JUST SPIKE IT | SARA HUGHES + KELLY CHENG

We've always enjoyed watching Beach Volleyball when we're watching the Olympic Games! This year our eyes are on Team USA Beach Volleyball duo, Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng! They're a fun pair to watch when they hit the sand and we can't wait to see what they do at Paris 2024. We caught up with them to find out how they came to the sport, what they love about it, combining their super powers, how they stay in shape, Safe Sun, and more!

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

SARA HUGHES: I fell in love at the age of eight years old in Huntington Beach, California.

KELLY CHENG: I fell in love with volleyball back when I was 11 years old. I started out playing indoor and thought that was where I’d be for the rest of my life. When I tried out beach in high school… that all changed! I decided to play only beach in college and have been playing professionally ever since!

AM: What led to you choosing beach volleyball and what do you love about it?

SH: Beach volleyball has always had my heart from a young age. I love the environment and atmosphere of the sport. You have to be versatile and well versed in all aspects of the game. There are no subs or coaches when you are on the court so you have to figure out how to win with one other person beside you.

KC: I chose beach volleyball for so many reasons. The beach being my office is top of the list. Getting to be outside for so much of my life is such a joy. I love that there are only 2 people and no subs - you have to be adaptable and think on your feet. You’re so exposed out there on the court and have to figure out how to win just with you and your partner. Allowing my creativity to shine on the court is another passion of mine. There isn’t one way to play this game and I love pushing the envelope on how to play!

AM: You guys have been partners for awhile whether in high school, youth competitions, while competing at USC and beyond - tell me about your style of play and why this duo is so synergistic!

SH: We play with a lot of passion and love for the game. We are both athletic and dynamic and we love showing that on the court. We have great communication and inspire each other to get better every day and change the way the sport is played.

KC: We have such chemistry on and off the court. We connect well and make each other laugh. We enjoy doing life together. Those intangible things have always been easy for us. Now add on top of that our creativity, passion, determination - and we’re unstoppable!

AM: Kelly, you competed at the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and Sara you are looking to add this to your impressive resume! With us being 100 days out, what are the weeks ahead looking like in terms of qualifying and when you find out about getting this coveted slot?

SH: I am so excited to be going to my first Olympic Games. We actually found out a few weeks ago that we have qualified for Paris! We have 3 more big tournaments to compete in before the games but we have a solid month of training at home before the Olympics. During that time we will refine some skills, game plan, and most importantly have fun and enjoy the journey.

KC: We were pumped to qualify for Paris! It is so exciting to be going to my second Olympics. This time will be SO different. Tokyo was such a unique experience due to all the Covid protocols and it being a closed Olympics. This time around, my family will come and cheer me on!! We have a couple more tournaments worth Olympic points, but after that we get a chunk of time at home allowing us to spend time with family and prepare for the Paris Olympics.

AM: What are you looking forward to should you be able to go to the Summer Games?

SH: I am looking forward to proudly represent Team USA on the worlds largest stage. I also can’t wait to play in the stadium in Paris that will be under the Eiffel Tower.

KC: I’m really looking forward to opening ceremonies! So unique this year being on boats on the Seine River; it should be iconic. And speaking of iconic, our venue will be one of the most jaw dropping locations ever - right in front of the Eiffel Tower!

AM: What's an average week like in terms of training and working out individually as well as a duo?

SH: We train on the sand 4-5 times a week together. I am in the gym 3x a week but have routine stretches, rehab, and ab exercises that I complete every day.

KC: It depends on the week and where we’re at in season, but typically as a team, we train on the sand 4 times a week and watch film and/or have team meetings 2x a week; Solo, I do blocking work with my assistant coach 2x a week, in the gym (Stark) 3x a week, physical therapy 3x a week, sports psych once a week, and Pilates 3x a week. I also try to get a massage or ice bath in every week for recovery! It’s a full time job and I love it!

AM: Do you have any routines that you do before a match to get your head in the game and do you have anything you do after a match to come down from all that energy?

SH: I have a routine warm up that I complete that gets my body warm and ready to go. Kelly and I also share headphones and listen and jam out to music while we warm up. It is a fun way to do our individual routines but stay connected at the same time. After matches we debrief as a team and talk about how the game went.

KC: My favorite pre match routine that Sara and I do together is pray. It sets the tone for the match and always brings me back to the present and gives me perspective. After a match to cool down I love to FaceTime my family. They mean the world to me.

AM: Of course, as beach volleyball players, you're constantly in the sun, and SPF is an essential! How do you engage in safe sun?

SH: Absolutely, safe sun practices are crucial for us, given the amount of time we spend training and competing outdoors. I make sure to apply sunscreen liberally before each practice or match and reapply regularly throughout the day. The Bliss Block Star Daily Mineral SPF 30 is fantastic because it's not just about protection; it's about performance. Knowing we have a reliable sunscreen that's invisible and lightweight allows us to focus entirely on our game without worrying about sun damage.

KC: Engaging in safe sun practices is non-negotiable for us as beach volleyball players. We're out in the sun for hours on end, so protecting our skin is a top priority. I always start my day with a layer of SPF 30 sunscreen, and I carry it with me to reapply as needed. I also love how its neutralizing and almost mattifying! Teaming up with Bliss with their Block Star Daily Mineral SPF 30 is a game-changer. It's formulated to be invisible and lightweight, so it doesn't interfere with our performance on the sand.

AM: It seems like we're living in an interesting time where beauty brands are focusing on women's sports to get into their routines especially when it's being used directly in their sport! It makes sense as we can truly see how it is being used which allows us to see how it will work in our day-to-day! What do you think about this synergy between women athletes and beauty brands that are partnering in this way?

SH: It's an exciting development to see beauty brands like Bliss partnering with women athletes. This synergy between sports and beauty not only highlights the importance of skincare for active lifestyles but also celebrates the strength and beauty of women in sports. It's empowering to know that brands recognize our influence and want to support us in our endeavors both on and off the court.

KC: It's a testament to the growing recognition of the intersection between sports and skincare. As athletes, we're constantly exposed to the elements, so having products like Bliss SPF products designed specifically for our needs is invaluable.

AM: When you're not training or competing, how do you take time for yourselves?

SH: I love spending time with friends and family. They are the best support and outlets for me. I also love taking the time to read, jump in the ocean, and take a nice hot bath.

KC: I love a good self care day! A face mask, epsom salt bath, a massage, some quiet time with my Nintendo switch and I’m happy and recharged.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?

SH: Fun projects coming out with Delta Airlines, Chipotle, KT Tape, Nike, Optimum Nutrition, Eli Lilly, and NBC Sports.

KC: In January we will be running our third annual mentorship camp.

Each year in January we spend 3 days mentoring and pouring into young up and coming beach volleyball players. Usually sophomores or juniors in high school. My husband Jordan and I will ask 6 local female male beach volleyball pros (ranging from AVP champions, Olympians, and Olympic Gold medalists!) to join our camp! During those 3 days, the mentees get to partner up with their pro/mentor and train with them, eat meals together, learn from the whiteboard camps that the mentors run, and participate in fun, silly, competitive group activities together! I think the most beneficial part of camp is what comes after. We ask each mentor to try to continue investing in their mentee consistently for at least the rest of the year! The goal is to create life long relationships that allows an older figure to pour into the next up and coming generation of beach volleyball athletes.

IG @sarahughesbeach

@kellycheng

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 83 Team USA | PG 84, 9LIST STORI3S PG 89 - 94 Sara Hughes + Kelly Cheng | PG 86 Bliss |

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see JUST SPIKE IT | Sara Hughes + Kelly Cheng in mag.

FORCES OF NATURE | LAIRD HAMILTON & GABRIELLE REECE

We're excited for this month's cover as we have a powerhouse couple that is known for dominanting the beach and the water! We have Beach Volleyball great, Gabby Reece. We always enjoyed seeing her on a number of her Nike commercials, gracing the covers of Elle, and being in a number of shows appearing as herself. As someone who modeled, performed during her matches, is a TV personality, fitness/wellness expert and continues that passion of wellness with her podcasts, projects and is the Co-Founder with her husband Laird Hamilton with their brands that include Laird Superfood, Laird Apparel, and XPT (Extreme Performance Training).

Laird Hamilton is the ultimate waterman, pioneer in action sports (he is known for crossover board sports including being the co-inventor of tow-in-surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hydrofoil boarding) and big wave surfing legend! He is an inventor, author, stunt man (he performed the stunts in James Bond's Die Another Day in the opening sequence), model, producer, TV host, fitness and nutrition expert, and adrenaline junkie. His passion for wellness and nutrition, led him to him Co-Founding Laird Superfood.

Last fall, we talked with Gabby Reece and we knew then that we'd love to have her and Laird together to find out more about them, their businesses, their assortment, how they navigate their coupleship in business and their partnership.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to be able to chat with you guys! We had the pleasure of chatting with Gabby last fall and we were talking about power couples, so it’s great to have you both! As she knows, Athleisure Mag’s Co-Founders are also a couple so it’s good vibes all around.

GABBY REECE: Hello!

LAIRD HAMILTON: Well yeah, you know, mixing work and pleasure is always dangerous!

AM: It is always dangerous; it can definitely be tricky cocktail.

LH: It can be or it can be all natural!

AM: Well there are moments on each side depending on the moments we're caught in!

It’s exciting to be able to talk about Laird Superfood and the businesses that you both have together. I know that readers will be so excited as well. The last time I chatted with Gabby, we talked about her background and career. So to catch our readers up, when did you fall in love with surfing and what do you love about being an iconic waterman as you’re so talented?

LH: Well, I think that my relationship with the ocean and water happened very early. My mom had stories of me crawling towards water before I could walk. So I think that I was just drawn to water and I think that that’s pretty natural because we are water. So my kind of relationship with water started before I could remember and then my surfing, I think that I had my own board – I mean usually I had pieces of boards because in those days, there were no boards for kids. There were no boogie boards or anything like that. Usually, you got a piece of a broken board from an adult and then you made that your board! So, I always just thought in terms of swimming and surfing, that was what you did and that that was what everybody does. So if someone said, “I don’t swim,” when I was younger, I felt like saying that you don’t swim was like saying that you don’t walk.

AM: Right!

LH: Yeah, it’s like, “is there something wrong?” But yeah, it’s in my foundation.

AM: That’s amazing and what was the moment when you realized that you both wanted to launch these businesses together? How did it take place and how did you decide on who would do what?

GR: Well, in the case of Laird Superfood, well most of our businesses actually, were almost accidents. Laird Superfood was not on purpose. It was based on a drink that Laird was making in our kitchen and shared with his friends before they would train and go out in the water.

One of these friends would ask what’s in it and how much it was. One of our other friends who is the other Co-Founder, is a serial entrepreneur and he thought that if Laird benefits from it and he was feeling this, maybe we can create this for other people and so Laird Superfood was created in 2015 around the premise of Laird originally sharing something that was working for him.

LH: Yeah, and I think that our desire to have businesses had stemmed before that. I think that just being athletes and then I would kind of say, supporting other businesses as you evolve, I think that it is only natural that you would want to go into as I describe – being your own sponsor.

AM: Oh yeah!

LH: So once you build your brand to a certain level, it was like, “ok, we’ll go into business,” but like the businesses themselves came organically like Gabby said. It either came through a habit we had or some other practice that we were doing and that seemed the easiest given the authenticity. So, it was real authentic and it was not something that seemed like we were making something that was a departure from our philosophy and our beliefs which I think is really important because then everything becomes a lot easier because you’re not trying to learn how you’re going to support the business. You’re already naturally doing it.

GR: Our roles were almost an extension of how our everyday lives go. I think that we naturally have different strengths and things that we lean into and those showed up as well in the business. So on the business side, Laird is one of the gatekeepers and he is the creative and always curious and messing around with concoctions if you will.

LH: It’s like we built a house together and that can either get people to be in a deeper relationship or not be in one after depending on people’s roles. I think that it’s similar in that the businesses are similar to building a house. I’m all about the structure of it, how strong is it, where’s the drainage and Gabby’s into the aesthetics like in the situation of Laird Superfood, I’m about the function of the products. Gabby is about the flavor and the taste of it. She makes the house look pretty and taste good, it’s wonderful. I’m like, “ok, does it support me, does it do the thing and how does it all work?” Then there’s also some overlap, but that’s kind of the basis of our teamwork.

AM: Well I’m a huge fan of the Hydrate + Electrolyte Coconut Water packets and the Prebiotic Daily Greens. Those are my 2 favorites. I’m not a coffee drinker. How do you guys decide on the types of products that will be in the Laird Superfood assortment?

GR: Well, a lot of this was an extension. First of all, it’s always a commitment to the ingredients. So whatever it’s going to be – it’s going to focus on can we make this with a value, make it taste great, and still follow our guidelines for real ingredients. With something in the case of the Hydrate On the Go, and the greens they are good as there's a lot of gaps in people’s nutrition. We are huge advocates of being able to get everything from your food, that’s what we want from you. It’s pretty hard to do with the quality of our soil and hence, that’s the greens. Hydration is – a lot of times, things that are on the market are really loaded with sugars and things like that. So we thought, “ok, people are really looking for high quality hydration without a ton of added sugar. That made a lot of sense and that really stems from Laird’s deep relationship with drinking coconuts himself! He'd come in from surfing and literally cut a coconut down in Kawaii and hence, the freeze-dried coconut at the source and adding some of the minerals.

LH: And also the philosophy that the ratios in nature are perfect. When you start trying to play with those, I think that you run into trouble, so like Gabby said, I think that we implement the kind of values such as adding in whole food ingredients or food-based ingredients. Your body is more used to those things and so it’s not like, “what’s this foreign object?” It doesn’t have to pull away from and take away from your own body’s health in order to deal with it. I think that that’s one of the places in looking at areas where people are lacking in their diet. We’re looking at the convenience of it, how easy is it – you just put it in there and you drink it. We’re looking for areas in people’s lives where we can best benefit them so we look at their daily rituals. That’s the philosophy of the brand. It’s a daily ritual and you know that you’re going to have to hydrate, you know that you’re gonna at some point need some snacks. We’re going to make bars. I’m not a huge snacker myself, but people are gonna snack, so can we supply them with good things on a daily basis? Again, one of the values is if you’re doing something everyday, that you really wanna try to make that a good habit.

AM: Right.

LH: Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”

AM: It starts stacking.

LH: Yeah, there’s some stuff in there.

AM: As we’re in the fall and we’re looking towards the holiday, are there any products that are new that are going to be out?

GR: Well we have some incredible instant products –

LH: Ooo yes. So we make chai – we make Instant Chai, Instant Matcha –

GR: Pumpkin Spice –

LH: Pumpkin Spice will be the holiday –

GR: And then Peppermint Mocha.

LH: Peppermint Mocha, yes.

GR: We’ve got some grown men around here who swoon for that stuff, so the thing that I love about these products is that they’re seasonal and we want to honor that people really love these flavors and these traditions. Like it reminds them of the holidays, but we’re able to do it in a way that the ingredients are excellent and you don’t have to sacrifice that experience. So we have it in pumpkin, we have it in a lot of things.

LH: Multiple!

GR: We have it in instant products, a creamer, a bar, and our liquid creamer as well.

LH: We’re going hard after the pumpkin spice! I mean, it’s something that I really enjoy and I think that I may have eaten a few whole pumpkin pies during Thanksgiving over the years haha!

AM: What are your favorite foods that you like eating from your brand?

GR: Well for me personally, I’m not a matcha or a chai person, but our people who love matcha and chai – we have a high quality matcha and really great chai. But for me, I’m using obviously the coffees and creamers. I personally, go for the mocha, Laird is a turmeric guy.

“Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”

— Laird Hamilton

LH: Believe me, hers is not a coffee, it’s a hot chocolate that happens to have coffee in it, but you wouldn’t know it’s coffee in it.

GR: When we travel, we use our instant products. So, the instant latte, what’s great is that people who are now working in the office, all you have to do is add hot water. So, we have all of these incredible flavors and let’s say you’re on an airplane and you’re hungry, but you don’t want to eat that airplane food. It really curbs you.

LH: Yeah, the convenience of the powders, especially the instant products, makes it simple. You just get a cup of hot water. I’ll go into a lot of coffee shops where I know that I won’t be able to get a cup of really good coffee without just burying it in a bunch of sweeteners to cut how bad the coffee is. So, I’ll just get hot water and add that product to it. But the bars, the greens – Gabby is on the greens.

GR: I use the greens in the morning.

LH: All the time –

GR: I use the greens in the morning first thing. So, most of us are dehydrated in the morning because hopefully we have been sleeping for 8 hours. So, the way that I use the greens is that I put it in water first so that I can get that big glass of water which we need to do anyway. But because there’s no fillers in the greens and things like that and Laird mentioned the ingredients, your body does know what to do with it. I always feel like I’m on an empty stomach and I can just get everything in there.

LH: I like to use mine in a meal.

GR: Yeah, so, we’re opposite.

LH: Yeah, I like mine in a meal, because I’m already in digestive mode.

GR: Yeah.

LH: So, I’m going to digest and of course, the hydration products are always good after training, before training.

GR: That’s really important too for people to go to bed hydrated, especially women – hydrated. It’s hard on our hearts, literally to be dehydrated. The stress that it causes increases even more when we’re sleeping. It’s really important as a reminder in general however people want to be able to hydrate.

AM: Are there product categories that you don’t have now, but you are looking to add to the brand? Like if you had a wish me list?

LH: Well we’ve had, yeah, a list that we are considering like baked goods. It’s stuff that we have dabbled in before. So there are other areas that we are interested in. The truth is that we have a quite a few categories within what we have already to continue to develop. Because, you know, the greens, the bars, the creamers, the instant fuel products – there’s always another flavor too!

GR: And our coffees are excellent and also –

LH: Yeah!

GR: It’s been fortunate that that has been expanded so that we can add adaptogens and other nutrition into the coffee itself. So again, finding these little ways to sneak in the good stuff without compromising –

LH: We’re doing whole beans and ground. We’re already working on some samples for some instant coffees as well. We have the instant lattes, but we were also looking at the instant coffees as well just because of the convenience and I think that people really enjoy instant coffee because you get a faster absorption.

GR: Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.

AM: We can imagine. Tell me about XPT. We were looking at it in prep for this interview and there are so many things that are around that and you have an event coming up – your retreat. Our readers would be interested in hearing about this as well.

GR: So XPT is -

LH: Sort of another one of those –

GR: It’s an extension of what we were naturally already doing with our friends at our house. A very close friend of ours that we work with said, “you know, we have to figure out how to condense this and you can share it with people over periods of days.” So, XPT was born and the pillars are Breathe, Move, and Recover. We would also put in there “To Connect.” That’s the thing, you can be perfect, and move everyday all day, but if you’re not connecting with other human beings, it’s a real no go to your health and sense of fulfillment. So XPT, we have incredible people that we work with and people come and see us for 2½ days. We do pool training, breathing, all mobility, and all of those things.

LH: Heat and ice!

GR: Yes, heat and the ice.

But now, they’ll be opening up XPT sort of recovery centers so that people wherever they live, they’ve been curious about seeing the heat and ice and some mobility.

AM: That sounds fantastic! How do you guys do all of this while being partners, married, and having children?

LH: We still don’t know if we’re going to survive! Right now, we’re just holding on.

GR: Like yesterday, we had a bumpy day yesterday –

LH: I had a bumpy day!

GR: You could just feel – I mean it’s we, it’s collective. You can feel that you have so much going on that maybe in Laird’s case, he’d rather and not be away from his family, but he’d rather be surfing or out in nature and not be running around on a freeway. For people like Laird, that takes a real toll on him. So it’s just – you know what it is about any relationship? How does each person get to satisfy their own sort of mission and calling and then how do you bring that together? But also how do you go about putting your children first and simultaneously still have that conversation about what you need. It’s just a dance.

“Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.”

— Gabby Reece

LH: Well, I think that, listen, we both have a certain work capacity so we have a certain volume of work that we’re capable of doing. When you take care of yourself, you eat well, and you train hard and you have good community and relationships and get along, you expand your capacity. So now, you can even handle more volume and then if you’re cutting out a lot of stuff that is unnecessary and you’re not putting in a lot of time –

GR: We say no. We say no a lot.

LH: Then if it’s not important to you, then you’re not concerning yourself with these things that would take up the volume. I think that that allows you to go in and to be more productive.

GR: Yeah.

LH: And then a lot of it is the quality of the the work too. I mean you could just take any one of these situations and put all of your focus in on it, but more isn’t always better right?

AM: Absolutely.

LH: It’s like having that high quality impact and then shifting to the next thing. I think that both Gabby and I by the nature of our careers have had to be very versatile and do a plethora of different things in order to survive. Then it almost becomes how you are. You know, you’re interests are such that you need that stimuli to keep you going and so in a way, for me, we wouldn’t be – we couldn’t not be doing it like this. This just seems natural and from the outside, you might be saying, “how do you do all of that stuff?” But you know, again it has to do with the fact that we have worked our way towards this. Gabby will say about our children, “that they’re such troopers and it’s amazing!” I go, “yeah, but it’s like we trooped them.” We took them and included them in the way that we have navigated our schedules and we’re the same way. We’ve been doing all of this stuff, flying around, we’ve been dealing with all of these things.

GR: We used to step on each other’s toes occasionally. And you’re always learning.

LH: Always.

GR: There are phases and chapters. So being adaptable and I also know that this is cliché, but it's about the best that you can in occasionally being able to get that distance so that you can appreciate either your life, or the problems that you’re solving, but also your partner and the fact that like on the days that it’s crazy, you go, “and everybody’s healthy!”

AM: Exactly!

GR: It’s just trying to constantly recalibrate and everybody talks about gratitude, but really to find ways to feel that and to experience it - it really makes everything easier!

LH: Yeah! And well getting sleep! Yeah – you know just pull it back for a second.

AM: Yup!

LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.

AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!
LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.

AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!

GR: Thank you so much!

LH: Absolutely and what do we say, Aloha!

IG @gabbyreece

@lairdhamilton

@lairdsuperfood

@xptlife

PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT COVER Philip Dixon | PG 16 - 33 Courtesy Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece | PG 34 + BACK COVER Anne Menke |

Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see FORCES OF NATURE | Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece in mag.

THE WELLNESS ADVOCATE | GABBY REECE

Growing up in the 90s, when you thought of Beach Volleyball, you thought about Gabby Reece! Whether it was seeing her in a number of commercials, gracing covers of Elle, Women's Sports & Fitness, appearing in Arliss (which in many respects laid the groundwork for future HBO shows such as Entourage and Ballers), interviewing athletes, modeling and so much more. Gabby really made her presence know whether she was on the sand or off.

We enjoyed catching up with Gabby to talk about her career, how she got into playing volleyball and how she used her creativity and natural curiosity to continue to add an array of work to her portfolio is amazing. In addition, we talk about how she is an advocate for fitness, wellness and nutrition and why this is something that she is so passionate about. We also find out about other projects she has going on such as The Gabby Reece Podcast and her entrepreneurial projects with her husband, big wave surfer, Laird Hamilton.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to play beach volleyball?

GABBY REECE: Well I moved from the Caribbean my junior year of high school to Florida and I was 15 and I was 6’3” and I had dabbled a little bit. But because athletics was so organized in the US, it was sort of like they said that I had to play. I was really a beginner and kind of like a neophyte at it and like I said, I had just kind of dabbled. Then I started getting offers my senior year which is pretty late for college which was a surprise to me for basketball and for volleyball. So it really was something that I fell into. I think that being part of something was really powerful for me. I think that my nature is that I like to work hard. I think that if you had said to me at the end of my junior year that I would be going and playing college volleyball, I would not have known that! Quite frankly, the same with professional volleyball. When I was in college, I had not participated in beach volleyball. It was only because I had moved to Miami after college and I picked up the game and someone said after about a year and a half, that I should move to California. I’d say that I did that a lot in that realm.

AM: We’ve been fans of yours watching you during your iconic career, you made your presence known from being Nike’s first female spokesperson, the first female athlete to ever have designed a shoe for Nike and their first ever female cross training spokesperson. What do you feel are your biggest achievements in the sport?

GR: You know, I have to be honest, I feel that just being able to participate in anything at a high level with other people that are doing it! I mean, I won a World Championship, but there were some other things and I think that for me personally, it was being able to play at that level and being around that caliber of athletes and coaches. Because I always say that volleyball in a different way kind of saved my life a bit. It sort of directed me in this area that I remained in for my adult life. So I think that for me, it was a very deep relationship! Plus, I feel like volleyball, like any other sport, it’s very honest and I always felt like I had respected myself after practice if you will, if that makes sense. Because you can’t bs it. If I was modeling, they could give you really good hair and makeup or you could be like whatever and tuck in this and this – wear something tight there. But I think that there was something that was really honest about it which I know that this sounds weird, but then it also makes being imperfect and vulnerable easier because you’re like, “oh yeah, I know what it’s like to fall on my face in front of a lot of people.” So it almost gives you the strength to be like – yeah I know how to suck and I know how to fail and it’s ok, you’ll be able to survive it.

AM: I like the way that you put that. You’ve navigated the sport and have also added in these other elements of yourself whether it’s being an author, modeling, acting and hosting. Why is it important to you to be able to utilize these skills in your creative pursuits?

GR: Well I think that you just said. I think that we’re all creative and we express ourselves differently. For me, my husband says this perfectly because Laird is a surfer and Laird is more dedicated to his sport because it’s part of his life and it’s very different. But he says, I’m Laird and one of the things that I do is surf. And I think for me, it was a creative outlet, but so were the other things! Interviewing other people and learning from them or writing books or writing columns, these were just other extensions of who I am and a creative outlet because in certain ways I combat being very linear. So, every once in awhile when I have these opportunities, to have these creative expressions, I feel like it just helps me. You get a level of satisfaction I think in life when you get to do that.

AM: Tell me about the Gabby Reece Show, why you wanted to start this podcast and what you have learned by doing it?

GR: Oh my gosh, what I have learned is that there are a lot of smart people out there! You know, I used to interview people when I started for TV in the early 90s and I liked it, but it was short and quick. You got 7 mins, you got 12 mins whatever. I like the idea of it also not being about me because I was interviewed often so it was like, oh this is cool this is about them. You’re doing your homework. I did a podcast with a gentleman named Neil Strauss, he’s an author and we’re very different. So we did that for a few years and to be honest, I didn’t have the confidence necessarily to think that I could do it myself and be interesting. I thought that I could be interesting for like 12 shows…

AM: Impossible – impossible!

GR: No, I’m being honest! I’m always in awe of people who say that they are so fun to watch. I’m like, wow you’re amazing! I think for me it was like, yeah it makes me uncomfortable, but I am curious and I do like to learn and so I do talk to a lot of different types of people – scientists and doctors and the hope was to get the very best in information – the sharp end of the stick of information and communicate it at the 6th grade level and also try to give it to people who really need it. I always say that people like myself or athletes or people that have the opportunity to have trainers or eat organic food – they already don’t need it. It’s people that are working their butts off and they are just trying to get there minute by minute – how do we condense this information for them and to get it to them in a way that it is understandable, but it’s the really good information. And it’s like, can you tweak this one thing or could you do this? So that’s my hook because if you’re very high performance, you’d say that this is very good intel, but if you’re like, “I’m too busy to deal with it,” then we sift through it for you and say maybe this is what you really want to focus on.

AM: As a mom, you’re someone who is involved in a lot of entrepreneurial endeavors, health and wellness is key to you and we’re always looking at things that we can add into our workout – what are 3 exercises that you do that we should consider including?

GR: You know, I’m sometimes the anti person in this way – I’m like, oh! I have a friend and we say 100% of the things a 100% of the time. So when we talk about cardio, stretching or lifting – I will say this, anytime that you can use more of your whole body and also work on proprioception and balance – like working out on one leg at a time is great. Like a sit up, you’re going to be very strong in a limited range of motion. But if you do a clean and jerk or a 1 arm dumbbell snap, you activate from your neck to the top of your knee. So I would say that squatting, overhead snapping and one legged type movements where you are doing one legged row or deadlift is best. I don’t want women to shy away from lifting weights.

Cardio is good for your heart, but lifting some time under tension I want to say that I really want to encourage women and if they say that they don’t want to get too big, it’s very hard to build muscle, you’re not going to get too big. Those muscles work in your favor long after you have lifted weights and they just do so many positive things for you. So I would say that and you know having some kind of mobility and integration in there. That’s the other thing, if you asked me where I really blew it. I got really tight as an athlete andI didn’t integrate enough mobility.

When you say to me to pick 3, I would say things that challenge your balance and those that are working on your whole body, but warm up because if you are doing 3 joint kind of moves versus single joint moves that are more complex and learn how to do things correctly. Let’s not go in the wrong direction every day, let’s try to move in the right direction so that we don’t get injured. Do some kind of diversity where ok you’re outside and walking, maybe take your shoes off, you’re on a bike and you’re doing something – not to do the same things over and over! I want people to support themselves and to participate in their recovery. So it’s not like, oh it’s my day off. It’s, ok it’s my day off and I am going to do some breathing or meditation practice. It’s my day off and I’m going to see if I can get myself into a sauna or do a cold plunge. So, making the recovery a dynamic process that you support yourself. It shouldn’t be just like oh I’m not doing anything. My hope is that everyone works out and they do it decently – hard at least a couple of times a week forever. So, we need to find ways to recover.

The other part is that you should be truthful to yourself. On the days that you don’t feel different than the days that I call it, bone tired. If you’re genuinely bone tired, it might be better to take the day off and that's why it's tricky too. Because if Wed is your day off, but what if you feel great on Wed and you feel like shit on Fri? I also want to encourage people to listen to want themselves. If you hate the gym, then the gym isn’t for you – so what is for you? It’s just getting them to do that because it’s the only way that we will be consistent.

And there’s also only so much time in the day! Laird and I joke all the time about these new exercises that I’m doing to help my hip, it’s like everybody feels that way! The other thing is that I would direct people, there’s so many people that are really good. I don’t work with any of these people, but I know them. Jill Miller has things that she can teach people about self-mobilization for those that say that they don’t know what to do. I like Jill Miller, I like Kelly Starrett and what happens is, if you see one, it will lead you to the next. So Kelly Starrett wrote a book called Becoming A Supple Leopard. These are people that give you these proactive tools. Even though we’re talking about motion, we all know that the #1 is just food right? It’s like there is no way around it. Food is everything. So no matter what, I want to encourage people that we focus on the training, this and that, but what’s so important is that it is all about our nutrition. It’s a bummer because it’s the hardest one and it’s the one that could be the most sexiest or fun that we use to medicate like I'm bored, I'm heartbroken whatever. But I want to encourage people to not give up on that because that is the most important part of this whole equation.

AM: You’re a brand ambassador for Rebalance Health. What is synergistic to you about incorporating this into your lifestyle and what made the partnership right for you?

GR: Well, typically, I don’t know why I have always been like this, but even in my early 20s when I was first starting out in this work, I would never talk about things or represent things that I wouldn’t personally take. I will say that in the case of Rebalance for example, they wanted to vet me as well. I took the product for a lot of months actually maybe 5 or 6 months because you have to feel it right? Especially with things like this which are subtle. So what attracted me to the product initially was that it felt realistic to me, it was easy to use, it had a melt in your mouth lozenge, they have 3 kinds of mint in there and it didn’t say it was going to do this overnight – it’s a system to help you manage cortisol levels. I am familiar with a lot of the ingredients – ashwagandha and maca. The womens formula is different than the mens imagine that! They have things like tongkat ali which I know about from Laird which can boost or support your system for testosterone. Just things like that – I felt that this was well created and formulated and the ingredients were high level and it was very thoughtful. There was this idea that some people thought that cortisol was bad, but no we want cortisol – it helps us get a lot done, but we do want to manage it so that we can have a restful sleep.

I love that there is the Morning, Evening and Bedtime. That made sense, the ingredients made sense, it’s easy to use and it’s achievable. If you tell someone to take this 30 mins after you eat and 4 minutes before something – no one is going to do that. I love the other side. I know that this is pretty obvious, but I love it when there is no downside!

The idea of something being really good and things like this that are focused on natural herbs, they elevate your own system so that it can do its job better. When I hear things like that, that I believe. I started taking it and for me, I had an energy and my sleep improved. For me, that has always been my Achilles in terms of my sleep. I do a lot of mind grinding like a lot of people and trying to solve all the household issues at night when I’m sleeping or when you get up at 3am and you think, I’m going to tell that kid that thing tomorrow! It really helps with that and I felt that pretty quickly. For me, it was about a week and then we collaborated and after checking me out, we agreed to work together and that's how we got here. For me, it's in my cabinet and the way that I do it, I have coffee in the morning and as I’m running out the door, no one wants coffee breath and I’ll just pop my Rebalance Morning lozenge in the morning and it’s like boom I have mints and it’s melting. I want to encourage people that try the product, please don't eat it just try to let it happen so that you can absorb it through sublingually – let it melt. It’s one of those ones where I know how hard it is to formulate it and to bring it at such a high level and to encourage people to do it this way. I feel really honored.

AM: I have been taking it for the past few days and I have noticed that my sleep is better. The Morning part, I have it after my protein shake as the shake is a bit dense so it’s good to have something to freshen up with after drinking it.

GR: Yes! Doesn’t it help – it’s like the double whammy! When I use my Night one it’s when I’m preparing dinner, because you’re just held in one spot and I just sort of pop it in and then I let it happen. What I say to people is for the Bedtime one, if you’re taking a shower before you go to bed, maybe pop one in and just let it happen.

What has your boyfriend thought about it?

AM: I know the Morning one was a bit much for him as the minty aspect was a lot for him, but I think that he liked the Bedtime one. I like that it’s something that we can do together as it sits on our vanity and it’s a system. It gives you something to add into your day, I like the stickers and the packaging!

GR: It’s beautiful! Then they do the refills which is less packaging and it’s just the bag.

AM: I think that it’s something that is working for me and it’s nice after that first protein shake – I chug it and put the lozenge in.

GR: I think that they want people to know that it’s not a sleep aid, but because you are dealing with your cortisol levels, it helps you manage and that ends up leading to a better more restful night sleep. We’ve talked about movement and food, but we all keep our sanity and the only time that we recover is when we’re sleeping. Whether you want to manage weight, deal with vitality, longevity or you just want to look younger, it’s sleep.

AM: I do have to say because I check my REM cycles and stuff, I feel that I have gotten 20 – 30 mins more of the REM sleep.

GR: Interesting.

AM: I’m not saying that that will be the case for other people.

GR: No no it’s your experience.

AM: Yeah, it’s something that I have seen and in terms of things that I do for my sleep, I feel that that tablet has something to do with that over time. So if that’s what it is for me, then bring on the tablets!

What will your partnership look like in terms of what you will do with Rebalance Health?

GR: One thing I am excited about is the ability to do giveaways and to give people the opportunity to try it out. They've been very kind that once a month that we do 1 female and 1 male giveaway so people can try. It will really be about hopefully using the idea that the credibility that I represent that people will say that they are curious to know more. There is also an educational component as well for people in terms of how they would use it in their own lives and why.

So not to make it too technical, there has to be an educational process because it would be too hard for people to try something new where people have to take it orally and not sort of give them some information. I think it’s important to empower people in any part of this whether it's exploring physical health or nutrition and what have you. They have to understand their why and providing that user friendly information especially since it’s new and they haven’t taken certain herbs or things. What’s the difference and certain things have a systemic impact on you and it’s understanding that whole organism and system. I take it, I want to give it away and if makes sense for their day to day lives, I want them to know about it and why they should take it. We’ll be doing that in the upcoming months and year. My thing is, if I find stuff that is good, because it is hard to find things out there that are, we need to put some light on it. I use this and I find it to be really good and if you were my girlfriend down the street, I’d be like, I learned about this or I saw that and I would vet it first so that you’re not coming back to me 6 months later saying, “hey Gabby, I don’t know about this.” The other part is making sure that I am being responsible. I want to feel good about things and feel proud to work with companies and that if people are trying it out, they are your friends.

It’s like when I go to a doctor, I ask them, what would you tell your sister? I treat everyone like my neighbor. If I’m not going to do it, I wouldn’t suggest it to someone else either.

IG @gabbyreece

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Gabby Reece

Read the NOV ISSUE #83 of Athleisure Mag and see THE WELLNESS ADVOCATE | Gabby Reece in mag.

TO THE BEACH WITH APRIL ROSS

Back in 2016, we interviewed 2 X Team USA Beach Volleyball Olympic Medalist April Ross after her Bronze win at the Olympic Games in Rio. Flash forward to this month's cover, we caught up with April Ross to talk about indoor vs beach volleyball, the AVP Tour and the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo that are slated to take place next year. We also talk about April joining the KT Tape team and how she uses her social platform to inspire and motivate her followers to stay motivated in their health and fitness journey.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment that you realized that you wanted to transition from an indoor volleyball player to a beach volleyball player?

APRIL ROSS: There was no specific moment, it was kind of a process and I had kind of given up indoor and just fell out of love with it. My big thing is that I just want to be able to enjoy my journey always. I just wasn’t enjoying my indoor journey. My teammate from USC was playing on the beach and asked me to play in some qualifying events on the beach with her to just help her out. I went out there and we didn’t do very well and I wasn’t very good, but I just fell in love with the sport of beach volleyball. I stuck with it and played it for a while, struggled for a while and I finally broke through and started to have some success and then you know, I just kept riding that wave.

AM: In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between indoor vs. beach volleyball?

AR: There are two biggest differences for me – obviously the surface, it is so ridiculously hard to move and jump in the sand – that just creates a totally different challenge in beach volleyball than when you are playing indoor volleyball. The other big difference is that you touch the ball every single play. You are involved in every single play. You can go through an entire rally during indoor and not touch the ball once. On the sand, when you want a point, you have to touch the ball. I feel like there is a lot more accountability on each player in beach.

AM: Last summer, we attended the AVP NYC Open which was a lot of fun. Obviously, you and Alix Klineman won and typically, right now you would be in the thick of the AVP schedule. How have you been spending your time since you’re not doing that at the moment?

AR: Life looks a little different right now. I’m at home pretty much all day. I’m working on some home improvement stuff that I have never had time for. That’s actually really nice. I checked out a big amount of gym equipment from the USA Volleyball Gym and I cleaned out my garage which has been full of storage stuff for the last 10 years. I created a home gym and I am able to get my full lift in there which is about 2 and a half hours. I’m going to Home Depot today to get supplies to make a wooden squat rack. Because I do a little bit of woodworking too and I am getting back into the hobby now that I have some time to explore that so I thought putting my time into making a wooden squat rack would be great. I looked at some designs online that I want to try. Working out, visioning, I’m doing a lot reading and a lot of reflectioning as well as journaling. I’ve been doing a lot of Zoom calls. I mean, everyone is doing the Zoom calls.

AM: For sure. Obviously, with the Olympics being pushed back to next year, what does this next period look like for you especially in regards to training and getting prepared for that?

AR: That’s a constant discussion with my team. We’re trying to grasp onto something in the near future that we can train for and that’s proving hard to do obviously. So, we’re kind of waiting and seeing the government guidelines are when we can get back out on the beach. We want to take advantage of this time, but it’s really hard if we can’t get out on the sand. We can do so much off of the sand, but you have to be able to practice. We’re trying to see how we can have a training camp and if we can do it safely if there is a private court somewhere and we take the proper precautions, maybe in June at some point we can get on the sand and do 3 – 4 weeks of training camp. If there is still nothing on the schedule, maybe we can take a week off. I mean, it’s tough. I’ve never ever had to do anything like this.

AM: It’s a day-by-day thing.

AR: Right, it’s literally a day-by-day thing. It’s a constant brainstorm and getting creative and with each new piece of information, it changes so we’re trying to be really go with the flow!

AM: The weekend of May 22nd, I love that you have partnered with KT Tape to do an Instagram Live event where we can train like an Olympian, actually work out with you and get off of our butts to get a good workout in. Why is this so important for you to participate in this?

AR: I’m really excited for this KT Tape Instagram Live workout. Because I’m not playing and I can’t really interact with fans to encourage and motivate people through my competitions and stuff, I love doing this and engaging people and helping them while they’re at home. Maybe I am creating a little bit motivation or making it a little bit easier for people to have access and information on how to work out and to stay healthy during this time – as well as how to do it while you’re staying at home. I feel like I’m still of service in some way and I just really like to have some kind of positive influence on whoever decides to follow me on social media. I don’t want it to just be “look at me – look at what I’m doing.” I want to give back and I want to help people accomplish their goals and to stay healthy.

AM: You just joined KT Tape earlier this year. What is it about the brand that is such a great synergy with you and how you operate?

AR: I think KT Tape is essential to being an athlete, to staying healthy in general especially in this time. I don’t have a lot of access to physical therapy and therapists. That’s essential to my program and to staying healthy as I have these aches and pains. Because I have KT Tape, I’m able to use that to support my joints and my muscles. All of last season, it was huge as it was for qualifications. I strained my quad early on in the season and it was kind of a big factor and without being able to use KT Tape and tape it all summer, I think I would have been in so much more pain. I had to tape it through World Championships and all through our biggest tournament. Throughout my whole career, I have leaned on my ability to tape myself and literally keep myself together – so it’s a natural fit. As I get older, I need it more and more.

AM: What kinds of workouts will you be including for your Instagram Live with KT Tape?

AR: Well it’s going to be a shoulder stabilization and strengthening workout. I’m trying to think of things that maybe people have not hit so far and that there aren’t a lot of information on. I think that a lot of us are probably on the couch a good amount hunched over and we’re sitting on the computer a lot with Zoom calls. To try and rectify our posture a little bit, I’m going to touch on that stuff.

AM: Who have been 3 people that have inspired you in your career whether you know them personally, follow them online etc? We like asking our changemakers this question as it’s a key one for our podcast #TRIBEGOALS.

AR: Oh wow! People that have inspired me – I would say that one person who has really helped me get through this time is Glennon Doyle. I’m reading her book and she does little Instagram TV videos daily. I love following her. I have recently been inspired by Megan Rapinoe and how vocal she has been for everything, that is amazing. Then, Dr. Michael Gervais – he is a sports psychologist. I was on a panel for Victoria Garrick, she played at USC and is kind of a mental health advocate. She has me, another athlete and Dr. Gervais on to speak to her and her following. Just listening to him, he gave me a lot of ideas that I could be doing in this time to kind of just get my vision right, my mission, my life philosophies etc. so that when we get out of this, I’m all in alignment – spiritually. He’s definitely someone that has influenced me as well.

IG @AprilRossBeach

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 21 + 29 Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire | PG 22 - 27 + 30 KT Tape - Editorial Design by Athleisure Mag |

Hear 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist, April Ross on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the May issue of Athleisure Mag and see To the Beach with April Ross in mag.

THE ROAD TO GOLD

Last month we spent the afternoon at one of NYC's fitness meccas on the west side of NYC. KT Tape (an elastic sports and fitness tape designed for muscle, ligament, a tendon pain and relief support) debuted their new line of USA branded tape with an Olympic theme just in time for this summer's global games as we continue on towards the Road to Rio. 

In addition to presenting the tape, Athleisure Mag chatted with Kerri Walsh Jennings, a legendary professional beach volleyball player. We have seen her compete at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics with her teammate - Misty May-Treano. Together, they were named, "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time." Together they have won 3 gold medals. 

As Kerri prepares for the upcoming Olympics in Rio, she has a new teammate and has winning gold, maintaining balance and a number of exciting projects. 

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ATHLEISURE MAG: You're a busy mom, training for the Olympics and have a number of businesses and spokeswork. How do you find balance and get personal time for yourself?

KERRI WALSH JENNINGS: I have a pretty intense schedule, but it came down to stop complaining and simply, get it done. Now, I get up before my kids at 4:45/5:15 am so that I can have the time to check in with myself, have a coffee, write in my journal in silence.

From the time they're up, I have 3 - 6 hours of physical training. Twice a week I have weight training, Pilates 3 times a week and then Versus with SenseLabs. This is a program that trains your brain like a muscle - I did this for the London games to prepare for it. I feel that this is an essential for me to perform at my best.

AM: How is it going to the games with a new partner and how do you prepare for this as you get closer?

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KWJ: I loved working with Misty and  my new partner, April Ross and I competed in Rio in March to qualify for the Olympics. We won a silver and a gold and got our 100th team win together. When we're on the court, we work as one which is important as it takes a village to get to where we are.

We just fit and in coming back after my injury, it was a blessing in disguise as it broke us both down to a point where we knew we needed each other in order to get where we want to go. We rise together.

AM: Is Rio a family affair?

KWJ: Absolutely my family and I made the choice together to get our fourth gold medal. My three children and husband (Casey Jennings, a beach volleyball player) will be rooting along.

AM: Off the court, you launched 'Kerri', a clothing line in collaboration with ASICS, how do you juggle that along with everything else you do?

KWJ: Everything I do is all about a team. It's a great support and it allows everyone to do what they know how to do to create a positive result. I love being able to put my design elements into these leggings (seen on pg 81) which has my signature braid interwoven into the design of the pants. Working with ASICS is a really seamless process and one that I find  great to be a part of.

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Kerri Walsh/Misty May-Treanor photo courtesy of Kitagaki Jr/ZUMA PRESS.com

Read more from the April Issue