OFF THE MAT | NIA DENNIS
We have been a fan of National Championship Nia Dennis' gymnastic routines for a while, but then it was her iconic routine set to Beyoncé that went viral and this UCLA athlete alum popped up on everyone's radar! We've seen her at the Met Gala in 2021 and on the Gold Over America Tour alongside Olympians Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Laurie Hernandez to name a few.
We chatted with Nia to talk about her sport, how she got into it, recovering from her injury, giving us that Black Girl Magic moment and her partnership with Pressed. In this issue, you'll also hear about her 63MIX ROUTIN3S and NEW YEAR, N3W YOU.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to gymnastics?
NIA DENNIS: When I was younger, I honestly tried a couple of other things, such as ballet, and piano lessons but I cried at every lesson! My parents told me that I used to flip around on the playground as a young child kind of unsafely lol so they decided to put me in gymnastics lessons & I didn’t cry for once!! Haha. And ever since I could remember, I’ve absolutely loved gymnastics, the feeling of flying and being free had me hooked.
AM: You tore your Achilles 3 months before the 2016 Olympics. What did you learn and how have you approached the sport since?
ND: During that time I was feeling really depressed about my injury & honestly wanted to quit the sport. I no longer found gymnastics enjoyable. Through digging deep and understanding there were other goals in the sport that I wanted to accomplish, such as, competing for team UCLA and getting an education, I discovered how resilient I was. Once entering UCLA I was able redefine my identity as a gymnast, and also rediscover the joy I used to feel for the sport. I began to approach gymnastics as I used to when I was a child, when it was fun and freeing.
AM: I remember seeing your Beyoncé themed floor routine and being blown away by the energy, skill, and confidence that you exuded. How did you come up with this routine and I know when I watched it, I loved seeing this Black Girl Magic moment and it made me proud and excited – how has it impacted you?
ND: Thank you so much!! This routine was inspired by my annual Thanksgiving trips to New Orleans. Every year we would go to battle of the bands because a lot of my family down there went to the big school that battles in the event, Grambling. I loved the majorette dancers and loved the energy they brought to performing. Ironically enough, while I was beginning to come up with my theme for my routine, Beyoncé dropped her Homecoming album that was just perfect for what I wanted to do. I wanted to bring some of Black culture to the sport of gymnastics and it was so personal to me because a lot of my family went there. The response my routine has received truly has blown me away. I feel overwhelmed with love and light. Ya know I used to be that young girl who looked up to Gabby and Dominique Dawes & representation is so important, so I feel honored to be in this position for the next generation of young girls.
AM: As an athlete, you’re always focused on optimizing your body and mind and you recently partnered with Pressed – why did you want to work with them and what are you doing together?
ND: This year it’s not about making big resolutions but taking small steps to make big changes and my first step is getting more fruits and veggies into my day. To do that, I’m so excited to announce my new partnership with Pressed and share my new Limited-Edition Nia Dennis Routine featuring my three favorite Pressed juices and three Pressed well-being shots which is available in store and on pressed.com.
IG @niaadennis
PHOTOS COURTESY | Pressed
Read the JAN ISSUE #74 of Athleisure Mag and see Off the Mat | Nia Dennis in mag.
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63MIX ROUTIN3S | NIA DENNIS
ATHLEISURE MAG | #73 JAN 2022
this month’s issue, our cover story is with 3 X Pro Bowl Indianapolis Colts' Darius Leonard. We talk with him ahead of the Pro Bowl game taking place on Feb 6th. He talks about how he came to the sport, being with the Colts, how he prepares for game day and the importance of giving back via The Maniac Foundation.We talk with TV Host and Bachelor/Bachelorette favorite Ali Fedotowsky-Manno about what it's like being on this franchise and what one can expect when signing up and we also talk about the importance of self-care and mental health. She talks about her partnership with PEBBLES and upcoming projects. We talk with TRU TV's Fast Foodie hosts Chef Kristen Kish, Chef Justin Sutherland and Chef Jeremy Ford to find out about their second season which is out now, their favorite go-to's when they're having their own Fast Foodie late night meal and their upcoming projects. Our NEW YEAR, N3W YOU comes from Team USA Surfing Olympian and National Champion Caroline Marks, 3 x NY Times Best Selling Author and Kimberly Snyder, National Gymnastic Champion Nia Dennis and PGA TOUR VP of Community and Inclusion Marsha Oliver. Ahead of STARZ's POWER BOOK IV: FORCE premier, we talk with Joseph Sikora about how he came to being an actor, playing Tommy Egan and upcoming projects. We talk with Sosie Bacon and Joe Mantegna about their series As We See It which follows 3 roommates who are on the spectrum and how they navigate life. They talk about how they connected to this series, the importance of representation and how they hope the series will be embraced. National Gymnastic Champion Nia Dennis talks about how she got into the sport, giving her Black Girl Magic moment and upcoming projects.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST is from TRU TV's Fast Foodie hosts Chef Kristen Kish, Chef Justin Sutherland and Chef Jeremy Ford who talk about what they listen to when cooking and why! Team USA Marathon Olympic Medalist Molly Seidel and National Gymnastic Champion Nia Dennis shares their 63MIX ROUTIN3S of what they do Morning, Afternoon and Night with us in a 3 page spread. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Team USA Surfing Olympian and National Champion Caroline Marks, who shares her must haves with us. This month’s 9LOOKS shares some of our favorite ensembles from Michael Costello collections.
Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Sarashina Horii in NY. This month’s Athleisure List comes from The Pilates Class and ICHIRAN Ramen NY Times Square. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.
Read the JAN ISSUE #73.
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