out how he fell in love with the game, what All Star Weekend means to the sport and any midseason info he can provide on how his team is doing!

ATHLEISURE MAG: So recently Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, called you the perfect modern day center that is the hub of the Celtics. How would you describe your roll on the team?

AL HORFORD: I think my role on my team is to make sure that defensively, I am bringing energy, that I’m a presence on defense and rebounding. On offense, that I do whatever the team needs me to do in terms of scoring, passing, setting screens and things like that. Just making sure that I am playing with high energy and a lot of pace.

AM: Nice so, you’re all about balance and performance in terms of recovery and nutrition, what’s your day like heading into a game and your day of activities. Then what do you do after the games?

AH: Usually before the games, I’m trying to get a lot of fruits, vegetables, proteins and just having a very balanced diet. Then after the games, and this may surprise a lot of people, but my go-to drink is chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has everything that I need to recover. It has the carbs, the proteins, the electrolytes and all the good stuff that I need to feel at my best the next day.

AM: Interesting, as the newest athlete/partner with the Built with Chocolate Milk Campaign, what does this campaign look like?

AH: Obviously, it’s encouraging a healthy lifestyle, that for me really focuses on my recovery as an athlete, a person that just worked out and trained. Chocolate milk is a great source to drink after you finish your workout and the best thing about it is that it is backed by science.

AM: With All Star Weekend taking place this weekend, what is it about this weekend that is exciting as a player, whether you’re participating as a player or just to be there to support the love of your teammates?

AH: It’s just a great celebration to be able to go there in the same building with all of these great players. There are a lot of former players that also join in. A lot of NBA legends and all that and you’re able to see all these people and everyone celebrating basketball. You have the dunk contest, the 3 Point contest, the actual game. It’s just a great time for families and it’s great for the fans to just go out there and enjoy that weekend. There is just so much out there going on. Anytime that I have gone out there and had the chance to do it, I have always felt very lucky and fortunate.

AM: Well obviously you’re on the road quite a bit. So what are your 3 must have items that you like to take with you on the road?

AH: Well that’s a good question. My three must have items is my Bible, my iPad and my headphones. Those three things are definitely always with me.

AM: Well we know that you mom is a sports journalist and is one of your biggest fans, what did she instill in you that helped you to navigate this sport?

AH: My mom is very passionate as a Hispanic/Dominican mother she is always very passionate. She’s always instilled this in me and my dad actually played professional basketball. So my interest came because of that, but if it wasn’t for my mom and her enthusiasm and energy, I don’t think that I would be in this position. She has always been so encouraging and so upbeat to be the very best that I can be.

AM: We’re all about tribes, people that connect to you and also build you up here at #TRIB3GOALS, who are 3 people that you would identify with that are your go to people as inspirations for your career?

AH: That would definitely be my mom who has built me up in that sense, and also I have been fortunate to have great coaches around me growing up. My college coach is actually the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder right now is another person, Billy Donovan that has always encouraged me. I’d also say my grandfather, he is one of my biggest supporters and growing up he has always been there to give me confidence.

AM: Are there any midseason predictions that you can share with us about yourself, team, your goals etc?

AH: Yeah I think that in the midseason, a team is starting to really understand how we need to play to be that great team that all our friends want and expect us to. I think that we’re playing much better basketball. The key for us is that we get all players healthy at the same time and that we play consistently at that high level. The playoffs are around the corner and it’s the time that you look forward to to be a part of that!

IG @AlHorford

Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Hub with Al Horford in Mag.

HOW TO DRESS | FOR A LITTLE SLOPE TIME

Read more from the Feb issue of Athleisure Magsee How to Dress | For a Little Slope Time in Mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #39 FEB 2019

This month Athleisure Mag is covered on both of its covers by Brandon King, Jonathan Jones and Obi Melifonwu of the New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII Champions and the shoot took place at Serafina Tribeca. We interview them about the win as well as their passion for the game. This issue also includes interviews with Boston Celtics' Al Horford, producer and entertainer Drumma Boy, Celebrity Chef and TV Personality Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster, WE TV Marriage Bootcamp's Dr. V and fashion designer, Christopher Raeburn.

Read the latest issue here.

CREATING SUPERHEROES WITH LACEY STONE

When you think about it, as many people as there are on the planet, the world is very small and here in NYC with so many different people, there aren't that many degrees of separation between you and someone else - even if they are on a completely different coast or continent.

We respected Celebrity Fitness Trainer Lacey Stone's craft, hustle and approach to fitness and seeing her on E! Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian. Since have her in our feature, NEW YEAR, N3W YOU, our worlds collided again right before the holiday season to talk about her partnership with Core Power Protein Shakes by Fairlife, her approach to training her clients, the miracle that is the human body, owning our super hero and her new partnership with The Wall, which avid readers of Athleisure Mag will remember from our Athleisure List feature from a few years ago. For our Athleisure Studio podcast listeners, there are portions of this interview that were included in Lacey Stone's episode of #TRIBEGOALS, which was released earlier this month and there are conversations in this issue that were not part of the podcast as well.

As the Jan issue is focused on New You, we knew that we wanted to bring the necessary tools and resources to kick your year off right. As we analyze how we will be adding new things into our workout and areas we want to target for our physical goals, we also need to be aware that we have to replenish our bodies, which is where Core Power Protein Shakes by Fairlife comes into play. Recovery is an important tool to bring back nutrients and nourishments into your body so that you can optimize all of your efforts, the brand's release of this new product is available now with flavors that include Banana, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla. It is lactose free and has 26 grams of protein! With the first ingredient being filtered milk - there are no powders, artificial flavors or additives in it so you can enjoy a silky, smooth, and creamy taste while enjoying dairy protein with natural casein and whey, which is an essential to recover after a workout.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have interviewed a number of Olympians, celeb fitness trainers, athletes etc and we just launched one of our new podcasts, The Road to Tokyo 2020 where we talk to athletes that are working on their Olympic run from their training as well as recovery and other events taking place in their lives. We also have #TRIBEGOALS, which is all about changemakers sharing about their tribes and those that they are involved in, how they started and lead a variety of fields.

We find that in speaking to athletes and those who enjoy working out, our conversations tend to go into not only the work- out, but the pillars of recovery from those that are physical like foam rollers and pain management tools, to those that are consumables, so this is definitely a great topic to cover for our readers of Athleisure Mag, as well as those listeners who listen to our shows on our multimedia podcast network, Athleisure Studio! As we get older, you need to start implementing to replenish your system as your body will continue to do what you want it to do, but you also need to make sure you are giving it the proper nutrients as well. You feel the difference when you’re not properly nourished. When did you know that you wanted to be in the fitness industry?

LACEY STONE: I was an athlete my whole life and it was so organic to me. There is a basketball court near my hotel and I can’t even... I’ve been in NYC for three days on this tour and when I have downtime, I love going to some shoots. I can’t believe that all my shots were going in and I still had it! So I always played sports and then I moved to New York when I was a kid and I tried to work at MTV and I just kind of saw what it was like to not be able to wear sneakers anymore. As a production assistant, I saw how unhealthy people were so I got a side job to work as a trainer at Equinox and I saw what you could be in the fitness industry before it was anything. It was right at the beginning when they were starting to sponsor us as Nike athletes and I thought, this is it. I knew I could make an impact in this industry because it was so organic. A lot of what I saw at the time – there were no HIIT interval classes. I was one of the first HIIT interval classes. I couldn’t really go to the beat and everything was dance.

Coming out of dance, they were taught to look the part and I was never trained to look the part. I was taught to be the athlete so my body had to be a weapon, not pretty. I was like, the women in this industry need to understand that it’s not about how you look, but it’s about how you feel and how strong you are. That’s what I have stood by the whole time and that’s why this is so organic because women don’t realize how strong they are. So when I kick their butt and compliment them, they’re like, “am I?” And I’m like, girl, you’re waking up at 5am, putting on your superhero leggings, coming to me to let me kick your butt in a way that you didn’t even know that I would, and then you’re kicking butt in the office – especially here in New York or in Chicago, and then you’re going home and cooking dinner and making sure the family is taken care of, the husband – whatever and there’s kids as well. So you guys have to take care of yourself, you have to eat – women forget to take care of themselves. Not only with the food, but their heart.

AM: We loved seeing you on E! for Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian – you have a whole psychology element to how you train your clients. Do you find that draining as a trainer because you're fixing the body and then you're getting into the mind with that inter- play?

LS: Sometimes it can get really emotional and people have different issues. But it is really rewarding to watch someone’s eyes go from “I can’t” to “I can”. Not only in the gym, but outside of the gym, because I am trying to create superheroes. I am – in the sense of knowing how powerful you are. A lot of times when people are blocked in how hard they can run on the treadmill or how much they can lift weights because they don’t think that they are strong enough, I go back to what happened to you – who told you this? It doesn’t happen as much with men as they are like, “I used to be like this and I am going to go back to this” and when my clients cry – everyone cries who works out with me – everyone does. I have been through a lot and I can look at someone’s eyes and see that there is something there. So I will ask them what is going on to find that motivation that will help them through the rest of their life and finding that thing that is making you not believe in yourself.

It’s the moment that I feel like I have changed them when I can get to that point. Yes there is a lot of stuff that goes on with someone when you get there and there is a lot that happens after that point as well. Right now, I am dealing with someone that she is so scared of the release that she is having that it’s making her want to hide again with the pain that she has had. The more that you repeat a negative pattern, the more that it becomes a reality and you get addicted to the chaos and you don’t even know how to live without it. I majored in psychology in college and I believe that fitness starts in the mind before the gym. So the answer is, it is draining at times but there is draining in any job and I feel that my skill set is different than other trainers that I have been able to help people change their body and I have been fortunate to help people get through divorces, deaths, quitting jobs and making companies. We're finding that now in launching my virtual training platform that it is a competitive market. Everyone is launching one and if you want to write what’s the future of fitness? Virtual – beyond – beyond. People are coming up to me saying, "can we use your body and the way you speak and put it in AI and make you show up and walk around?”

AM: Absolutely, if you have a trainer that you like, being able to have that access and their voice in your head while you workout without them being there is huge. It motivates you and encourages you to continue your process.

LS: Yes and there are sensitive suits with sensors so that when you wear it while working out, you can feel my hands on you. It’s all about algorithms which is why you’re able to open your phone with your face. There is an algorithm that senses your face for your nose, mouth and eyes. So these suits sense the algorithm of shoulder, it’ll be a process, but it will happen sooner than people think. My point of differen- tiation than other trainers is for me to get into this for this side of fitness. I believe that emotional health is the most not talked about thing in the world. You’re supposed to be tough, you’re supposed to handle your life, you’re not supposed to have feelings of insecurity or doubt and if people do – especially in New York if they sense it, they say, “I see the blood. You’re done.” I want to help people make themselves healthy. They can tell me and if I am out of my depth, we will go to a therapist, but tell me where your weakness is and let’s work on that and not have it get in the way of your fitness, your relationships and in the way of you.

AM: Wow. So for you, what are 3 routines that you do for yourself that you enjoy doing whether it's for your fitness or the entire mind/body balance that are your cornerstone for getting you from day to day?

LS: I have the 3 pillars of your life which is personal, professional and physical. Those are the 3 things that make a human being. What is personally happening? Who do you surround yourself with – the truth? Do you surround yourself with trends and all of that or people that don’t believe in your magic? Life is a superhero movie there are evils out there and they can take you to the darkness or you can be the superhero that continues to show up and be the light that doesn’t allow it to takeover you, which the more people that get taken over, the harder it will be for us to succeed. So personally, what’s going on with my relationships and my family? I am always working on bringing goodness to them so that I feel good with what’s going on.

When I wake up, I play, Sia’s The Greatest – that’s my alarm. “You’ve gotta have stamina – uh oh – I’ve got stamina,” you know that’s one of the lines in the song! Professionally, what are you doing? Is it lighting you up and a lot of people didn’t figure that out at a young age and that’s something that you have to be good at. You’ll have to find something else that lights you up in your life. Physically are you injured – do you take care of yourself? What are you putting inside of your body to make you succeed?

Everyday, I try to get an A to create balance in those categories. Somedays maybe I don’t do as well in one category, but at least I know that I am doing my best everyday. I train people to do that. When you do that for a week, you feel amazing and imagine if you did that every single day. Every time I fall down in my career, I remember the people that I have trained and how I have told them that they have to get up and it makes me do it or otherwise it would make me a phony – and I’m not a phony!

AM: Wait are you writing a book? The force that you are with the honesty –

LS: Let’s write a book!

AM: It’s just amazing because what you are saying is applicable to just life.

LS: That is my point of differentiation and that is what I am trying to communicate to people more. As you know, the landscape is changing very quickly and trying to figure out how to make it happen. No one reads anymore – maybe we do, but things are based on an image and a copy and it has to be short and powerful when it’s on Insta- gram. You have to hit people at their heart, which I am good at. Yes I want to make people feel like they can do it – I’m working on it! With the virtual platform I am working on it in terms of writing a book.

AM: In terms of recovery, what are all the things that people should be doing – especially women?

LS: It’s really important for them to think about taking care of themselves, and women don’t. If you’re kicking butt and many women are thinking of wanting to lose weight, you want to fuel your body so that it can be successful. If it’s operating at a deficit it’s going to break down mentally or physically. You know it! I see it over and over again. That’s why I suggest people use this and it sounds like a commercial and it’s not, but I wasn’t really sure. You know you get a product and you’re not really sure, but for me, I try it out for a while before I agree to work with it.

I started with the milk by Fairlife and I said, “I don’t know Alex” – who is my manager. I just threw it in my bag and I’m a busy human. So I’d drink it and I was worried because of every- thing that they say – milk will it bloat me? What will happen and it didn't - it gave me a surge of energy and you start believing the media as well, al- though I know know what’s right and what’s wrong and I would drink it and feel a goodness about my body and it brought me home to the truth of – I’m from Wisconsin and I was like, this is what it tastes like, it’s pure and not watered down. It’s good, silky, creamy and you need to fuel your muscles after working out and you just need to fuel yourself. So I suggest - which is scary for women to eat. What I deal with, is people that are so confused by everything out there, which is why I try to be truthful so that people believe me. Sleep – what are you doing guys? Sleep and water – the toxic environment of what your body is around means that you have to put the good things in balancing it out – the evil and the good.

AM: What does this partnership with you and Core Power Protein Shakes by Fairlife look like?

LS: Basically, it’s just me being a part of their team and doing events that we are working with them on. We want to get the product in people’s hands and introduce them to why it is important. We can’t go into details now as we’re still in the beginning stages, but if you think about it – we want to get to people’s Core Power which is what we have been talking about. It’s not just the physical, but the wholeness of the human being.

AM: What is the best approach for those that are going into the holiday season as you want to enjoy the parties and events taking place, but you also want to be in a good place to get back to hitting the gym after the season is over. How can we enjoy the season and place ourselves in the best place for meeting our goals without feeling like we have to miss the season?

LS: I think that women work so hard and don’t take care of themselves and during the holiday season, it’s a time to get connected and to reconnect with yourself, your spirit and the loved ones that you have. You need to think about going home and having sweet conversations and saying, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t here this year, but I’m here now and let’s make the most as well as to remind you how much I love you.” That’s the time to do that and you know you’re going to have to go back to war, but right now, we're at peace and let’s do that and remember how far we came. Whenever I go home, I like to drive to my highschool in Wisconsin where I was the star basketball player and just sit on the court and say that I took all of this and did something with it. If you didn’t do things with it then why – why did you stop the thing that made you feel special? Take the time to bring it back so that you have this fullness. People underestimate the human being which is made of neutrons, electrons and protons. We’re energy – we’re a miracle – how do we breathe? We’re all this special thing – our parents came together and created us and people need to take a moment and come back to that and fill up your energy and take the time to slow down and think. Don’t focus on what you need to lose weight – just focus on staying steady, go on those walks with your family, cook together healthfully…

AM: In terms of the methodology, you have some trainers that feel that if you are a certain body type, then there is a prescribed workout that you have to do or only do this over here. What’s your focus when you are working with people – is it set or individualized?

LS: It’s individualized, but for everyone, it’s back to basics. The more you do something the more you repeat something the better you will get at it – negative or positive. So, I try to see what’s the thing that I can tell that they dig. I’m good at all the different kinds of modalities so I have yoga, dance, HIIT, cardio because I want cardio and to find the fit for each of my clients. Let’s say you’re sedentary, we’re going to walk before we run. I think the best workout for losing weight is that there is an intermediate, beginner, advanced level to all programs that I do in person or online. HIIT gets your endorphins up and energy – it raises your spirit which when you feel it you want to do it again and again and it becomes addictive.

AM: Who are 3 people that impacted you - maybe there were 3 moments in your life that were hard, but they really impacted you as a source of inspiration whether you knew them or didn’t know them?

LS: I’d say my college basketball career with my coach. She was incredibly charismatic and she had a great marketing mind. We were in Maine and a top 10 basketball team. How do you recruit people to go to a place where snow is up to your knees? She was so charismatic where she drew an audience. You wanted to play in front of a full crowd. She would say that she wanted to use this as a platform to help kids and to create basketball camps so she could be a millionaire and that people would come to participate. I was like, who are you and not that money is everything, but I thought it was amazing how you can think to be a businesswoman in sports. There weren’t that many successful female coaches at the time.

Equinox, when I started where fitness wasn’t where it is today. They were innovators and they created the boutique industry and the teachers there were inspiring. I have had so many different things there.

Then my ex-wife, being in LA and facing my fears. I had been in NY where I had created this amazing business that was dedicated to helping people, teamwork and creating a legacy – I was signed by Nike and leaving NY - I did it all for love – for what my core said to do. The she left me within a couple of months and my friend died, and not having Equinox anymore and losing everything and being like, “what do I want again?” and having the time to do that. Kind of starting to drink too much and starting to be depressed and I got a little suicidal. I lost everything and I thought that everything that defined me – I started my program of professional, personal and physical – don’t drink, workout hard, let’s see if I can save myself. I did – I created the 8 weeks to change program for others that were going through a similar need to have a comeback – it became successful. Khloe Kardashian noticed me – a new trainer coming from NY to LA – do you know how many trainers there are in LA? I stood out immediately and they picked me for the TV show and I said, “thank you ex-wife,” had it not been for you destroying my life that it catapulted me to a point in my life that I could create a virtual platform and got a manager that is amazing that has helped me to be able to speak and be here back in NY in my time – it’s full circle. Signing with brands that I can speak authentically about them and just being the light that if I can do it, you can do it!

AM: You were on the first 2 seasons of E!’s Revenge Body by Khloe Kardashian and we remember the moment when we saw you as we had been following you years prior to being on this show and as we had you in one of our NEW YEAR, N3W YOU segments a few years ago – we were so excited to see you there and sharing your brand on that network! Will you be on the 3rd sea- son as well?

LS: I’m not coming back for the 3rd season, but I will be back for the 4th season. It was an interesting series of seasons and I have a few things going on currently and I’m kind of happy the way it came about as I wouldn’t have had time. You get so caught up on being on a show and the time it takes to be on that show that you don’t have time to develop other things. Everything I do is what I tell you. It’s a stepping stone to where I want to be.

AM: We just saw that you have partnered with The Wall! Tell us about this studio, why you will be teaching classes there and what drew you to coming there?

LS: Jason Wimberly, the founder of THE WALL, and I have been friends from afar for years. I've watched his career blossom and I have so much respect for all he has done. THE WALL recently opened and he offered to partner with me and my Trans- formative Comeback Camps. These camps included heavy lifting, HIIT, and cardio/ dance drills 2x/ week. The other big part of camp is doing 3-4 spin classes/week. When Jason told me my camps could live at THE WALL and I could teach my own signature spin class called STONEcycle. It was a no brainer. I had been working at Flywheel and leading my camps at a gym called Lockbox. When this offer came about it was too good to be true. Now all my programs could live under one roof, his. I'm soooo excited to be a part of The Hive and Jason's vision. Keep an eye on us, there are big things on the horizon. AM: What are the classes offered that you will be teaching there? LS: I will be leading My Comeback Camps which include - 8 Weeks To Change, 1 Month Mission, Reboot (2 Week Training Camp), and STONEcycle.

AM: We could chat with you all day as you have so many words of empowerment and motivation!

LS: I love this stuff – if you got something out of it, then I love it. AM: It’s like, mental hydration listening to you. LS: Oooo ok or mental recovery …

AM: Haha yes. When you were talking about the fact that you could be a strong person, but even that person needs to be refueled. We have a respect for your career, the fact that what you say on your platforms and how you approach things is exactly like who and what you are now, it’s refreshing as there are a number of people who they are not the same as their brand and it’s a mess. It’s always great to see the authenticity and to see that from you.

LS: Same – same.

IG @LACEYSTONEFITNESS

PHOTOS COURTESY | Lacey Stone

Make sure to follow our new multimedia podcast network, Athleisure Studio and specifically our show, #TRIBEGOALS. You can get the latest episodes when they drop by following and listening to us on your preferred listening platform (Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, etc.). You can hear the full interview with Lacey Stone now on #TRIBEGOALS.

Read more from the latest Athleisure Mag, Jan Issue and see Creating Superheroes with Lacey Stone in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

@KristineLeahy

@AmandaKloots

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

US OPEN FAT BIKE BEACH RACE MAY DOUBLE IN SIZE IN 2019

Already the largest fat bike beach race on the East coast and named one of the Top-20 festivals and events in 2018 by the Southeast Tourism Society, the US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship may double in size in 2019.

"For the past two years, the race has been limited to 100 participants," said Shawn Spencer, Race Director. "We're expecting a larger field in 2019 and had to raise the cap to two hundred."

To accommodate the increase, Spencer plans to have two race times, segmenting the elite category from the intermediate and beginner groups, limiting each race to 100 bikers. "The elite racers will have the track alone for the first time," said Spencer. "The elite, intermediate and beginner races will be more exciting with less congestion on the track."

The 5th annual US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship will be held March 22-24, 2019, with activities and races based at host hotel Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach. Blockade Runner is expected to reopen in early Spring following extensive repairs due to damages from Hurricane Florence.

"We'll have some cash prizes this year thanks to our presenting sponsor Alpha Mortgage," said Spencer. "This will attract a higher number of elite racers."

"The elite race requires conditioning beyond any other type of sport, plus the mental fortitude not to quit regardless of your suffering. It's just hard," said Spencer. "Skill is also needed to manage a fat bike through obstacles and tough terrain."

"With two months to go, we already have 73 bikers signed up for the races," said Spencer. "These athletes represent 39 communities in seven states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York." Spencer expects a full slate of 200 bikers in 2019, and is awaiting registrations from Georgia, Florida, Michigan, and California.

"The return of the last three champions is creating excitement surrounding the 2019 women's elite race," said Spencer. Mount Airy's Philicia Marion (Cycleworks Xpedo Professional Mountain Bike Team presented by Vittoria), will defend her 2018 championship against 2017 winner Zdenka 'Zoe' Worsham (Crank Arm Brewing Professional Team of Raleigh), and 2016 champ and "fat bike aficionado" Jesse Piersol of Downington, PA.

The field of women in the US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship has increased from near zero to sixteen-percent over the past four years. The growth rate is expected to continue in 2019.

The competition will be equally fierce in the men's division with a deep lineup of elite bikers seeking the top-spot. A top contender to watch is 2016 champion Robert "Fear the Beard" Marion of Mount Airy (Cycleworks Xpedo Professional Mountain Bike Team), recovering from a 2017 bike injury.

"Athletes check-in Friday at Blockade Runner Beach Resort to inspect the race conditions," said Spencer. "Saturday there will be a bike expo on the beach lawn before and after the races, followed by the awards ceremony. Competition includes a two-hour elite race; a 90-minute intermediate event; and a 60-minute race for beginners. Popular obstacles will be on the course this year with fresh surprises to challenge the bikers."

Sunday features an optional 18-mile social bike ride on the beach from Fort Fisher to Bald Head Island and back.

"It's amazing and very exciting to see so many people coming together to support the races and our community following Hurricane Florence. We are very grateful," said Spencer.

The US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship will benefit the Wrightsville Beach Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public parks and amenities for residents and the island's many visitors each year.

Get the latest from Athleisure Mag

BINGELY STREAMING

VANITY FAIR

Amazon Prime

Season 1; Debuts 12.21.18

This classic novel created by William Thackeray comes to Prime Original as a 7-part miniseries that focuses on an orphan girl that climbs the social ladder of English society in the Georgian era.

Her mobility takes place in a post Napoleonic defeat. Becky Sharp is focused on rising above her station regardless of the consequences and social implications that may take place in doing so.

Every movement that drives her forward creates an entrance into King George IV's court as she breaks the hearts and fortunes of those that happen to fall between her and her ultimate ascension.

REMASTERED WHO KILLED JAM MASTER JAY

Netflix; Debuts 12.07.18

Musically speaking, there are a number of mysteries involving the deaths of great artists, musicians and performers. In 2002 at the age of 37, Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC) was added to this list. Friends and family of this artist have toiled over the DJ's unsolved murder. In Netflix's docu-series, ReMastered, each episode analyzes these deaths and in the latest installment (the first episode looks at Bob Marley's attempted assassination and the second looks at the political evolution of Johnny Cash) they investigate, "Who Killed Jam Master Jay?"

This show looks at his rise in the music industry in the 80s with Run-DMC along with interviews of those who were impressed and inspired by his work. But it all comes to a head when the series focuses on his murder when his individuals were buzzed into his Queens recording studio and moments later, they opened fire killing the hip-hop legend.

Theories of how this happened includes, looking at witnesses that were intimidated, security cameras that were tampered and more. As someone that was known as a peaceful force in the industry, the idea of having so many unanswered questions that have resulted in a lack of justice for his friends and family and no convictions is perplexing.

GLADIATOR

Spotify

Wondery

The Boston Globe's Spotlight Team sits down and investigates football's Aaron Hernandez as he climbed the ladder from high school sports in Bristol to playing with the New England Patriots and hitting the stage of the Super Bowl. But as quickly as he moved closer to his epic dream, he found himself a convicted murderer years later.

The investigative team looks at the story of Anthony Hernandez's life through the crimes he committed and how football via brain damage may have contributed to his violent behavior. Were his sexual interests in a masculine football culture also an element to how he approached his life? Did elite coach interests trump his needs when he wasn't ready to participate as a mature adult despite his skills? The podcast shares new documents as well as audio about his life, death and what has taken place since.

See more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and read Bingely Streaming in mag.

CURLING + CATCHING WAVES WITH SARAH POTEMPA

When it comes to getting glamorous hair many of the world's celebs turn to Sarah Potempa, a bicoastal hairstylist whose clientele includes: Lea Michele, Emily Blunt, Ana de Armas, Busy Philipps and Millie Bobby Brown. Editorially, her work has graced shoots for Vogue, Paper, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and W. In addition, she has been the hair partner for a number of Fashion Week shows as well as Victoria's Secret shows. She is the Creator and CEO of the best-selling Beachwaver Co. curling iron and styling tools.

We took some time to chat with this hair visionary to find out about how she came up with this successful line, upcoming launches and her participation as a partner in the World Surf League as the title sponsor of the first ever Beachwaver Maui Pro.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the a-ha moment that took place for you to create The Beachwaver Co.

SARAH POTEMPA: My “aha” moment came when I was on the phone with a beauty editor describing how to get gorgeous, red carpet worthy waves at home. I explained to the editor, as I had done many times on tv segments, how-to videos, and beauty articles, how you had to hold the curling iron upside down and wrap the hair backwards. She said it was too confusing to write "upside down and backwards" and sounded difficult to do on your own hair. So when we hung up, I sat down and drew out the idea to have an iron that could be held upright, allowing you to curl both sides of your hair seamlessly with the push of a button. I saw a need for a curling iron that all women could use on themselves; one that would give incredible results without a hairdresser.

The Beachwaver is a rotating curling iron that you hold upright. It rotates in both directions and you control it with the touch of a button! All you have to do is clamp the hair, tap the arrow away from the face, hold the barrel for 3-4 seconds and release straight down for a perfect wave. It also has 350 custom parts and 3 computer boards, which control features like the digital temperature setting, dual rotation, and heat up and rotation speed allowing for more customized use.

AM: With the holidays coming up, what are items from your line that we should make sure we’re gifting to others or snagging for ourselves?

SP: We recently launched our Beachwaver S Series in a Dual Voltage model; this is a perfect holiday gift as it has the same user-friendly functions but is compatible internationally so it can travel with you anywhere! Its ceramic, rotating barrel provides easy, quality waves in minutes! The new launches from our new Beachwaver Co. Collection are must-haves as well – Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray to create a protective barrier while heatstyling and Second Chance Dry Shampoo to revive your hair and restore fullness. The holidays are a busy time so all these products combined will make sure your hair can withstand 2nd or even 3rd day hair, and make touch-ups super easy and quick.

AM: Tell us about your sponsorship of the World Surf’s League Maui Women’s Pro Championship – how did it come about, what will you be doing in this partnership and how synergistic is this with your brand?

SP: The Beachwaver Co. is thrilled to be partnered with the WSL as title sponsor of the first-ever Beachwaver Maui Pro. This partnership extends beyond a shared love of beautiful beaches and perfect waves. We are proud to partner with such strong athletes and role models and I am so excited to work with these incredible women, with equally incredible stories, who are inspirations to people around the world, and who inspire us, too. Our brand shares so many of the same philosophies as the WSL, between innovation, women’s empowerment, inspiration, and especially the fact that they just announced equal pay for all athletes – so amazing! We are the brand known for creating gorgeous beachy waves so it just made sense to partner up with the WSL and these phenomenal athletes and bring our fans and audience along to Maui as we chase the perfect wave together!

AM: With the holidays coming up, we all love doing something fun with our hair. What would you suggest as an easy quick do and let us know the tools of the trade that we need to get to do it.

SP: I love this Double Half-Up with Braids and Beachwaves using the Beachwaver and these super cute accessories we just launched. This is a really fun and festive look to try for the holidays!

Step 1. Prep the hair using The Beachwaver Co. Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray. Section off the top half of your hair and divide into two equal parts. Pull each section into a high ponytail and secure with an elastic.

Step 2. Using The Beachwaver Co. Half Up, create two topknots by pulling each ponytail through the Half Up and slide it towards the ends. Roll the Half-Up down towards the base and bend each side under. Create two 3-strand braids under each topknot and secure the ends with an elastic. Take two of The Beachwaver Co. Velvet Bows and clip directly underneath each topknot.

Step 3. Curl using The Beachwaver S1.25, rotating the hair away from the face and finish with The Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray for additional lightweight hold.

AM: Are there new products that you are releasing next year that we should keep an eye out for?

SP: Yes! Creating innovation in product development is a huge passion for us as a brand. With the success of the patented Beachwaver® Tools, our fans were constantly asking for products to pair with their Beachwaver or Coast Pro styling iron! As a women owned company, we wanted to create a vegan, cruelty-free line that was free of negative energy and we have spent over 2 years creating innovative formulas with strengthening benefits, as well as styling. The Beachwaver Co. Collection products are free of parabens, formaldehyde, sulfates, mineral oil, benzophenone, and phthalates, and that’s something my sisters and I are so proud of. We worked closely together on this for years and felt that we had a responsibility to future generations to create products that are not only good for humans, but also for the environment. Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray and Second Chance Dry Shampoo are available now on Beachwaver.com and more will be launching in early 2019 so keep your eyes peeled on Instagram @sarahpotempa and @thebeachwaver!

AM: How are you spending the holiday this year?

SP: With my family!

AM: How do you take time for yourself to ensure that you have appropriate downtime?

SP: One of my favorite ways to unwind in my downtime is with Green tea, a piece of dark chocolate, listening to the Avett Brothers on our record player and sitting by the fire! I also have two kids and a huge 125 lb. Alaskan Malamute puppy!! On our days off, we love to go to the dog park, cook brunch, and go on a bike ride through the forest preserve by our house! To really unwind and relax, I go to hot yoga with my sister and get a good iced coffee cold brew after!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the chance to talk to Australian 6X world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore briefly about her win. Since her entry into women's professional surfing in 2007, she has dominated the scene by winning her first world title as a rookie, then 3 consecutive world titles (no other surfer in men's or women's) can claim this accolade! In addition to her 6 ASP World Titles, she has 24 Elite World Tour victories as well!

What does it mean to take this title at the Beachwaver Maui Pro and what is the state of women's surfing now?

STEPHANIE GILMORE: This season has been incredible and to win my 7th WSL Title in Honolua Bay at the Beachwaver Maui Pro was so special. Women's surfing has never been in a better place - the level on the tour just keeps going up and up, the recent prize money equality announcement was groundbreaking and the amazing support of brands like Beachwaver is so important. I can't wait for 2019!

PHOTOS COURTESY | BEACHWAVER + WSL

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Curling + Catching Waves with Sarah Potempa.

ATHLEISURE STUDIO | INTRODUCING THE ROAD TO TOKYO 2020

What does it take to be an athlete that dedicates years to making a national team and to compete on a global stage for the coveted medal that defines their career. We all enjoy watching the Olympic Games whether it’s a sport, a specific athlete or just getting into the competitions. Before they hit the stadium, there are years of work, drive and focus that take place with countless training session, coaches, and qualifying competitions. Athletes come from various backgrounds and walks of life. They sacrifice their lifestyle, homes, jobs and personal life to prepare for and win these monumental moments and leave a lasting legacy.

The Olympics is a registered trademark of the International Olympic Committee.

The Road to Tokyo 2020 is produced and mixed by the team at @AthleisureStudio

AthleisureStudio.com/TheRoadToTokyo2020 | Instagram: @TheRoadToToyo2020 | @AthleisureStudio

WHEN FANTASY IS REALITY WITH FIELD YATES

This month's cover is graced by Field Yates, an NFL Insider for ESPN who contributes analysis, breaking NFL news and fantasy football for the network. We enjoyed catching up with him to know more about how he got into the industry, shows he's on and more about Fantasy Football.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized you wanted to work in sports?

FIELD YATES: For as long as I can remember, I wished to work in sports. I often joke that I had an early realization that my future in sports was not going to be on the field forever - my college career at Wesleyan University on the football and lacrosse teams - was inglorious. But, without hesitation, I always knew that I wanted sports to be a foundational part of my life. So much of my life has revolved and will continue to circle around sports, which I'm grateful for everyday. So while pinpointing a specific moment is difficult, I'm hard pressed to remember a time when I didn't envision a career in sports.

AM: We know prior to coming to ESPN, you worked in the front office on the staff for scouting and coaching. Tell us about your background and how you transitioned your career into joining the ESPN family.

FY: My career at ESPN was, well, not by design. My desire growing up was to enter into the world of football coaching, and after spending several training camps working with the Patriots during my high school and college years, I was hired by the Chiefs in 2009 following my graduation from Wesleyan University. My summers with the Patriots were a combination of scouting and coaching duties, learning the ins and outs of each while contributing in any way that was asked of me. I draw the parallel to learning a new language: for me, training camps were my football Rosetta Stone. Learning from an organization with incredible success was my foundation and my time in Kansas City (2009-2011) provided me with a chance to put my football education into action. Both were truly remarkable opportunities.

AM: What shows on air as well as on the podcast are you a part of and tell us about these as well?

FY: My role at ESPN has some elements of a utility player, as my assignments span across almost anything tied to football. During the season, I serve as the co-host of the Fantasy Focus Football podcast with the amazing Matthew Berry and Stephania Bell. Our show is live-streamed daily on Twitter, making it a bit different than a traditional podcast -- it's TV-lite. On Sundays, I appear on our popular Fantasy Football Now show, with in-season work on NFL LIVE, SportsCenter and any other football-related segments on other shows. My work also includes extensive ESPN Radio opportunities and some writing for ESPN.com.

AM: What is an average week like for you as we know you are at ESPN HQ as well as work out of Boston?

FY: During the season, my week lays out as such: I depart Boston first thing Sunday morning, arriving to Bristol by about 7:30 AM in advance of our meeting for Fantasy Football Now. From then until Friday afternoon, I remain in Bristol (I'm familiar with all of the local hotels near Bristol by now!), as our podcast airs every Monday-Friday. It's a blitz from Sunday-to-Friday, but one that seemingly goes by at the speed of light. Between TV obligations, the podcast, developing our weekly rankings for those who play Fantasy Football and so much more, there is rarely a dull moment.

AM: How do you take time for yourself with such a busy schedule?

FY: My goal is to carve some time each day for myself to unwind from the ever-moving football news cycle. I'm a morning person - always have been - so my days begin with a workout every day. It's a chance to decompress and set the tone for the day ahead. As a creature of habit, I know that bypassing on a workout in the morning will inevitably result in it falling by the wayside later in the day. Get up and get going is my mindset.

AM: What is it about reporting about football, focusing on fantasy sports and giving fans analysis that resonates with you?

FY: I truly believe the advent of fantasy football has led to make the sport relatable in a way that is incomparable. Hardly a day goes by when I don't hear from someone who has a question about his or her fantasy lineup or favorite team. That connectivity to fans, readers, followers, listeners, viewers, etc. is something I am truly inspired by. The appetite for football is insatiable; from the 17 weeks of the regular season to the playoffs, the draft, free agency and so much more, everyone seemingly loves football!

AM: What is your personal style when you're on the air, when you're podcasting and when you’re at home with friends and family?

FY: I aim to be myself above all else. That's the starting point for how I approach my work, as it's easy to see others in the world of reporting or podcasting and try hard to emulate their style. But that is what works for them; it's important to be authentically yourself in any walk of life. Style-wise, specific to apparel, my goal is to always look sharp: an outfit that you aren't trying to draw attention to, but an outfit that when people see it, they understand there was thought put into pulling it together.

AM: How do you stay in shape? What are 3 of your go to workouts?

FY: My workouts do tend to go into phases: sometimes they involve more weightlifting, while other times I place more of an emphasis on cardiovascular activity. But three workouts that you can never go wrong with: a run around the Charles River in Boston, any sort of core workout and a full-body exercise.

“My desire growing up was to enter into the world of football coaching, and after spending several training camps working with the Patriots during my high school and college years, I was hired by the Chiefs in 2009 following my graduation from Wesleyan University.”

— Field Yates

AM: What's on your playlist when you're working out and what do you listen to when you're hanging out?

FY: The world of podcasting is not one I live in simply as a host; I'm a huge consumer of podcasts as well. Be it the other fantastic podcasts we have on our ESPN feed (Adam Schefter or Mina Kimes football-themed shows) or anything related to the NBA - I'm a hoops junkie - podcasts are a perfect workout soundtrack for me.

AM: In Boston, where would we find you grabbing a drink/getting a meal, working out and shopping?

FY: Boston has such a great mixture of culinary options and I'm fully convinced its on the rise. Our local seafood is as good as and deserves to be advertised and the next time I ever grow tired of eating lobster will be the first time. During the summer, the Seaport area has seen tremendous growth, becoming one of the best areas to spend time in its mixture of top restaurant options, activities and shopping make it a can't miss Boston spot. For my favorite sandwich in the city, 3 Little Figs in Somerville is hard to beat.

AM: Let's talk Fantasy Football. How important is the draft and what are some tips if you are with a group you know well versus venturing out into new waters?

FY: The draft is supremely important in fantasy football, but it is unquestionably just the first step in the process. I always remind people, the team you draft is not the team you finish your season with! It's essential to be active on the waiver wire and fielding/offering up trades. Along those lines, the most important thing to remem ber in the draft is to find value; even if you start your draft with a surplus of wide receivers, it won't be long before someone with a dearth of pass catchers comes calling with a compelling trade offer. While NFL teams often draft for need in the NFL draft, draft is based for value in fantasy football!

AM: What are some surprises you've seen for this season?

FY: While I had an extremely optimistic outlook for Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, his emergence into the best fantasy football wide receiver so far in the league has been tremendous to see. He does everything well, is consistent and represents one of the best values in this year's draft. On a non-fantasy side, the robust number of trades has been fun to see as well. NFL teams have often been hesitant to make trades when compared to what we see in other major sports league (i.e. NBA, MLB, NHL), but the spike in trades has been neat in the NFL. Teams are far more wheeling and dealing than we're typically accustomed to, as was evidenced leading up to the recent trade deadline (October 30th).

TWITTER @FieldYates

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see When Fantasy is Reality with FIeld Yates in mag.

BINGELY SPOTLIGHT

Earlier this month, WWE's John Cena appeared on SiriusXM for Today Show Radio on channel 108 for his interview on "The Hoda Show" hosted by Hoda Kotb to read his #1 New York Times Bestseller, "Elbow Grease," to a group of children.

John's book, focuses on a monster truck named Elbow Grease who is smaller than his four brothers but is determined to show that he is just like his brothers. To prove this, he enters the Demolition Derby to show that he has grit and guts - even though he may not have the same amount of power as his brothers.

This picture book (which is a part of a new picture-book series) is based on John's own experiences with his four brothers growing up and is based in his foundational beliefs of his ethos: hustle, loyalty and respect.

PHOTO COURTESY | SIRIUSXM

Read more from the Oct issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Spotlight in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #35 OCT ISSUE

We released the Oct Issue a bit ago. This email lets you know that your product, brand, client etc is included in the issue. In addition, if you represent a number of brands they will be throughout the issue.

Our issue is covered by ESPN's Field Yates who is an NFL Insider for ESPN who contributes analysis, breaking NFL news and fantasy football insight year-round across the company's multimedia platforms. He appears on many shows, in addition to his host role on ESPN Radio and on ESPN Audio's popular Fantasy Focus Football podcast.

We also have a travel editorial called I'll Take Vermont with our recent trip to Stowe Mountain Lodge as well as our drive up with the GMC 2019 Canyon Denali. In addition, we have a fall editorial with DJ Eloy and model, Coco Yu/State Management rocking a number of looks in Party at Daybreak.

In addition, this issue included interviews with Jeff Franklin who trains elite canine dogs for the U.S. Military, we talked with Whitney Port of The Hills and The City about joining the cast of MTV's The Hills Reboot. This month's The Art of the Snack shares some of our favorite game time dishes from country music star and cook, Martina McBride with her new cookbook, Martina's Kitchen Mix.

Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Something You Should Know, Athleisure List, Athleisure Beauty and more roundups that focus on how to dress in a number of fall and getaway destinations.

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag.

HOW QUARTERBACK DREW LOCK MIGHT PLAY INTO NFL POWER RANKINGS

Drafting a franchise quarterback is what many underachieving teams hope for each season. In 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl with backup Nick Foles guiding them. However, for most of the regular season, it was their No. 2 pick from the 2016 NFL Draft Carson Wentz who led the way. His team ranked atop the NFL power rankings during the campaign and enters this latest season as No. 1 on a number of lists. It's no surprise that teams were seeking quarterbacks this past summer. They could do so again next draft and Missouri's Drew Lock is a potential top pick at the spot.

The Walter Football website gives the latest analysis of various NFL draft prospects through their college careers. In addition, the website gives scouting reports and mock drafts to help fans get an understanding of where prospects rank. Drew Lock is a player that scouts have their eyes on thanks to his SEC record of 44 touchdown passes in a season. Lock is a 6-foot-3, 226-pound star who has passed for 3,964 yards and 44 touchdowns during his collegiate career. However, Lock's personality brings a question mark.

The scouts have given positive marks to Lock in terms of his throwing arm calling it a "rifle." They've also said he's a good athlete with a skill set similar to former NFL QB Jay Cutler. His personality brings the questions as he's been compared to the New York Giants' Eli Manning. That's not a bad comparison, though, as Manning is a two-time Super Bowl winner. Still, some scouts feel Lock's personality may not fit what some NFL coaches and general managers want in their locker room.

It's noted that Lock is "quiet" and maybe "a little nerdy," so he may be lacking the commanding presence that other QBs have. However, he's got the football I.Q. needed to succeed on the field as he can learn fast and pick up new things. A lot of teams will value that sort of approach and may not mind his personality as long as he's helping them succeed.

On Charlie Campbell's latest Walter Football 2019 NFL mock draft, he has Lock going at No. 25 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Campbell mentions that Blake Bortles isn't necessarily tied to the Jags for "many years to come" so they could be "looking for an upgrade." Lock could provide them with that upgrade if they're willing to gamble on him not necessarily being a vocal team leader. He's got a full college season to continue to show off his skills and impress scouts, but the personality aspect may still hamper his draft options.

Right now, Oregon's Justin Herbert is listed at No. 4 overall in Campbell's draft and would go to the Miami Dolphins as a replacement for Ryan Tannehill. Auburn's Jarrett Stidham is ranked No. 10 for the Giants to replace Eli Manning. The two-time Super Bowl champion will eventually be on the way out despite a great run with his team. It's likely that both Herbert and Stidham have stronger on-field or locker room leader type personalities when compared to Lock. That's not to say Lock isn't skilled, though.

Eli Manning and the Tennessee Titans' Marcus Mariota are considered quiet personalities, but both are highly-skilled QBs and valuable to their teams. In current NFL power rankings, these teams are just below the middle of the list, but should they surge this season, expect them to rise. That could make a decent case for taking a chance on a personality like Missouri's Drew Lock in next summer's NFL Draft.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | LIVING WITH DIABETES AS AN ATHLETE

In this month's Something You Should Know, we're focusing on Diabetes Awareness and how one of NASCAR's stars, Ryan Reed has navigated this disease and continues to advance in his sport, work with his doctor and to loop in his racing team.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We grew up watching motorsports and primarily Formula 1 as our Co-Founder is from Indianapolis and upon entering college, began enjoying watching NASCAR. How did you get into racing?

RYAN REED: My dad raced in NASCAR. I grew up in California which was kind of difference because racing wasn’t as popular there as it is in other parts of the country. There was still quite a bit of racing and of course, I loved it – love being at the track and being like dad. I started racing go carts and by the time I was 10 or 11, it was a lot more than just a hobby and it was something that I wanted to pursue as a career and to be a professional race car driver. I kind of kept climbing through racing and finally got to where I am today, which is a dream come true, being able to race fulltime in NASCAR.

AM: Can you tell us about the cars that race in NASCAR for those that may not be familar with the sport?

RR: In NASCAR, we have big heavy cars with not a lot of tire. So basically, we have a lot of horse power in our stock cars that don’t handle as good so our cornering speeds aren’t as high and our straight line speed is just as high because we don’t have a lot of force.

AM: What your next race?

RR: I have been racing fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for a number of years now so we’re a little past the half way point, about 2/3 with playoffs starting soon. So I'm getting ready for our playoffs to start and our post season. I'm getting ready for our Championship. Our season is far from over as we’re in the back half of it, but it’s in full swing right now and about to get even busier as our playoffs get here.

AM: How many hours do you spend when you’re training in the car versus fitness training outside of the car?

RR: I’d say on an average week, I don't really have that because each track is so different that a test session isn’t really applicable unless you go to that track and test it out. We do have like a Fri practice for a couple of hours, we qualify and then we race. It’s very important because it’s very limited time and our preparation before we get to the track whether the team side is preparing cars and running simulation and we have a lot of technology to set our race cars up and computer based information and as drivers, being in the gym as much as possible is about strength training and a lot of endurance training. Obviously, our races are 2.5 hours long and sometimes longer and having endurance based training is really important for us. We also have simulators that are like a video game, but a lot more advanced than that so that we can practice our craft. That’s something that has come along in the past 5-10 years that has helped everyone to get more seat time during the week.

AM: When were you diagnosed with diabetes?

RR: For me being diagnosed at 17 in 2011, so 7 years ago, I was a little different and it took me a little longer to get back in the car because when I was diagnosed, I was told that I would never race again. I had to find an endocrinologist that works with a lot of other athletes. She was the one that turned things around for me. She showed me a couple of things that I could still follow my dreams and how important it is to work with my doctor. Even today, she is a crucial part in my diabetes management and for sure, a critical part in getting me out there every weekend on the race track.

AM: What makes diabetes a challenge for someone that is participating in this sport?

RR: There is a lot going on that people don’t understand and for us, we have to deal with something that not many drivers have to deal with which is a changing blood sugar level. It’s all about preparation. Know you diet, know your body – use a Continuos Glucose Monitoring System that we can track where our blood sugar is going before the race and during the race as it mounted in the race car and we have a drink bottle with what we need in there if we need to use that. There are all kinds of things that we have that we can use to make sure everything is safe and that we’re as prepared as possible for the race ahead of us.

AM: Do you have to educate your crews that you work with and how does that work?

RR: I have worked with the same race team for 5 years now. My doctor spent a lot of time as I entered the world of NASCAR with Roush Fenway to get with the team and to work closely with NASCAR’s medical team to get them comfortable with what I was doing to get prepared to get in the race car each week. What I was doing while I was in the car to manage the diabetes and to work with the race team and the whole team knows what’s going on and knows a lot more about diabetes now than what they did before I came on. I think that all of that just shows how important my doctor is to my success and to my diabetes management.

AM: You have partnered with Eli Lilly for awhile now to share their Diabetes inititiave - what is that like?

RR: It’s been a cool program to be with as I won at Daytona and wore the Eli Lilly colors. A few years later, I was in the #teamdiabetes stories and people responded well to it. As a race car driver living this high intensity lifestyle that might be a little bit different then what people expect us to be doing and sharing it through the program is great.

AM: What should we keep an eye out for with this initiative?

RR: Eli Lilly will release a cool 5 part series on NASCAR’s YouTube channel and gives people a feel for my story. The Road to Road America is what it is called and you can find out more at DriveDownA1C.com.

IG @DriverRyanReed

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Living with Diabetes as an Athlete in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | SOURCED ADVENTURES

Founded in 2013, Sourced Adventures’ mission is to make the outdoor accessible and affordable to anyone and everyone who lives in New York City. Since then, they have expanded to more than 5 different US cities and now offer a suite of international destinations as well.

Sourced Adventures has its roots in the travel industry. The brand’s founder, Kyle Davidson was an Adventure Tour Guide in a previous life. Now, that same commitment to a great customer experience is embodied by the company’s tour guide feels as a central sentiment within the company culture. The SA Management team now consists of a diverse group of travel professionals with varied experience including the Ski industry and Outdoor Education.

We had the pleasure of attending a recent trip that left NYC and combined yoga in a vineyard, a wine tasting and some free time to enjoy the space as well as to continue drinking more wine. Day trips include your transportation, lunch on site and the opportunity to bring a group with you or to meet new people. Trips leave from two locations in the city earlier in the morning and return early evening which allows you to go home and continue your night.

Sourced Adventures has three main product offerings. The flagship products are local adventure day trips out of several US cities including NYC, DC, Boston and Chicago. The goal with these products is to make it easy for absolutely anyone to escape the city and get into the outdoors. They also have several guided and unguided international trips to destinations such as Iceland, Mexico, Scotland and more. Finally, they work with corporate and private clients to build tailor-made international itineraries or custom corporate retreats.

Feedback is an integral part when it comes to adding new adventures to the offerings at Sourced Adventures. When we attended our adventure, we noticed that a number of people had attended their Hiking and Brewing Program or had planned to do so. According to the Sourced Adventure team, this trip was included due to repeated requests from the community of travelers for a hiking trip to be offered.

---

SOURCED ADVENTURES

85 Delancey

NY, NY 10002

www.sourcedadventures.com

IG @SourcedAdventures

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Sourced Adventures in mag.

NEXT STOP, TOKYO WITH DAGMARA WOZNIAK

This month's cover is a 2 X Team USA Olympian, Dagmara Wozniak who won a Bronze Medal in fencing as a member of the Women's Saber team. With the the Olympics a little less than 2 years away, Athleisure Mag is excited to turn our attention to the upcoming summer Olympic games that will take place in Tokyo 2020. Our shoot took place at the Manhattan Fencing Center where she has trained with her coach since 2005, and we talked about her goals for the upcoming season, what drew her to the sport and the importance of bringing positivity to the game.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When we met you at your shoot, you made a great analogy to what fencing is - can you share with our readers?

DAGMARA WOZNIAK: I look at fencing as a sport with three different weapons (Epee, Foil and Saber) and you specialize in one because the tactics and training is so different in an of itself. I compare Saber, the one that I do as the Sprinter of the sport. If you look at the sport like Track & Field you have sprinting, hurdles and marathon, it’s completely different. You may have some athletes that do both, but you’re working on specific techniques for the sport itself which is very similar to fencing. People think it’s one sport and that we just change weapons, but it’s like 3 mini sports within the sport. It differs by target area, differs by tactic, and differs by training, so it’s very specific and different then what most people think.

AM: What drew you to fencing initially and then the discipline of saber?

DW: I actually started off with the original weapon which is Epee when I came first. My dad just took me to a fencing class one day and it was at the Polish Cultural Foundation and I think it was more to keep me busy and to help me practice the language as my coach was Polish. It was an after school program kind of thing and I did it once or twice a week and I just started falling in love with it.

AM: What did you like about it after you started playing in the sport?

DW: I liked how different it was. People laugh, but I was definitely a tomboy, still am and beatng up kids and not getting in trouble was great. I did karate before that and I had a lot of fun with that. I had friends who were in it with me and when I had to go up to get a new belt or whatever, they would say, “don’t hit me too hard.” I was very ready to go all out. There is something on the line, “sorry we’re not friends right now.” The whole aspect of combat sport is just very appealing to me and I liked it a lot and it’s challenging. One of the things that I have grown to like about it is that there’s a lot of unpredictable factors. You might know what someone generally does and let’s say they are having a bad day or they’re fencing much better than they have ever done before, you need to be able to adjust to things like that. So the fact that you’re not sure how someone is going to necessarily compete, you can make a plan, but that’s not what’s going on and you need to adjust or you are going to lose.

So not to take away from swimming or track and field, but the ground is never going to move from you, the water is never going to dip and become a crazy wave. It’s the fact that it’s really a battle against you and yourself. And fencing and combat sports is a battle against you and yourself and you have the variable of someone else who also has a brain and can adapt to situations and make mistakes as well and capitalize on your mistakes. I like the cliché way of explaining fencing that it’s a physical chess game and it’s spot on. I love that about it.

AM: So what was the moment that you went from enjoying this personally to realizing that you could compete professionally and go to an Olympic stage?

DW: It came very late for me I guess! It was only when I qualified as an alternate for the Beijing Olympics that I even thought about it because people said that that would be my next step to go to the games and I would say, “you’re crazy.” But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it. I was nev-er upset or felt forced that I was going to practice – I was excited. The losses were so personal for me that I would cry for hours and keep telling my mom that it would never happen again, but even though it did – I was just driven to it without having a goal. I just wanted to win and that was the first goal. But then when I was graduating highschool, I had some teachers that were like, “you know what’s next – the Olympics,” and I was like, “no my God, don’t push it.” But shortly after that, my coach was like you should start thinking about it and I thought, “wow I didn’t know that this was possible for me.” Once my coach and I kind of made a plan, it was up from there.

AM: Your first trip to the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 was as an alternate, how did that affect 2012?

DW: I qualified in 2008 as a replacement athlete and the only way that I was able to compete is if someone from my team got injured. That didn’t happen and they got the Bronze medal and because I never set foot on the actual playing field, I went home with nothing. I remember a lot of people were saying that that was as far as where I could potentially reach and what was I expecting and why I was so  upset. They kind of wrote me off from ever being an actual Olympic athlete and I told my mom, "I was there for the experience and I saw how it was and these next 4 years it will be different.” I made sure that I made a plan that was going to get me there as an actual competing athlete. So qualifying for the team for the Olympic Games in London 2012 was a highlight and so much more meaningful because of the people that said I couldn’t do it.

---

“But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it.”

— Dagmara Wozniak

---

AM: We know that you have a 4 year gap between each Summer Games. There are a number of championships and tournaments that you do in a given period of time to get onto the team for your sport (the process is different for each of the Olympic sports). What is that snapshot like for you in terms of qualifying when you are getting into the next Team USA as we’re looking for The Road to Tokyo 2020?

DW: Right so there are many sports that just went to one competition closer to Rio and it could be as soon as just a month out! But that’s just what they are used to and it’s a completely different stressful situation. For us, it’s a year long process so when we start the actual Olympic year, we go to about 10 International competitions where we compete and we get points based off of that. Because now, all the team events are allotted under one big medal, before in 2012, our team event was rotated out so the IOC didn’t allow all of the events to compete at the Olympics so 2 of the team events – all of the individual team events were there so that’s 6 events and then we only received 4 team events the - relay. So in 2012, Women’s Saber got rotated out and we only got to qualify individually. In 2016, we had the opportunity to qualify as a team and we did. It’s a different qualification process, but now we have team events for everyone which is amazing and everyone has the opportunity which is more chances for Team USA as we’re doing well right now and we can bring more medals home, and it’s great for fencing, the sport and the development.

The qualification process is different. We go to competitions, we get points based on how high we rank and it’s the first 4 teams that qualify automatically and then to finish the bracket it goes by zone!

AM: So your Olympic year would start summer of next year. But yet, you are still doing championships and competitions leading into that.

DW: Yes.

AM: You’re having a well deserved rest.

DW: Right. Our season typically started in Oct and then we have 1 competition every month. It was ok, but then I felt like it never gave me an opportunity to necessarily peak. Now, they're giving us quite a bit of an off season which is going to let us have more competitions condensed together, but right now there is an opportunity to kind of change the training style, to change the schedule and to be able to capitalize physically and mentally and then just to ride out how much work you have put in through the season. You won't feel the need to play catch up and your peeked and you're ready to go.

AM: What is your training like when you’re preparing for a typical tournament, an Olympic one and then just maintaining in general?

DW: I don’t necessarily treat the Olympics any different then any other competition. I just think that you can’t treat it differently because of the environment because that is when you are going to put the pressure on yourself and I know that there are differences as there are more people, there’s more press and more points – everything that’s for sure. That’s why going into the Olympics for London 2012 which was my first time competing, I told myself that I wasn’t going to do a lot of interviews because we don’t usually get a lot of that stuff usually during the competition and I know that that’s at least how I work as an athlete as I would get distracted by trying to give everyone a story and all of that. I felt that if the result was going to be there, then people would want to talk to me after.

I focus on preparing just like I would for any other competition. I know that a lot of people function better when they are exposed to something for the first time. I’m not going to say beginner’s luck as they go in with no expectation and for me, it’s the opposite I put more expectation in when I am doing something for the first time. Now if I qualify for Tokyo which I am very confident that I will and that it’s going that way.

I feel more confident the more times that I have been on the Olympic stage.  Through loss, through heartbreak, through everything all together it’s learning experiences that make me stronger.

AM: What does your workout look like?

DW: Right now, I’m not fencing so I am taking a small break from that, but I am working with my trainer on capitalizing on endurance. Fencing during competitions lasts throughout a whole day. There is a lot of stop and go! You compete and sit around for an hour and a half, then compete and sit around for another hour and a half. Not necessarily until you get into the finals you win and keep going and you have about an hour and a half and maybe even 2-3 hours before the next match. So it gets tedious in terms of keeping up the endurance, the stamina and the focus. What we have been doing right now as you can’t really simulate an actual competition, but we have been training really early in the morning, I have been doing a lot of crossfit lately and catering more to fencing specific stuff. I’m not going really crazy with the weight, but focusing on building short muscle and fast push muscle – going down and up. I am driving really fast up and again focusing specifically on what will benefit me and my sport, but at the same time, having the intensity of the class and the timer. The repetitiveness is all there and that benefits me. I like to change things up when I feel that I am pushing myself a little too hard. There was a good portion of the time that I was doing pilates with the reformer and some mat work. What’s great about fencing and in fitness in general. Your body is always changing whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, a women, a male, come down with a sickness etc – there are so many things that are constantly changing. I never really like to stick to something all the time and kind of plateau. Keeping the body not in a rhythm in terms of a workout which is why I like crossfit so much as there is always a way to challenge yourself. It’s not more weight in terms of taking more time if there is a 12 minute gap, so maybe you get less rounds in or you put less weight and you gauge how many rounds you get in and next time you can keep the same weight and just try to push how many things you can do to fit in the time frame.

I like pilates, I was spinning for awhile but it’s about more sport specific stuff. Making sure that the right muscles are firing.

AM: What are three go to foods for the gym and what are your splurges?

DW: You say splurge foods and it’s the first thing that comes to my mind! I love donuts – I have loved donuts forever and if you give me one, I can’t resist. The homemade ones are amazing. I love how pretty they are and how creative they can be. I’m not a fan of cupcakes or cake, but donuts – yes donuts are my thing. It’s first, second and third. I can’t choose ha!

My go-to in terms of what I’m eating when training. I like protein shakes. They are something that I definitely include post workout as a meal replacement. There is a company I like, Athletic Greens and they are safe for athletes to use and they have dehydrated greens that you can throw in your smoothie as well or in your shakes and it’s easy on your stomach and doesn’t have a metallic aftertaste like most of them do. I’m all about safety and a clean sport. Having a trusted product like that makes me feel great and since I started using that which has been awhile now – maybe a year. I have really decreased how much coffee I have been drinking. I love the taste of coffee but sometimes I forget when the last time was that I had it because the proteins and the greens give me so much energy. Thats what I'm about.

Clean food yes – I think I’d have to say that I am a Paleo/Ketogenic diet – obviously not Keto like what people are doing out there limiting carbs etc., as I think after what I have read a lot about as athletes, it's not the best things especially for women. But keeping high protein and high fat and carbs is something that I have found has given me the optimal training and recovery.

AM: We enjoyed shooting at the Manhattan Fencing Center. How long have you trained here and do you have responsibilities there as well?

DW: There aren’t necessarily responsibilities, but I do think of it as a helping hand in terms of talking to my coach about athletes and my opinion. I am more of a mentor. My fencing gym is my second home. I’m a big stickler for organization, cleaning up after or organizing the lost and found and even small tasks. I love to be respectful of it and take care of it. I hope that others do the same.

I’ve been with my coach since 2005!

AM: Beyond your sport, what else are you interested in doing?

DW: For me, I feel like I have definitely gotten involved in and interested in clean eating and watching documentaries about processed items that are in our foods and how we are slowly killing ourselves with the items that are in our foods. Like a bunch of fries that are really filling is $1 but healthy vegetables for a little snack pack is $6 or $7. A family that can’t really afford too much will go for McDonald’s and fast food stuff. It breaks my heart that there are all these monsters in our country that are destroying food. So healthy food has been a huge working area for me. I love learning about it and I am very intuitive with my body. The second I eat something, I can feel how upset my stomach is and I know it's not good for me. It sucks because donuts have a lot of sugar, not just in terms of weight gain, but it upsets my gut bacteria and I am in tons of pain. Just seeing that I want to spread the knowledge because even healthy peanut butters are actually not healthy. People think that they always have to work out and work out to do so 2-3 times a day to get to whatever your fitness is, but there is so much that can be achieved through diet and what you put into your body. I’m passionate about that.

In terms of athlete preparation, I would like to be a strength and conditioning coach myself and it has become dear to me. Not necessarily just for fencing. I think being able to compete at the highest level mentally and physically – I may not always do it, but being there and known what it takes, and having that knowledge because of my experience, I would like to take that step and prepare those athletes that want to take it to this level and if not higher.

AM: You travel a lot. What have been your favorite places?

DW: I get that question a lot and people are always surprised at my answer. I have fallen in love with Belgium. I’ve never said that I could retire and live in Europe but it’s the first place I went to when I was like, I could see myself living there in terms of the food, the culture, the people are so nice and the architecture is beautiful. There’s a coffee shop and then there is a castle around the corner, you don’t get that in the United States. It’s very interesting to see that kind of setup. This past summer, we had a training camp in Japan before our World Championships in China and I have to say that Japan is such a cool place. The people are so cool and it's just a different world over there! I enjoyed my time in Japan and you know, my heart is in Cuba and I love that place and it's the top three of where I would love to go to.

AM: Where can we find you eating and shopping?

DW: The things that I love about Jersey City and Hoboken is that there are a lot of boutique places in terms of clothing that you can find great stuff and I'm not into labels, but when I do shop for that, I love All Saints - they're rugged and raw with colors that aren't too bright. I love denim with raw materials in terms of dressing up. So I love jean shorts and a black tank top which is my go to. I'm about comfort while still being able to express myself.

There are a lot of cool cafés here. Recently, my boyfriend and I got interested in some refreshing drinks, cheese and meat platters which I love. There is a place called The Archer which has a great selection of this. Down by Grove there are a lot of cool restaurants. We don’t go out too much because we try to just focus on eating healthy and when we go out, I love outside dining and the gardens. There is a lot of that here and it’s fun to jump around.

AM: Do you do any philanthropy?

DW: I find myself getting involved with the athletes in my club and giving advice. I have worked one on one with girls in my club. The pressure of being a female athlete and it’s interesting as everyone always deals with their problems and I don’t necessarily showcase what is going on with me as I  have gone through some troubled times. When they talk to me and say, "how do you seem so calm and confident?" I'm like, "woo you have no idea! That's so far from the truth." I am a thankful that I come across that way and everyone is dealing with their issues and I try to impart some wisdom on the girls and the guys at the club.

I talk to my middle school in Avenel, NJ and I have done a few high school talks in terms of setting goals and how many times that people have come and said I couldn't do something. If you listen to what people say, you're just going to dig your own hole and never crawl out of there. Especially when you're doing well, people seem to have more things to say. I think I did a lot of listening to those people for a long time and at 21, I thought that I had it all figured out, by 26 I thought I knew more and now at 30 I'm like, "damn I'm so far from when I thought I did have it figured out!" Life is a constant learning experience and being able to walk away from people that aren't good for you and are negative – I just get involved with the kids at my club. I have had the harsh talks with other coaches on what I am capable of and am supposed to do but when you follow your own plan, that’s when you can really blossom!

AM: What are your goals for the Summer Games?

DW: I’ve set the goal of coming home with 2 gold medals for individual and the team. It’s that goal or no goal for me. Maybe it’s my last time competing or I go another 4 years, who knows. I’m doing everything I can now and not looking back to say shoulda, coulda, woulda and I have a new game plan now. I don’t have injuries, there are a lot of things that are different then when I was training for Rio than how it is now. I may not be the kid that went to every Olympics and medaled in every one, but I have the opportunity to go out there and do some damage with an individual gold medal and team gold medal - even if it's one time. That's very important to me and that puts the icing on my cake in terms of a career.

IG @DagmaraWozniak

Listen to our conversation with Dagmara Wozniak on an upcoming episode of The Road to Tokyo 2020 on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Next Stop, Tokyo with Dagmara Wozniak in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | AUG ISSUE

Our issue is covered by Dagmara Wozniak, who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic games and received the bronze medal in Rio. As she prepares to return to the Team USA team in Tokyo, we shot our cover girl at the Manhattan Fencing Center. We talk about her Olympic journey, how she fell in love with the sport, and where she has enjoyed traveling around the world.

Additional interviews include NASCAR's Ryan Reed and how he manages his diabetes; we sit down with Louisville based interior designer Natalie Officer; the power of olive oil and health is shared by restaurateur and author Chef Seamus Mullen; we talk about yachting with Adventure Chef and star of BRAVO's Below Deck Mediterranean's Chef Adam Glick; composer, guitarist, producer and entertainer Tetsuro Oda shares his love for creating music for anime as well as Rock & Roll; for fans of USA Network's The Sinner - we talk with Ellen Adair about acting, the scene of scenes in the show and how she gives back to a number of great causes; and we chat with Tia Mowry about how she and her family stays organized.

We have a number of features that are in each month's issues including The Art of the Snack - focusing on NYC's City Kitchen, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Something You Should Know, Athleisure List, Athleisure Beauty and more roundups that focus on how to dress for Labor Day Weekend, 5 must have sneakers to wear in and out of the gym. 

Read more from the Aug Issue here.

BAPE X WILSON CAMO EDITION COLLECTION

We attended the launch of the BAPE X Wilson Camo Edition Collection launch at the BAPE store right before the US Open. We took some time to talk to Kristina Peterson-Lohman of Wilson to find out how this collaboration came about.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about the relationships between the heritage of Wilson as a brand and it's relationship to tennis.

KRISTINA PETERSON-LOHMAN: Wilson was founded in 1914 and one of the very first sports it made gear for was tennis. We've been at the heart of the sport since that time.

AM: How did the partnership with BAPE come about and why is this a collaboration that Wilson would want to do?

KPL: We know that people who love tennis are looking for ways to stand out on court - even challenge the status quo of what traditional tennis gear looks like. A few weeks ago, we introduced our new camouflage "CAMO" Edition collection of performance tennis gear. The inspiration for this collection was New York - a youthful, vibrant, bustling city - and home to the only grand slam in Amerca.

The BAPE Wilson collaboration is a next step in our mission to change the game, give our players more vibrant and contemporary choices, and better connect to the lives of our players... both on and off the court. It's a unique partnership between the leader in performance tennis and the leader in premium street-style apparel, shoes and accessories. And in our eyes, there is no other apparel brand that is more synonymous with camouflage, urban, edgy street-style, and premium high end clothing than BAPE.

AM: What items are within this collaboration?

KPL: The BAPE Wilson camo racket will be available a bit later this year in BAPE stores around the world. And we look forward to sharing additional BAPE Wilson products with everyone in the next few months.

AM: In addition to purchasing at the BAPE store, is this racket available at Wilson's pop up store at the US Open?

KPL: The Wilson CAMO Edition collection is available at our retail store on the US Open grounds. The BAPE Wilson racket will be available a bit later this year in BAPE stores in the US and in Japan.

Check out the August Issue of Athleisure Mag

EVENT | THE BROOFIELD PLACE TENNIS OPEN WITH PRINCE + PRINCE PLAYERS

Prince, an American born leading global racquet sports brand, will be taking New York City in the coming weeks with Team Prince players, John Isner, top 11 ATP player, and Lucas Pouille, top 20 ATP player. Both players will take on the US Open next week using their Prince racquets.

To kick everything off, tomorrow, Sat 25th, both players will hit the courts at the Brookfield Place Tennis Open sponsored by Prince. The players will enjoy a fun public match to kick off the event with a series of contests which include a serve return and a tie break contest. Demonstrations, games and prizes will be made to the public. In addition, throughout the championship, fans should keep an eye out for Prince Ambassadors distributing free gear throughout the city.

John Isner is introducing the Beast Pro 100 LB. This version of the Beast 100 is 27.5" in length and is built to his specs which makes it heavier and longer than the standard Beast 100. It features the second generation of Textreme, a uniquely flexible material that has been updated with Twaron for more dampened feel at impact. Consumers will be allowed to purchase a version of the Beast 100 Pro in the same spec as this Prince athlete.

---

BROOKFIELD PLACE TENNIS OPEN 08.25.18 1pm - 6pm

Brookfield Place New York

Waterfront Plaza

230 Vesey Street

NY, NY 10281