ATHLEISURE MAG | #56 AUG 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is ABC’s Station 19, Boris Kodjoe. Our cover shoot editorial – Living with Purpose, talks about Boris’ career, how he came into acting, preparing to shoot the upcoming season of Station 19, the importance of using your platform to raise issues regarding safety in these times as well as social justice, his fitness brand KoFit and more. This interview will also be in an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS podcast episode. We also have an interview with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Gunnar Peterson as we talk about working out from home, how he advises his clients to maintain his workouts, how he worked with the Lakers to ensure the safety and continued training of the team heading to the bubble and his thoughts on gym and studio openings. His interview will also be on an upcoming episode of #TRIBEGOALS. We check in with 3 X NBA Champion Dwyane Wade who is the Co-Founder of Budweiser Zero a non-alcoholic beverage. He talks about his work with the brand, importance of this category and more. We caught up with Celebrity Hair Stylist to a number of our faves from Beyonce, Shakira, Kelly Rowland and Mary J. Blige. We found out what Kim Kimble has been up to with a number of her projects including her hair care brand, her salons, TV opportunities and more. You can hear her episode on an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS. We also found out more about tea, how it benefits our bodies, the importance of having a ritual with the founder of Art of Tea, Steve Schwartz. You can hear his episode on an upcoming Athleisure Kitchen. We get the intel on how we can maintain our oral care with Dr. Brian Harris who is also the founder of Klen.

Read the Aug Issue #56 of Athleisure Mag here.

BING3WATCH | KILLING EVE

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see BING3WATCH | Killing Eve in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | HARLEY PASTERNAK

COVID-19 has effected every aspect of our lives from our routines, our work, how we interact with one another and more. When it comes to working out at your favorite studios, the impact is felt here as well. We took some time to catch up with one of our favorite Celebrity Fitness Trainers and Nutritionists, Harley Pasternak who has trained Kim Kardashian, Charlie Puth and Ariana Grande to name a few. He shares how we can build our home studios, advice he has given his clients as well as what to expect (as well as what to bring) when we return to gyms and studios.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Here in NY our team began staying at home March 13th and we quickly got our equipment as we had no idea how long we would be staying home due to COVID-19. What did you suggest for your clients in terms of equipment that they should have on hand?

HARLEY PASTERNAK: Home fitness equipment has become a real scarcity in our new normal. The first thing I tell people to do, especially since the weather is nice, is to walk. Walking does not require any equipment and will definitely help you keep track of how much and how intensely you move. Next, I would opt for TRX suspension straps because they are fantastic for training and the posterior chain. Dumbbells are also great, if you can get them, since they are so versatile and don’t take up too much room. A bench, preferably an adjustable bench, also allows for countless strength moves. Otherwise, some sliders, a hip band and a glute ham roller would be high on my list of things that would make working out at home even better and more efficient. On top of that, recovery tools like foam rollers would be great to implement.

AM: Although we were fortunate to get our dumbbells, weight plates and bands - many have not been able to get those items. What would be substitutes for these items to have a productive workout?

HP: Cans of soup and water bottles are great substitutes for dumbbells, and large jugs of water or laundry detergent could work for kettle bells.

AM: What are 3 workouts for abs, 3 for legs and 3 for butts, 3 for arms that we should include within our routine?

HP: Pike planks, bicycle crunches, and twist planks are great to work your abdominals and fire up your entire core. For legs, walk lunges, lateral lunges, and hamstring curls with either sliders or a TRX band are great to do on a consistent basis. To work your glutes, I recommend single leg bridges, hip thrusts, and lower body Supermans.

AM: For those with families, how important is it to incorporate movement with their children and what do you suggest to keep them engaged?

HP: Now more than ever, it is critical to keep kids moving as much as possible since we are spending so much time indoors. Kids are really a product of their environments and respond well to behavior modeled by their parents. If your kids see you working out, working out becomes natural to them. Incorporating them into your workouts is even better and it makes it a real family affair. My family and I go on walks together which is a great way to stay connected and get some moves into our day. My wife and I also do strength circuits together with our four and six year olds. We even let our kids earn credits through doing exercise that allow them to have screen time.

AM: We follow your IG and we like your series on the #2fer. Can you tell our readers about this and why you created these posts?

HP: I created these posts because when COVID-19 hit and people started to quarantine, a lot of people felt frustrated that they could not access a gym or their favorite fitness instructor. Therefore, many fitness professionals created overly complicated fitness programs online and some even charged for it. After seeing this, I thought it would be nice to create a program with just two simple moves every day that require no equipment and are completely free and accessible for everybody to do. The feedback was incredibly positive, and it felt good to help people during a very difficult time. I emphatically believe working out should be accessible for everyone.

AM: We also love your posts that show you and your kids trying different fast foods as a means to show balance. Why is this important and in your tastings, have you found brands in this category that are healthy?

HP: The idea for these posts started with a client of mine ordering fast food to our house. My kids have never tried McDonald’s before, and I wanted to capture it on film. It was a really funny experience and when I posted it, it very quickly got over 40,000 views. I thought it was important to show people that there’s many sides to somebody who lives and teaches a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to allow us adults, and especially kids, a chance to taste everything in this world as well as to practice both indulgence and balance. The problem arises when we indulge too often and it becomes part of routine. We do these fast food experiences once a week and have a lot of fun with them. By allowing my children to try everything, they no longer yearn for these “forbidden” foods because they realize they are not forbidden, and often, they are not that delicious, and often give them a tummy ache.

AM: What are 3 power foods or snacks that you suggest that we enjoy pre/post workout?

HP: I’m not really a fan of pre-or post-workout meals. That’s really more having to do with bodybuilder or high-level athletes dealing with performance. I mainly focus on health and physical transformation. Other than having some caffeine 60 to 90 minutes prior to a workout, I focus more on creating three meals and two snacks a day, and then decide where to fit in my workout rather than the other way around.

AM: What are 3 healthy indulgences that we can enjoy?

HP: I think healthy indulgence is often an oxymoron. Most of the things that I find indulgent are really not healthy. Chocolate chip cookies and french fries are indulgent, but not healthy. However, I do think it’s healthy to indulge sometimes and not think about having to be healthy. I try to live by the 85 to 15 method: 85% of the time I eat clean and 15% of the time I eat what I want.

AM: Across the US, cities/states are in various levels of reopening. Many gyms and studios are reopening and although many are excited to get back to their routines, there is some apprehension amongst those working out and even for gyms that are preparing to reopen. What are your thoughts on how we can return to gyms/studios safely, what should we be looking for when we enter these spaces and are there items that we should bring with us?

HP: That’s a good question and one that is constantly changing. To be honest with you, I think it’s a little too soon to go back into indoor fitness spaces with multiple people huffing and puffing. These last few months where people have not been able to use health clubs, they realize that they’re able to get most of what they need to get done without an elaborate gym or fancy equipment. That being said, a well-equipped fitness facility has a lot more tools for you to train your body in fun and creative ways. There’s also the element of socialization. People really miss being in a group with group energy and a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, this may have to wait a little bit longer. If you do choose to go back to the gym, try to go at non-peak hours. I would also suggest maintaining a safe distance from those around you and making sure to wipe down any equipment you touch before and after use. I also suggest bringing your own hydration so you don’t have to share the drinking fountain. Propel Powder Packs, for example, are packed with electrolytes and easy to throw in your workout bag to make sure you’re properly hydrated.

AM: Via IG, we saw that you and Ariana Grande were doing an in-person workout, what are you personally doing for you and your clients to ensure mutual safety?

HP: I see very few clients in person and do the majority of my training online. For a few clients, we work out together at my studio in my outdoor gym. When doing this, both of us wear masks and keep a proper social distance. We also wipe down all surfaces of equipment that are touched by the clients, have replaced our cable attachments with copper-coated antimicrobial attachments, and have the gym deep cleaned twice a day, which is the same amount of cleaning we utilized before COVID. So far, so good.

AM: You have always stated that we should consume no more than 30g of sugar a day as it can lead to diabetes; however, sugar also has an impact on our immunity. Can you tell us about that?

HP: There are great number of studies that have shown the impact of sugar on our immune system. When we consume a high amount of sugar in either a meal or beverage, it can cause a temporary suppression of our immune system. Chronic consumption of a high sugar diet can also contribute to insulin insensitivity, obesity, and possibly even type two diabetes. These are all three incredibly high-risk factors for COVID complications as well.

AM: What foods can assist in raising our immunity?

HP: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc are all great to help support a healthy immune system. I like to incorporate Propel Vitamin Boost into my hydration routine because it has 100% of the daily recommended value of Vitamins B, C, and E. It is great to drink to during my workouts to stay hydrated as well as make sure that I get my vitamins in.

AM: As we continue to stay healthy from home, what should we be doing to optimize ourselves?

HP: Managing stress is important. Try not to have too much screen time, especially before bed, and make sure you are getting enough quality and quantity sleep. This will help keep Cortisol levels in check and ensure they don’t get out of whack and suppress your immune system. Staying physically active and hydrated is also very important. And most importantly, please wear a mask.

AM: As someone who is working with his clients whether in person or virtually, spending time with your family and working on a number of projects – how are you taking time for yourself in your downtime?

HP: Good question. I make sure I have breakfast and dinner with my family every day and weekends are all about my kids. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized how important prioritizing family and personal time is. I like to golf every Sunday morning, and make sure I have a date night at least once a week with my wife.

IG @HarleyPasternak

PHOTOS COURTESY | Propel

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see Something You Should Know | Harley Pasternak in mag.

S2. E6. | #TRIBEGOALS WITH 4 X NBA CHAMPION, ENTREPRENEUR & PHILANTHROPIST JOHN SALLEY

On today's episode of #TRIBEGOALS, we catch up with 4 X NBA Champion, John Salley. Avid listeners know that we spoke with him last season on this podcast show and always enjoy when we have the chance to get his thoughts. He talks about gifting for dads and grads, his appearance and commentary on ESPN's The Last Dance and words of advice as we navigate what is going on at this time.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

AUTHENTICALLY MATT BARNES

This month, we caught up with retired NBA Champion Matt Barnes who played 14 seasons in the league. His ability to bring his energy and focus to the court was seen on a number of teams from the LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings just to name a few. His unapologetic honesty and loyalty to himself as well as who he works with shined through on the court and continues to be seen through his philanthropy, his skincare brand HUE For Every Man, the cannabis industry, as well as his focus on social justice. With the confluence of COVID-19 and the movement of #BlackLivesMatter, he continues to be at the forefront of ensuring that voices are heard and that people understand the importance of voting at the local, state and national level for changes to be made. He has lent his voice to rally's in his hometown of Sacramento for George Floyd as well as Stephon Clark. We talk about this as well as his successful podcast All the Smoke on SHOWTIME, his enterprises and the upcoming NBA season and playoffs and the importance of sports as we navigate challenging times.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We just wanted to kick it off that we’re excited to be talking with you about your basketball career, your skincare brand as well as the current state of things that are taking place right now. We’ve always enjoyed seeing you and have been following your career since you got into the league and how unapoligetically authentic that you are as a team player and someone that plays hard and how you use your platform to benefit others and to just bring awareness to the forefront.

MATT BARNES: I appreciate that very much. I try and I enjoy it so thank you.

AM: Of course! When did you fall in love with the game of basketball and what was the moment that you realized that you wanted to play in the NBA?

MB: I’d probably say that I fell in love with the game of basketball – hmm. I actually grew up as a football fan. Football was the sport that I was better in and naturally more gifted in. But I continued to grow so basketball, I kind of picked it up and started taking it more seriously probably around 7th grade. That’s when I started really playing a lot more. But back then, we just played, it wasn’t so much working out. It was just another sport that I took seriously. It kind of took me to being lucky enough to make it to the NBA.

AM: You played on a number of teams with amazing athletes. What do you feel your legacy is in terms of the sport?

MB: Just a real guy that was a great teammate. I played as absolutely hard as I could and I never took a play off, never took a game off and I left it all on the court.

AM: In your opinion, when a player is going on in their career, what is the process like when you realize that you’re going to retire and that you’re about to transition to that next phase of life and did you find that hard?

MB: My retirement was kind of subtle. I had just signed a new contract for 3 years at the beginning of the season. I had actually just retired and it was actually just a perfect storm of winning a championship although it didn’t really pan out the way that I had planned it but, winning a championship and missing my kids – I mean, I was going through a divorce at the time when I wasn’t able to see my twin sons as much as I wanted to. I figured that I had gotten 14 years in the NBA and I wasn’t supposed to be there. I figured it was time to transition and to see what was next. I was actually excited about my transition so I ended up retiring at 37.

But I started to think about business and what was next. I mean, the average NBA career is only 3 years and I beat that. At about year 8 or 9 when I was in the NBA, I started thinking about what’s next. So I started investing in things that I kind of enjoyed, that I liked, that I could use and that I could promote. Most people think that kind of stuff happens fast – they don’t realize how long the process is until if the company actually makes it and until you start making some real money off of it. A few business decisions that I had made 4 or 5 years prior with me being in my final season when I had made the championship started coming into fruition and showing a little bit of money, so that’s when I said that now was the time to retire. My transition has been smooth for me, luckily. I’ve been able to transition into media, then social justice and all the things that I am passionate about along with first and foremost, being a single father of 3 kids. I coach my kids, and I am a very hands on dad with my 18 month old son, so retirement has been amazing and I feel like, I’m going to be able to have an impact on the world post-career than during my playing career.

AM: We love seeing you as an analyst on ESPN for The Jump (we recently had Rachel Nichols as our cover for issue #51 earlier this year) and Get Up. What do you like about sports broadcasting?

MB: What I like to do and why I got into the space, is to give them the other side from a players point of view. From what we’re thinking with 2 mins to go in the fourth quarter of a big game or overtime of a big game. How we deal with injuries or how we deal with family and travel. Like, you can be a great reporter, but would never be able to give that kind of insight or detail because you’ve never played. I think as a player, it’s our duty to give the raw and real integral details of what makes our job so unique and so special. I see these days that so often so many people that have never played the sport, want to disrespect people and talk crazy about people and kind of don’t appreciate how hard it is for us to be in that position in the first place. You know what I mean – to be a professional that’s like 1%. You have a better chance of being struck by lightening than being in the NBA. To give a clear cut understanding of what it’s like to walk in those shoes and then to be able to also talk about it for the first time – well not for the first time, it’s slowly but surely becoming more popular to have African American men that are able to get our point across. They don’t have to tell our stories anymore. You know, there are so many guys that have their platforms now that have a voice and they can tell our own stories now and sports is just part of it.

AM: What led you to being a part of HUE For Every Man which is a natural, multi-cultural brand. What stars aligned to do this and why was it so important that you wanted to be attached to this?

MB: I was always known during my career for having the best haircuts and cleanest hairline.

AM: This is true.

MB: I mean my hair, when I was approached by HUE and I found out first and foremost that it was a great product line, but then Jessica Estrada (CEO of HUE For Every Man), she has been amazing. She pours her heart and soul into this company. She’s a blue collar worker and that’s what I was in the NBA, so part of me really wanted to help her to fulfill her dream and to get this off the ground. I wanted to see what we could really do with it. On the multi-cultural side, I’m Italian and Black. Now more than ever, we’ve been divided and so many things are targeted for either a white audience or a Black audience. There’s no real in between and there are a lot of people who are in between these days. There are a lot of biracial people out there. So really, the message for every man is that at the end of the day, we’re all men, we’re all human and it kind of speaks to more of an understanding of what this country needs right now.

AM: What are your 3 must haves that are go to products within HUE For Every Man?

MB: I use the pomade but my favorite product is the awakening mist. Because, I’m a cannabis user and I smoke throughout the day and the awakening mist is always something that refreshes me. Obviously, it helps my skin and I really enjoy it and I give it to all my friends and they really appreciate it so those are my 2 favorites along with the shampoo and the conditioner. The conditioner has a really special smell to it that I really like. Most people, when you get a celebrity or an athlete, they attach their name to it and it may not even be a product that they use everyday. I’m such a person that has always been real and true and I speak my truth. This is something that I really believe in and something that I really use and I want to make it work.

AM: Are there new products that are about to launch that you can tell us about?

MB: I’m also going to get into the CBD skincare line. I’m an advocate of cannabis and realizing how amazing CBD is and educating people on the plant as a whole, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to jump into the space. I’ve been told that I have nice skin, so it just made sense and I also realized that there are not too many people in this space that talk to my demographic. Skincare is something that we care about, but it’s not really spoken on. So if I make it with the movement to make it cool to care about what your appearance is as many people think of it as something that only women do. Men care just as much about their appearance as women do. So, if we can do something for lines and get people on a cleansing routine, moisturizing and realizing how important moisturizing is for your skin. It’s on a personal level, but it’s also on an educating level. We need to let guys know that this is the only face that we have. You have to take care of your skin and your appearance.

AM: We recently started listening to your podcast All the Smoke with you and Stephen Jackson, it’s such a clever show. How did you come about creating the concept, the two of you deciding to work together and what’s your process like in terms of booking the people that come on your show?

MB: We were former teammates and he’s one of my closest friends. We were both respectfully working with ESPN and FOX Sports. We would always get people on social media asking if we would do something together, but we were working for our networks. One day I said that we had to do something together. With me being with ESPN/Disney and FOX – we need to kind of walk the line, but I know that the podcast – even though I didn’t really know what it was, I knew that people felt it would really speak to them. He and I would be good at. We tried it and SHOWTIME took a chance on us not really knowing what we were capable of and we struck gold! We wanted to come in as a sports podcast because obviously, that’s what we’re known as. We also wanted to shift more towards culture as a whole.

We wanted to humanize our guests and let them know the other side of their favorite celebrity, athlete, musician or whoever it may be. Everyone already knows what we’re known for. I play basketball, I rap or I play football – you know that, but what are they really like off of the court? What are they in to, what are their day to day lives like – so humanizing people was something that I wanted to do. Through our long careers, we’ve been able to make a lot of friends and connections. The majority of our guests – all of them, we have booked them ourselves based off of personal relationships as well as our ability to being real. A lot of our guests will somewhat let their walls down and really freely and comfortably speak to us. It’s worked.

AM: Well 2020 has been an interesting year between us quarantining with COVID-19, #BlackLivesMatter, tackling social justice issues and the 2020 election that is around the corner. In looking at your Instagram, you’re out there on the forefront. How important is it for you to use your platform, to push for changes and to get other people to raise awareness regardless of people’s skin tones to ensure that this movement keeps progressing?

MB: I think it’s important. I experienced a lot of racism growing up and it culminated in high school where my school was vandalized and the building was nearly burnt by the KKK. I faced racism growing up and I have always been really sensitive to the subject. Just to see the current state of America, we have never been more divided. Things have continued to happen and it’s almost normalized to where you think that this is normal – Black people being killed now. It’s unfortunate but it has been happening so much. I think what happened with George Floyd obviously boiled not only our country but the whole world to say that we have had enough. We’re upon a big change and as someone who has always been vocal, I am speaking on different matters and this is just something that I am very passionate about. I feel like that this is the first time in over 400 years that the world hears us and particularly the United States. So now, we have to have a plan and me using my platform, showing people what I am doing and trying to educate people. I think that we have to have a plan of intelligence. Now that they are listening, we have to know what we want and the only way to get what we want is to vote. It’s not just about voting for the president, it’s about your local level. People don’t know that most laws are made and passed on the local and the state level. Just continuing to educate people, trying to do my part and getting my friends to help and really understand the power of our community and when we come together that we can change the world.

AM: Being able to see how people have come together and to know that we have to follow through to continue to make our voices heard by making our votes is essential. In addition to this taking place, with the absence of sports, I’m sure you like the rest of us were riveted to ESPN’s The Last Dance as we get ready for the NBA basketball season to resume. What do you think about the format that will take place to complete the season and to head to the playoffs?

MB: I think it was great you know? Normally, when the world is having a crisis, sports is something that we can always turn to. It’s been a hell of 2020 like you mentioned, and 2020 took away sports. So for the NBA to be coming back, it’s slowly but surely becoming America’s past time. I love that they were able to come to some sort of solution or understanding to get back on the court and to really help start the world to heal. We obviously have so far to go, but sports has always been that one time that people can come together. I think that now, more than ever, that’s what we really need. I’m every excited about it and it wouldn’t seem right if we didn’t have a champion this year and now we’re going to be able to get a chance to get that.

AM: We couldn’t agree more. We’re sure that you have a number of projects going on, whether you’re talking about in front of the camera or behind it, are there things that we should be looking forward to in order to keep our eye out for it?

MB: Obviously, you can catch All the Smoke on SHOWTIME right now although we’re in negotiations for a new deal so hopefully, that happens! Also, I’m continuing to produce and create content that I’ll start really getting out there on different networks and platforms as it’s taken over my love of sports – just being able to create content and being able to share true stories, real stories and do inspirational stories. I’m starting to that and I just signed with ICM to help me build my goal and that will be cool. I’m doing a lot in the cannabis space right now trying to educate people on that. Continue to follow that. Last but not least, educating people in a fun way on politics and teaching them on how meaningful it is. Not so much about not being passionate overall in voting for the president or whatever, but finding causes that you’re passionate about and building on those. That’s a small step to getting people first and foremost to register, getting them interested and hopefully getting them all the way interested in being able to understand how powerful their voices are to this country.

AM: We always like to end our interviews asking our changemakers who you clearly are – who are you inspired by. Who are three people who have inspired you to be at the point that you are at now?

MB: Nipsey Hussle RIP. Kobe RIP. These guys because of their focus and dedication on their craft and their obsessive nature – like their beautiful mind to be great. I think that both of those guys were great in their own way and they would have only become greater before their lives were cut short. Someone else that I look up to which is a big thing – I look up to someone like Michael Strahan. Someone who is able to be a formal athlete, able to speak on sports, crossover to mainstream media as well which is something that I would like to do.

IG @Matt_Barnes9

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 25 Matt Barnes + Editorial Design by Athleisure Mag | PG 27 + 33 Ray Chavez | PG 28 - 31 SHOWTIME |

Read the June Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see Authentically Matt Barnes in mag.

BING3WATCH | WESTWORLD

Read the Jun Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see BING3WATCH | WESTWORLD in mag.

S2. E5. | #TRIBEGOALS WITH NBA CHAMPION, ENTREPRENEUR, PHILANTHROPIST, CANNABIS EDUCATOR & SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST MATT BARNES

On today's episode of #TRIBEGOALS, we talk with Athleisure Mag's June cover for issue #54 veteran NBA Champion Matt Barnes who played 14 seasons in the league. His ability to bring his energy and focus to the court was seen on a number of teams from the LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings just to name a few. His unapologetic honesty and loyalty to himself as well as who he works with shined through on the court and continues to be seen through his philanthropy, his skincare brand HUE For Every Man, the cannabis industry, as well as his focus on social justice. With the confluence of COVID-19 and the movement of #BlackLivesMatter, he continues to be at the forefront of ensuring that voices are heard and that people understand the importance of voting at the local, state and national level for changes to be made. He has lent his voice to rallies in his hometown of Sacramento for George Floyd as well as Stephon Clark. We talk about this as well as his successful podcast All the Smoke on SHOWTIME, his enterprises and the upcoming NBA season and playoffs and the importance of sports as we navigate challenging times.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN WITH BROOKE ENCE

We had a great time chatting with International CrossFit Star and actress, Brooke Ence who took her love of dance, fitness and being a natural athlete to another level. She shared the road to the CrossFit Games. We have enjoyed watching her in Wonder Woman as well as Justice League as well as in her new show where she plays a Resident Tagger in FOX's Ultimate Tag which takes the game to another level with an array of courses. She talks about her journey, the importance of timing, sacrifice and being ina team of people that are focused on her success. We also talk about her new app that she recently launched that allows us to stay fit and embrace a community that supports the efforts that she believes in.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We know you have a dance background and that you have been in the fitness industry for some time, when did you know that you wanted to work in this industry?

BROOKE ENCE: I never really knew that I wanted to be in fitness. As far as in dance and performance, since I was like 3. I really found CrossFit in preparation for an audition that I had for a show in Las Vegas called Le Rêve which is a Cirque du Soleil show. It really started as me training in CrossFit to compete against an individual athlete in 2013. I was doing it before hand while still going to school. I was a fulltime Dance Major at the University of Utah. I was one of stronger girls in the gym, I was on the team and I didn’t decide that I wanted to compete and do it as an individual until 2013 CrossFit Games when I was spectating. I didn’t expect other opportunities that came across and happened. The opportunities that came were byproducts of what I was doing. Now everything that I do, health, fitness, performance, dance, training, competing or just to have a voice and influence on people to live a happier and healthier life, I know that this is where I’m definitely meant to be. I still like to do other things like dabbling in movies and films.

AM: What is it about CrossFit that you enjoy? We know of a number of our followers and listeners that started it a few months ago and they’re just obsessed with it. Can you tell us what CrossFit is and what is it that people embrace about it?

BE: CrossFit as a sport is very different then CrossFit as a training methodology. The goal for training is to keep you doing the things that you love. You use it as a means to get better at doing other things that you do a sport or an activity. Beyond that, it’s about keeping people functional as long as they are living. Keeping them to do a series of basic functions and tasks so that they feel that they can do better and to be able to do things for yourself. It’s just about living a happy, healthy lifestyle that you can maintain forever.

As we get older, some things will be different, but the biggest goal is to keep you in whatever time that you’re on in your life journey as healthy as possible. I think that what people are really drawn to – people who come from an athletic background or played sports, at a certain age, if a professional athletic career wasn’t in the books for you, it’s a great opportunity for people to kind of do this and it feels satisfying to give them another chance to be really good at something competitive for that want and that drive. A lot of people maybe never were as they didn’t play sports and weren’t on team sports or anything competitive like that. It transfers over to how you work in your family, your business and it’s a community.

When it comes to fitness, when you’re thinking of truly having a better lifestyle, that’s how we create health and fitness longevity. You have to adjust your lifestyle. Being able to connect to a community where everyone is doing the same thing, you have these things that you can really connect with and relate to. It feels so amazing when you are able to do something that you have never done before and it becomes very addicting. It’s the opportunity and experience to become better, accomplish goals and to see yourself do things that you couldn’t do before. It's very motivating and you see yourself getting better. When you have a group of people doing it with you, you have the better chance of sticking with it longterm and making the lifestyle changes.

AM: What is involved? We’re definitely excited to hear from a World CrossFit Champion on what that is!

BE: Right! Just to clarify, I didn’t win the CrossFit Games, but I was the Champion of the California Regional and in my Rookie appearance, I took 2 first place finishes and I finished 14 in the world! When you want to get better at anything. You have to be willing to sacrifice, time, how bad you want it and when do you want it. Fitness isn’t free and the work that you’re going to put it in it is what you are going to get out of it. People are in training mode - they’re in that schedule all the time. It becomes like the most important thing. Everyone that is part of their team, everyone is thinking about that person’s training. You have to be super consistent. You’re training has to be really balanced. Your coach whether they are at your CrossFit gym or someone that is just for you. It’s this big road map that you have to think about in terms of looking at the big picture. You can’t take a week, it’s months and years of being really consistent. The better you get, the stronger you get, the harder it is for you to have adaptations and the longer it takes for you to get stronger – it takes time. The only way to do that and to reach those goals and get better is that you have to constantly push the limit so that your body can adapt to what you’re doing. It’s a full time job!

AM: In addition to that, you crossed over to Hollywood by being in Wonder Woman and Justice League. We enjoyed both of those movies. How is that to go into this part of your career and how did it take place?

BE: I always wanted to be in a movie growing up. I really wanted to be on Broadway! I spent most of my time doing dancing, singing and doing musical theater. Musical theater is much more theatrical. It was crazy to me to get a call out of the blue to read for a movie and I was just focused on my training in 2015 when they called me. I was on my way to the CrossFit Games and I almost turned it down!

AM: Wait what – it’s Wonder Woman, we love that movie.

BE: I found out that when they called me and I got the part, I thought it was cool and a great opportunity. I thought that we would be filming in Hollywood so I could continue to train in the gyms down there so I could keep up my schedule. I was worried that I would do this and what if I didn’t make it back to the CrossFit Games and it disrupts my training so much that I would let them down.

AM: Now on May 20th, you will be one of the Resident Taggers in FOX’s new show, Ultimate Tag which is hosted by NFL brother’s JJ, TJ and Derek Watt. Can you tell us more about this show and why you wanted to be apart of it?

BE: It is Ultimate Tag! It is the adult athlete version of a flag football version of tag and awesome. It’s high intensity, really fun – like most games we played as kids. You get beat up! I got beat up! I didn't know anything know anything beyond that when they called me. I was brought in extremely last minute. BE: It’s a brand new show and I wanted to try something new, do something exciting and be around people where we would have a really positive experience. It’s so much more than what you think it would be and I think that they have done a really good job in showcasing that in the way that it is filmed too. Fingers crossed that they have a second season and that they can get even better at being able to show the best way that an audience and the people at home can experience this! You’ll feel the intensity on the floor.

AM: As a Resident Tagger, will you be on the show every season?

BE: No so, we have a pretty big tagger team. Not every tagger plays every game. We sub taggers in and out. You don’t want one tagger being out there and taking too much time taking out one person. It’s so intense out there as you’re going from 0-100 that we play our teams the smartest way possible. We think about the strengths of the taggers to put the best person in based on their abilities.

AM: You must have been really tiring after filming each episode with so much energy and physicality going into it!

BE: For me, the other taggers were there when I went down to try out. They had been there. Fun Fact: Every time we played, it was my first time seeing the game and doing it! Every time I was like wow – it was my first time seeing the game and doing it! Every time I was like wow – my nerves were very high and coming from a very athletic background and playing a lot of sports growing up, even with CrossFit and the practice of adapting to things and learning on the fly and learning quickly. That helped me.

AM: That is insane! Many of us during this time have figured out how we can continue to keep our workouts going. What are some tips that you have that we can share that people should think about in terms of their fitness as well as items they can buy to aid their fitness goals?

BE: Of course, I’m going to just plug myself as I 100% stand behind this program – it’s called Naked Training App. We launched 2 at home programs. One is with body weight and one is with dumbbells. If you need some kind of equipment at your house, I would say that a couple pairs of dumbbells is great. We have all the videos to show you how to do things. What’s cool with what you’re trying to do when you’re working out, it’s so much easier when someone is there to show you what to do. It’s like, “what am I doing – oh that? Ok let me do that.” Not only do that, but my team creates the road map because we know we’re all here to get fit and strong. Our team does the work of programming it for you with the big picture in mind If you want to get fitter, stronger etc you do have to adapt with the times and your circumstances and to be realistic about it. You have to do more then just something. If you’re looking for minimal equipment and the goal in mind when programming is to get you closer to being a stronger, healthier more fit person – while the programmer understands where we are in our situation right now, you have a better chance of sticking to your goal while not sacrificing too much as we can’t really leave our house too much!

AM: For the Naked Training App, do you have nutrition in there as well as a sense of community?

BE: We do have nutrition. We have a Facebook Group. We have an ebook available to get you started and we do talk about nutrition through our Facebook Live and we're in the process of launching our own nutrition along with coaching. It will become much more than just hearing this information to get started – but then it would be in the person’s hands and a lot more 1-on-1 coaching and following. We didn't want to run too fast into nutrition without having the team behind it.

IG @BrookeEnce

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 121 + 126 Brooke Ence | PG 118 + 127 FOX | 122 Michael Becker/FOX |

Read the May Issue of Athleisure

Hear from CrossFit Star and FOX's Ultimate Tag Brooke Ence on our show, Bungalow SK - 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 Let the Games Begin with Brooke Ence in mag.

FROM THE RING TO THE WORLD WITH DARIA BERENATO

We're excited to have Daria Berenato for this month's cover. She wrestles in the WWE under the name of Sonya Deville. This athlete started as an MMA fighter and transitioned into becoming a WWE Superstar who uses her platform as an activist for the LGBTQ community, supporting those that are looking to break barriers and of course continuing to expand her empire in fashion, acting and more. We also talked about her upcoming fight with former tag team partner, Mandy Rose on WWE SmackDown on May 8th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Great to catchup with you and an honor to have you as our cover as we've enjoyed having Nattie, Carmella/Leah Van Dale, Naomi/Trinity Fatu, as well - when was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an athlete?

DARIA BERENATO: Oh my God, an athlete? From the first! I used to play basketball at 4 or 5 years old in the driveway. I spent my entire life playing sports from basketball to lacrosse, soccer, track and field. Then on to MMA – Mixed Martial Arts to professional wrestling. So, I don’t even know what my life would look like without sports!

AM: I remember you on WWE Tough Enough but you actually started as an MMA fighter! What was it about that sport that drew you to it and what was your transition to wrestling and joining the WWE?

DB: Yeah so when I was 15 or 16 years old, I was in high school and I played school sports my entire life. I just wanted a change of space and I wanted something different. I always had dreams of graduating from high school, moving far away and being on TV and acting as that was always a passion of mine. I wanted to explore something else also. I didn’t know if it was going to be playing a musical instrument or a marital art.

This was a discussion that I had with my mom one day. I had been watching a lot of MMA videos and had been watching Gina Carano, a big female fighter back in the early 2000’s/2010 probably when I was watching her. I thought it would be so cool to see a chick in a cage and get into a fight and then you see her interviews in a dress. It was so cool to see someone so badass and then to be able to see her feminine side. I liked the idea of someone being beautiful and then being tough at the same time. It was really cool and I became obsessed with the MMA. I started watching every UFC and every Pay-Per-View fight night and eventually I was like, “I want to fight MMA,” and my mom was like, “I don’t even know where you would do that around here.” There weren’t any UFC gyms around here to do that. I went to a local boxing gym that was 45 minutes from my house and I started boxing judo and Jiu-Jitsu and I just loved how pure the sport was. I loved how it was a one woman sport, but that you had a whole team of coaches and training partners that you needed to work with together to get the win and stuff. It was just a really cool community and I loved it. So I moved to Florida to train with American Top Team which is one of the best teams in the world when I was 17. Literally, the day of my high school graduation, I drove down to Florida.

AM: Wow!

DB: Yes. I’m really impulsive like that. When I want something, I will do anything to get it and my heart and my mind is 120% in what I do. So yes, MMA is what I did. I fought and trained while also pursuing acting at the same time. I did that for the next 4 or 5 years and finally, I was hosting AfterBuzz TV podcast in LA where I was living at the time. Maria Menounos, is also part of the WWE family and used to be on E! News.

AM: She’s actually in this month’s issue as well! Completely random that this happened!

DB: No way! Aww that is like so perfect! So her and her husband owned Afterbuzz TV and they became mentors to me. They just took me under their wing and told me that they loved my attitude and they loved my spirit. They thought that I could do something special. So the WWE asked Maria to be on Tough Enough as a contestant and she was like, “hell no. I’m too old for this. But I have the perfect girl and she’s a fighter.” They called me and they thought I was going to say no because they thought that I was so MMA that I wouldn’t want to depart from it.

But they called me and I said yes right away because I saw the opportunity. I didn’t necessarily think that that meant leaving MMA at that moment, I just thought that it was a competition and reality show that sounded like a good opportunity. I just said, let’s do it. That led me to WWE and I ended up getting it. I mean, I was working my butt off to be ready for the tryout and to do the best that I could. I kind of felt out of place at tryouts because there were a lot of bikini world champions like Mandy and fitness models and I was just this little rough around the edges Jersey girl who fought MMA. I definitely stood out in that sense.

A couple of months later, I was hired and the rest was kind of history. I just fell in love with the world of WWE. It was everything that I had always been looking for. It was the performing and competition aspect all rolled into one for my career. Honestly, it was so meant to be and it’s just exactly where I should be.

AM: In terms of Sonya Deville, can you tell us about this persona and what are the similarities and differences between you and her?

DB: When I was first developing Sonya’s character, she was very simplistic at first. She was just a badass that was an MMA fighter who was coming into this world. All she cared about was fighting and winning. She’s a very straight to the point kind of character. Over time, being with Absolution (trio that comprised Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville) on RAW and being on Fire and Desire (tag team of Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville) on SmackDown with Mandy and working with Paige in the past. It all kind of added to the persona of Sonya Deville. Because life experiences make us who we are as people.

So that’s kind of the case with Sonya. She was definitely third wheeling it a little with Absolution and with Fire and Desire, took a backseat to Mandy Rose because it was about Mandy’s magazine covers ironically. It was Sonya always taking the back seat to everything that Mandy was doing because that was just the dynamic of the team. So, Sonya had enough and a lot of what you’re seeing now on SmackDown is a compilation of everything that Sonya has been through emotionally. Everyone is starting to realize that Sonya is a bad B.

AM: Yeah she is!

DB: She doesn’t mess around and she has a little bit of an anger issue I think that we are starting to see and a little bit of an anger problem. But she’s calculated and much more calculated than what I think that we ever thought Sonya was. She’s not as impulsive as she once was. She’s more calculated and every move and everything that she does is made with intention and purpose.

AM: You guys have a fight this Fri on SmackDown!

DB: Yes we do!

AM: The internet is all over the place talking about this. So many of our readers are asking what you can tell us about this and any goodies you can tell as we will drop this issue a few hours before your fight!

DB: Oh wow! I think that you’re going to see a side of Sonya Deville that you have never seen before. Nobody has ever seen this before! She’s been waiting to get her hands on Mandy Rose for years! You have to understand that this isn’t something that just developed over night. The fans are just seeing it happen overnight because Sonya has been keeping it inside just planning and bottling it up. They have to understand that this is a plan that has been coming to fruition that has been in the works for 4 years. 4 years that Sonya has been getting stepped on and has been keeping a mental piggy bank of things that she can use against Mandy Rose. You’re going to see all of that come to fruition on Friday night!

AM: Oh my gosh. Well obviously we can’t wait to see all of this, how it develops and what happens afterwards.

So right now, when you look at the word normal, it’s an interesting word to say, but when you look at an average week as a WWE Superstar, what is it like with you training, getting prepared for matches and you guys are actively still participating in your sport where others are not able to do this. How has that been for you?

DB: We’ve all just kind of developed our own systems at home. Because obviously no gyms are open so I have been training in my home gym that I have built over the past few months. It’s great and I’m blessed that I have it as it is a space that allows me to stay in shape and ready at all times for the ring.

When we show up to film, it’s a completely closed set and we’re doing everything that we can – no crowd nothing! I think it’s pretty remarkable to see that we are able to go forward in a way that is still keeping everyone safe and healthy, but also being able to put a product on television right now so that people can hopefully be distracted for a few hours of their week and not have to think about everything else that is going on out there in the world right now.

AM: We totally agree with you. When your shows were coming out, we wondered how you would be able to do what you guys do without an audience. But when you’re watching it, you’re still seeing the drama as if there were a million people in that room. We commend you for that. The amount of travel that you guys do, the hours you spend going from one place to another while being fresh faced and ready to give it all for your fans is just something that you guys do as a team that is so great.

DB: Thank you. I mean being part of the WWE, it’s a very special thing and very unique. Because of the scheduling, the travel, the amount of shows that we put on a year that people don’t realize. So in a time like this, we have to reinvent the wheel a little bit and recreate. It’s fun for me as an artist and as a performer. It’s been super fun for me to have to dig a little deeper and to see what we can do to still put on an incredible show without the fans. Obviously, the fans are a huge part of what we do.

AM: In terms of training, what are your go-to workouts that you focus on to stay fit and what are workouts that we can do at home?

DB: I switch it up almost every day. Because it obviously gets monotonous to do the same thing every day. I’ll wake up some mornings and do a mile run or an 8-10 mile bike ride on the days that I don’t feel like lifting weights. Some days I don’t feel like lifting weights and my body is telling me to take it easy on the weights. So I’ll just do some cardio on some days or do some laps to the pool. Some days I will do a full on lift mode for weight training. Usually I will do a high intensity workout or a circuit workout one day a week. Then the other 3 or 4 days, I will do an actual weight lifting workout which will have a back and thigh day, shoulders and tri day or a lower body day. That’s kind of how I break up my week.

I’m always switching it up and I always say that if you have a kettlebell or a dumbbell, there is so much that you can do. The options are endless and they’re still available if you go on Amazon and so many other websites that are still selling them. Resistance bands are so amazing. I have a couple of at home workouts that are on my YouTube channel – Daria Berenato. You just have to reinvent the wheel a little bit right?

AM: What are your 3 power foods that you like to eat when you're training?

DB: Redcon1 Mint Chocolate Chip Protein is my favorite thing in this entire world! I’m obsessed. There’s these Kodiak Protein Pancakes mix that are the best in the entire world that I have had in my entire life. Eggs are then my day one go to! I probably have them 6 days a week if not 7. Eggs are so easy and I will do egg whites a lot too. It’s easy to get protein.

AM: One of the things that we love about you is the fact that we know that you’re athletic, you have a fitness focus and you also enjoy eating fun stuff like donuts and other things like that. That’s so important as coming from a fashion/fitness perspective, there are so many people that make others feel bad that even those who do take care of their bodies – that there is a stigma if you engage in that. You’re able to hold both of those things and you normalize that. Why was that so important to you to include that and bring it into your brand for fans to also see that.

DB: I truly believe that life is all about balance. I definitely have a type of personality where if I become focused on working out, I become obsessed with working out. If I’m dieting, I become obsessed with dieting. I’ve always kept a really healthy balance with my diet. Ever since stopping MMA, in MMA you’re dieting and your carb depleted and calorie depleted because you’re cutting weight for your fight. That was super stressful on the body and the mind. So when I switched over to WWE as a professional wrestler, where we don’t have weight classes and a weight to make, I kind of promised myself never to diet that hard again just because I didn’t like how I felt even mentally doing it. Now I have developed something that works for me. Everybody’s body is different, we have different genetics and we work out and train differently too. But I have gotten my body to a point where I know what I can and can’t have in a week and what I need to do to burn it off if I do want to have it. That’s how I think. Work hard, play hard is definitely a motto that I have that follows me into the kitchen too. I love donuts, I love pizza – I probably have pizza once a week, I’m not even going to lie.

AM: Nice.

DB: Yup, I have those pancakes, they’re protein – but they’re still pancakes. I have them probably once or twice a week. I like to enjoy my food for sure. Me and Mandy had our donut show DAMANDYZ DONUTS which is now Daria’s Donuts! We don’t do that show together and I have been producing my own content for that show. I think she has been doing her own show. I don’t pay attention to her in what she does. It’s been really fun to try different donut places all over the world and I cooked my own for the first time.

AM: How’d that go?

DB: It was an absolute mess in the kitchen! But they actually didn’t taste that bad!

AM: Well there you go!

DB: I baked them, I need to fry them next time.

This week, I’m dropping a poolside workout for my fans. So it’s a really cool brand that we have created with Daria’s Donuts and is everything that we have talked about with health, fitness and a little bit of enjoyment and lifestyle stuff.

AM: What is your favorite donut in your favorite city?

DB: In Louisiana, I’ll never forget when I took a bite out of this donut. It was in Lafayette, Louisiana and it’s called Meche's Donut King. It’s a tiny little hole in the wall. Best donut that I have ever had in my life.

AM: What donut was it?

DB: A hot, classic glazed donut. But it was warm, the bread was moist and it was just perfect.

AM: I've been a fan of E! Total Divas and have enjoyed seeing your storyline on it. What was it about being on this show that made you want to be apart of it?

DB: They auditioned me for Total Divas two years in a row actually. The year before, they decided not to add anybody new. When they asked me to do it, I immediately said yes. I love Total Divas, I think it is one of the coolest shows because it gives the mainstream demographic a look into our lives. People don’t watch wrestling – like growing up, I didn’t watch wrestling. But I remember walking into my mom’s room and she had on Total Divas. It was the episode when Nattie busted her nose or something like that. I’ll never forget it. I asked my mom who the girls were and if they were wrestlers because I couldn’t understand it. She explained it to me and I knew I wanted to do that.

I swear on my life, I went online and went to apply. I don’t remember why, but I couldn’t apply. Either I wasn’t 18 yet or at the time, you couldn’t have tattoos. Either way I forget. There was some stipulation on the website where I told my mom that I couldn’t do it yet. It’s really funny because life comes full circle!

I was intrigued through Total Divas because I watched E! It was such a cool look to show our world and what goes on behind the scenes for those that don’t watch wrestling. Maybe looking at it could help them get into wrestling, enjoy the sport and fall in love with it just like we did. It’s really been fun and it was a no brainer when they asked. Of course, I was nervous about putting my whole entire life out there – my family, my friends and my relationship. That was nerve wracking. Obviously, it's much more nerve wracking to be yourself on camera versus playing a character on camera. It was a really cool experience and I feel like I have learned a lot more about myself doing it and I would definitely do it again.

AM: Who are you close to in the WWE that you consider being in your squad?

DB: Well Mandy was. Liv Morgan, Carmella – those are the ones that I’m closest too. Bayley, Becky Lynch – those are like my girls.

AM: Love that. Once again seeing all of those interactions on the show is fun for the Athleisure Media team as we love seeing a number of the people that we have done photoshoots and interviews with and seeing how their personalities on the show are just like when they were with us on set. Or seeing a scene and knowing that we were with them the day before.

DB: Right! That’s funny. We have such a good locker room because we all get along so well – we’re blessed. We have Trin, Saronas – we have such a cool locker room.

AM: We have been media sponsors for the past 4 years of NYC Pride as we think it's so important to celebrate and be allies to the LGBTQ community. As the first openly lesbian Superstar in the WWE how important was it for your to share your sexuality and how can the WWE improve representation and equality?

DB: Absolutely. It’s funny and I’m reminded every single day why I share my story and why I’m open about my life to the fans. Obviously, it’s not the easiest decision and not the easiest way to live. It’s much easier to just be yourself and to think that no one needs to know. I chose to share my story and I’m s happy that I did because I hear from people every single day that they are struggling with coming out and figuring who they are and sharing it with their loved ones, family and friends. We’ve made leaps and bounds in the LGBTQ community and in the world with acceptance and equality. But there is still so much to do. The fight is never over and I think it is so important to have an ally in the public eye. For me when I was growing up, the only gay person that I ever saw on TV was Ellen Degeneres and so there wasn’t many other representatives that I knew at the time.

So for me, a closeted gay girl that grew up in a small town in south New Jersey, I didn’t even think that it was a thing. I didn’t think that I could possibly be gay because I didn’t know anybody that was. I would have thoughts and I would push them way down in there because I didn’t think it could be. It seemed far fetched and I didn’t allow myself to be who I was. I find a lot of light in being able to do that for this generation’s Daria. I want to be the voice for the little me that never had one. For all of these kids, teens and adults who are dealing with these things now – they know who they are but they don’t have anyone to talk to about it or they don’t think it’s ok – just help them with their struggling emotions and let them know that it is more than ok. It’s more than ok to be who you are, it’s more than ok to love who you love and there is nothing to be apologetic about. Anybody who is meant to be in your life, will remain in your life, those who aren’t will exit. Everything happens for a reason and there is no love that is not pure.

I like to be that voice because I know all to well that feeling of not feeling you have anyone to relate to.

AM: What LGBTQ initiatives do you support?

DB: About a year or two ago we worked with WWE to get the first line of LGBTQ wrestling shirts. I got my “Put Your Hair Up and Square Up” rainbow shirt, Finn Balor got his, Becky Lynch got hers, Charlotte Flair – a bunch of Superstars I think 10 of them got them. The proceeds of the rainbow shirts went to GLAAD We were on the GLAAD Pride parade float in the NYC World Pride Parade. I was the representative for that! I got to ride the float and to represent WWE which was a super cool experience. We did the Spirit Day Lounge and NY ComicCon a few years back in NY. Slowly but surely, we’re getting a lot more involvement with community and I push for it every year. We’re always having meetings about it and what we can do to represent.

I have my own line called Rainbow Love which is completely LGBTQ friendly forward clothing line. One of the first shirts that we dropped said, “You Are Not Alone” with the Suicide Prevention Hotline on the back. It’s a super cool shirt and one of my favorite designs in the entire line. It’s so strong and it’s just so powerful. It just speaks for itself and lets you know that you shouldn’t be afraid to talk – to reach out for help to talk to somebody as we’re all going through shit and life isn’t every easy, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel with a silver lining. It’s ok to have a Heavy Heart, but Rainbow Love. There’s a bigger line which is called Heavy Heart which this is apart of.

There’s a bunch of different ways that I try to do stuff like that. This year, I had planned on being on 6 or 7 Pride floats with the WWE behind me. Obviously, plans have changed on that a little bit, but we are working and talking about how we can be there to support virtually.

I look back at myself before I came out and know that I wasn’t able to be myself. When you’re keeping this secret from people that you are close with and those that you love the most, and you can’t act the way you want to in public it’s such a depressing feeling – it affects and manifests in ways that you can’t imagine and you don’t realize it. I mean, hindsight is 20-20 and all I can say to people is that being open and honest with who I was was the best decision that I ever made.

AM: Tell us about Quibi's WWE unscripted series "Fight Like a Girl."

DB: This was a really cool project. WWE partnered with Quibi which is a network with bite sized videos and a new series called “Fight Like a Girl,” focuses on a young woman who wants to make changes in her life for the better. She is teamed up with a WWE Superstar to help reach those goals and accomplishments. They go through a training program at the state of the art WWE Performance Center in Orlando as well as an extensive physical training, emotional training, mental training and mentorship program with Superstars. It’s really a cool show. I was partnered with a girl named Samantha who was closeted to half of her family and she was nervous to tell her father’s side. We just talked honestly and I just told her my journey and I think she was able to relate to the things that I said. I used fitness and force and working out as my biggest crutch when I was going through everything. It was my sanity and happy place when I was going through a lot of the stuff that I have been through. I think she was able to relate to that and she really got into working out and got in incredible shape and it was such a cool experience to see her total mind and body transformation. It was really cool.

AM: Circling back, we were talking about your clothing line, Rainbow Love, how did the line come about?

DB: My good friend Bobbie owns Black Craft clothing which is in Hot Topic and a couple of other stores. He wanted to expand and make a new line as he had been working on that for years. He wanted to make a new line, Heavy Heart and he called me up to be apart of it. He said that he didn’t know the kinds of things that I was into, but he knew that I wanted to make a clothing line anyway. He asked me if I wanted my own line under Heavy Heart. I would be able to name it, come up with the concept – whatever. We went back and forth for months with ideas and throwing things against the wall to see what would stick. I told him that I wanted to do something that I was passionate about and I didn’t want to just throw a logo on a shirt and call it a day. I suggested doing a LGBTQ forward line and he thought it was dope. We came up with the “You’re Not Alone Shirt” with the Suicide Prevention Hotline and a few other shirts, another one called True Colors, a couple that just says Rainbow Love with a cool graphic of my face on it. We just hand designed all of the stuff and we wanted the line to be very raw. We wanted it to speak for itself and let people know that it is ok to express your emotions and to be as dark or as bright as you feel. Life’s not always perfect and it’s ok to be in your feels. It’s ok to have a Heavy Heart, but Rainbow Love. It’s been really cool and I think the fan response has been incredible.

We’re trying to set something up where maybe one of our product’s proceeds will go to a charity or maybe a percentage of all of the products will. We don’t know all the details yet but we are working on that. I just want to be able to help in any way that I can with Suicide Prevention and LGBTQ community in general. It’s been so cool and my fans love it because it is something that they can relate to. The clothing line is friendly to them. It’s more inclusivity that’s subtle but really sweet at the same time.

I wanted it to be clothes that I would rock everyday that you would see me in. I wear the shirts all the time and it’s totally my vibe. Obviously, it’s black because I wear a lot of that, but it’s got the color pop on it too and that matches with my personality as well. I am a little social butterfly despite my dark character persona with Sonya Deville. It’s relatable and true to who I am.

AM: A number of people from the WWE like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena have gone on to having movie careers, competition reality shows etc - do you have plans to follow in their footsteps?

DB: That’s been a goal of mine as acting is my passion and my first dream! Something I have always kept in mind is that you have to go where your path takes you. You have to work hard, but if life hands you a lemon – you have to make lemonade. That’s what I did. I got a little off of the path of becoming an actor, but I actually found something that could get me there in a better way in my opinion. To follow in the footsteps of John Cena, Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista – guys that have come over from WWE and stepped into Hollywood. That’s ultimately the long time game plan. I want to act in television and in film. I’d love to be in The Mandalorian or The Fast and The Furious.

AM: Could so see that.

DB: Right? It would be so fun! I feel like I have created a little brand for myself with WWE and that’s just going to continue to grow and it will make the transition nice and smooth. In the meantime, I have been working with an acting coach, Sean Whalen for the last 2 years. I have been putting in extra hours which isn’t always easy when you’re on the road, but it has helped tremendously with everything that I do from WWE to acting. That’s my goal to be the first female that has made that huge leap.

AM: What advice do you have for women and girls on how they should blaze their own trails in career and in life?

DB: Well if it helps any – I was called crazy and ridiculous. I was 17 moving out of my house saying I was going to be a professional MMA fighter and an actor in a time where Ronda Rousey didn’t exist yet in the UFC. It was a horse of a very different path and no one thought that I was capable except for myself. The power of believing in yourself is so strong! I would say, say less – do more. Put your head down and work your ass off and you can literally accomplish anything. My story is a testament to that. There were so many times that I got down on myself and I said, "I'm not going to make it," I still woke up every day at 6am and trained for 4 hours and then bartended until 2am and did it all over again. You’ve got to grind if you want it. Just don’t ever give up on your dreams. There’s nothing more gratifying in your life than living your dreams.

AM: We like asking people who are 3 people that inspire them in their careers or in life whether you know them personally, follow them online etc?

DB: Ellen Degeneres for sure, Gina Carano and I’m going to go with my mom. Everyone plays a certain role. Ellen showed me at a very young age so much strength and resilience. She wasn’t only in a very male dominated world but a hetero dominated world. She broke down so many barriers for women and LGBTQ people. She’s inspirational in her own right and went through so many struggles being who she is.

Gina Carano was the first pioneer of the MMA for women and was one of the first huge female superstars that people would actually pay to go see. She’s incredibly badass.

My mom is just the definition of unconditional love and support. Although everyone else called my dreams crazy, she did not call them crazy and for that, she is my day one!

IG @SonyaDevilleWWE

PHOTOS COURTESY | PG 16, 26, 28, 30 + 32 WWE | PG 18 + 21 Vince Trupsin | PG 22, 24 + 39 Ryan Loco | PG 35 TOTAL DIVAS -- Season 9 Gallery -- Pictured: Sonya -- (Photo by: Brian Bowen Smith/E! Entertainment) | PG 36 TOTAL DIVAS -- Maui Vacation -- Pictured: (l-r) Carmella, Sonya -- (Photo by: Mario Perez/E! Entertainment) |

Hear WWE Superstar & E! Total Divas', Daria Berenato/Sonya Deville this month 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 April Issue of Athleisure Mag and see From the Ring to the World with Daria Berenato in mag.

S1. E7. | BUNGALOW SK WITH SAMANTHA BUSCH

Avid readers of Athleisure Mag know that in 2018 (Issue #27), we had Ashley Busch, wife of NASCAR driver Kurt Busch as our cover. In today's episode of Bungalow SK, we chatted with her sister-in-law, Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR driver, Kyle Busch. Samantha is known for her fashion sense, her boutique - Avant the Label, being a mom and being one of the stars of CMT's Racing Wives. We also talked about IVF and how she is helping those who are in the process of that journey as well as the importance of staying connected especially during the current times as we all do our part to #flattenthecurve and #stayathome.

Today's interview with Samantha Busch is via her partnership with Walmart Family Mobile, an affordable wireless solution for families to stay connected, organized and a step ahead during the busy racing season. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S2. E1. | #TRIBEGOALS WITH NBC'S LAW & ORDER: SVU JAMIE GRAY HYDER

We're excited to kick off the second season of #TRIBEGOALS and today's episode comes from our 50th cover star, Jamie Gray Hyder of NBC's Law & Order: SVU. After our Feb Issue cover shoot which took place at Dream Hotel Downtown in TAO Group's PHD Rooftop Lounge + Terrace, we caught up with her to talk about her career which has included being in David Guetta's ft. Sam Martin "Lovers on the Sun" video, voice acting for Call of Duty, HBO's True Blood, USA's Graceland and of course being in the main cast of NBC's Law & Order: SVU, Detective Kat Azar Tamin. We talk about how she prepares for her roles, what it's like to get into character on the show with stories that are ripped from the headline and what it's like to hang out and work with her colleagues Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

FINDING THE THROUGH LINE WITH JAMIE GRAY HYDER

We can't tell you how many times we've enjoyed watching NBC's Law & Order marathons whether it's the flagship program, Criminal Intent or SVU. We love our fair share of True Crime and the squad members that we get to know each season. When Law & Order: SVU came back last fall, its 21st season (they have now been renewed for an additional 3 seasons), marking it as the longest running drama series in history. Along with more stories ripped from the headlines, advocating for victims and getting to know many of our faves, Jamie Gray Hyder joined the cast as Officer Katriona "Kat" Azar Tamin who is learning the ropes, coming in with her style of tracking criminals and learning how to grow with her squad.

This month's shoot for our 50th issue showcases a number of pre-Spring looks worn by Jamie Gray Hyder who is known for her voice acting work in the Call of Duty video games, HBO's True Blood and a number of other projects. We took some time to find out more about how she got into the entertainment industry, how she prepares for her roles as well as how it is to be in this acclaimed and iconic show!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’ve been fans of yours since you’ve been on HBO’s True Blood, a number of our readers play video games and have enjoyed your voice acting on them. Can you tell us how you got into the entertainment industry?

JAMIE GRAY HYDER: I’ve been acting since I was a kid. I’ve been a classically trained vocalist since I was really young. I have always been performing and then when I got into college and studying straight acting and kind of left the musical theater world, that’s when I sort of honed in on film and television and working on screens. So after college, I moved out to LA to try to get it going.

AM: What have been some of the shows that readers have seen you in prior to NBC’s Law & Order SVU?

JGH: My first sort of big break was on True Blood. They initially hired me to do a smaller part for 2 episodes and we all worked together really well and they liked the character. So I ended up staying for 2 seasons. For me, that was a huge learning experience and a huge validating experience. To work with HBO as my first home is something that I am really grateful for.

AM: You are so extremely versatile. We’ve enjoyed seeing you in a number of ways such as David Guetta’s music videos. How do you prepare yourself for all of these different types of opportunities?

JGH: You sort of have to find the through-line in what you bring to each one and for me that came down to getting comfortable with what I already bring to the table. Self-awareness is really important because that’s going to be the thread that binds it no matter whether you’re doing video games, television or music videos. If you’re not comfortable with yourself and comfortable with sort of what you provide on naturally, then you’re not really going to know where to go from there.

For me, becoming more comfortable with myself and increasing my self-awareness was a tool that I think has helped me through all of the different mediums.

AM: So Law & Order as a franchise, we can’t tell you how many hours a week that we have enjoyed watching it. It’s something we love watching whether it’s Law & Order, Criminal Intent or SVU. How did you get the call that you are joining the cast?

JGH: Initially, they brought me on to do a few episodes as a guest star and we were going to feel out her role as a regular. Then when they decided to keep me and called me, I lost it and I started crying. I couldn’t believe it because not only am I a part of such a legendary show, but such a historic season. So I get all the weight that comes with that even though this is my first season. So to be tied into such a monumental achievement for the show has been something that has is very rare and something that I am really grateful for.

AM: Tell us who is Officer Katriona “Kat” Azar Tamin?

JGH: Officer Kat and Jamie actually have a lot in common when it comes to being driven and sometimes stubborn and independent. Kat is more reserved when it comes to, I think, her personality, but when it comes to the way she approaches her work and fighting for these victims, she really leads with her heart. I think you’ll see her attempting to create more of a balance between her head and her heart as we continue on. Right now, she is still a little bit rough around the edges kind of learning how to conduct herself in this new world and this new set of rules and structure. While she is a little bit out of line here and there, I think that as she grows and becomes more comfortable with her role in the squad room I think you’ll see her settle in a little bit better.

AM: What is it like working with this amazing cast of characters and people such as Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay. What is that like as we have a number of Law & Order fans who would love to know.

JGH: I learned so much from them both professionally and personally every day. Ice has sort of had my back very much so from the beginning just like Finn has had Kat’s back from the beginning. He and I connected instantly over my work in the music industry. My side job in LA was working at a recording studio called Record Plant. So I worked there for 4 years and dealt with a lot of the same people and personality types and scenarios that Ice has kind of grown up in. So we shared a lot of those kinds of experiences. With Mariska, it’s sort of a daily lesson in how to lead and how to inspire and motivate people. All of my castmates have families and they all have children. They all come in and focus and bring a fresh energy every single day. That’s easy for me as a new person, but thinking into working on something for 5-10-20 years, you might get jaded. Every single one of my castmates comes in fresh daily which is something that I find super impressive.

AM: You guys cover a lot of really heavy topics. In terms of preparing, as your episodes are inspired by cases that took place in real life, and I’m sure there is a lot of work in terms of understanding the victim, how you would play the role, how it would be like for them to come to you etc. How do you take that on as it seems like that would take a lot to be in those positions?

JGH: Before we do each episode, we are sent a whole research packet that has a bunch of news articles and things that all deals with the scenario that we are dealing with on the show. While we don’t necessarily represent certain people or events, often times we are pulling from the news and real people. For me, it’s very much a motivating factor. You have to put aside whatever you’re dealing with personally and really give value to what you are doing because there are real people dealing with these types of issues in their real lives. While we have to keep it light on set as much as we can because we are dealing with heavy material every single day. I think that approaching it with a little bit of reverence is the way that we all really justify what we are doing and just knowing that there are real people out there that are being positively impacted by our show is something that is never lost on us.

AM: So you guys are currently filming season 21 right now. What is a week like when you’re balancing between filming for the show and then what do you do when you’re not on set?

JGH: I chill in my apartment a lot. Because we can work long hours. Some days are shorter than others. We typically shoot 5 days out of the week, 10 months out of the year. It’s a 9-5 and you really have to think of your dressing room as your office and your trailer as your office and take that down time and be productive with it. It can be grueling, but you just remind yourself how lucky you are to be in this position every day and that helps get you through it. When I get home, I just like to hang, and chill and cook and watch movies. I’m happy to be in NY and I have a lot of exploring to do.

AM: What do you do while you’re here – where could we see you working out, going shopping or grabbing a bite?

JGH: I love Japanese food so I am always trying out a new Japanese restaurant. As far as working out, I work out at a fight gym.

AM: So the recent episode you were in, we saw you boxing - that was not something new for you?

JGH: No, that was kind of inspired by my routine already and they said we want to incorporate that and they had a storyline that they had been working on and so it all worked together. So a few days a week, I’m over at Gotham Gym. I work with trainers there. My preferred method of workout is technique and fight training and that’s what I do a few times a week.

AM: With summer coming up and people wanting to look fit and their best, what are 3 boxing moves that people should put into their routines?

JGH: Something super simple that anyone can do at home and you don’t need to pay a lot of money to do it and you don’t have to have people tell you to do it is jumping rope.

AM: Ugh we’re not a fan, but it’s so good for you so we power through it.

JGH: When I first started, I said oh my God, I’m so shitty at this. But then you keep going and just doing 3 minutes before getting into my workout every day – it gets your co-ordination in check, it gets your rhythm in check. For me, it kind of wakes me up. So this is something that anyone can do and benefit from.

AM: So you love to cook, what are 3 things that we can see you cooking?

JGH: I like projects. So I will typically pick a cuisine and say, “what about Korean? I love the Korean Cheong Soups how can I make one at home?” I really enjoy cooking projects that involve going to specialty grocery stores whether it’s a Korean grocery store, a Japanese grocery store, an Indian grocery store – I kind of like exploring new ingredients. I will pick something that feels foreign to me to learn about different foods but then you get to know more about different cultures that way at the same time.

AM: What are philanthropies, charities or platforms that you like to give your time to and support as well as to draw awareness to?

JGH: I work a lot supporting the Armed Forces and Veterans causes that’s really important to me. I specifically work with organizations that help to aid the transition to active duty and civilian life. Some of those include the Student Veterans of America. They are an organization that has liaisons at over 1,500 campuses across the country that help newly, people who are newly coming out of the service and want to get their Bachelors degree. They’re older and have a full life that they have to work around so they have an organization that helps to get around those hurdles to make achieving a higher education easier for those that are coming out of service. When I worked at Call of Duty, I worked with the Call of Duty Endowment which helps place veterans at high paying full-time jobs and in addition to veterans, I work a lot with mental health organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and I work a lot with Cannabis Reform. So those are my 3 major things and they often overlap in a lot of ways as well.

AM: That’s inspiring. What are acting projects that you could imagine doing and would like to have offered to you that are on your bucket list?

JGH: For me, it comes down to the types of work. I love being physical and that’s one of the things that I love about the episode on SVU. I loved being able to be physical, to fight and to do stunt work and getting into it that way. Any job that really requires me to by physical or learn a new skill. Working in other languages and accents and things like that is something that also appeals to me. I also really love animation because you get to voice characters that you would never get to play on screen and it allows you to sort of stretch that muscle a little more.

AM: With the summer coming up, do you have any place you’re going or somewhere on your bucket list to go to?

JGH: Loving Japanese food the way that I do, I love traveling to Japan. I have been once before and so my fiancé and I are doing a honeymoon of sorts and going back to Japan to have a retreat - a relaxing week in some of the onsen towns that’s more nature based places. It would probably be in Northern Japan. That would be the next big trip.

AM: When you’re flying, what are 3 things that you like to have in your carry-on that make traveling more comfortable?

JGH: Snacks – I always like having those. I usually like to have an oil or lotion which keeps your hands from getting dry. I also like to bring my essential oils like lavender or peppermint and to put it behind my ears. It doesn’t disturb anyone else but it keeps me in my own cocoon of sorts and it keeps me in my comfort in that way.

IG @JGHyder

We shot our 50th cover at the Dream Downtown Hotel within TAO Group Hospitality's PHD Rooftop Lounge and at the Winter Rose Garden Lobby Bar. These areas are just a couple of properties available at this destination that vacationers, those traveling for business and those who are enjoying a staycation can enjoy when visiting. We wanted to find out more about them as well as what you can look forward to as we transition to the Spring and the Summer.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into the specific spaces we shot in, please tell us about Tao Group Hospitality as we find these restaurants, nightclubs and day clubs are global multisensory experiences.

TAO GROUP HOSPITALITY: Tao Group Hospitality is a leading restaurant and nightlife company that develops, owns and operates many of the worlds most recognized restaurant and entertainment venues under various brands including but not limited to Tao, Marquee, Avenue, Lavo, Beauty & Essex, Vandal, The Highlight Room, Luchini and Koma in major markets across the world. Tao Group Hospitality’s corporate headquarters is located in New York City, with locally-based managing partners and a full-time marketing and operations staff in every other market.

AM: What cities are Tao Group Hospitality properties located in?

TGH: New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Sydney.

AM: Are there new properties that we should keep an eye out for in 2020 for Tao Group Hospitality?

TGH: Top secret – stay tuned!

AM: The Lobby Bar is a fun space and for the winter, you have it themed as the Winter Rose Garden. What was the thought behind this installation, and will there be additional themes for this this year?

TGH: The Winter Rose Garden is complete with a bar & wall made out of 15,000 red roses complete with red accent furniture, candles, and rose-infused cocktails. Food and beverage offerings at The Winter Rose Garden include the Crispy Truffle Mac & Cheese Balls and the Primrose Cider cocktail with a side of rose-infused ice cubes. This magical rouge oasis at Dream Downtown was designed to cure a bad case of the winter blues and will be activated for a limited time only so stop in today!

AM: Are there 3 signature cocktails and dishes in this bar that guests should enjoy while in this space?

TGH: Blanc de Blanc ($19) – Ciroc Coconut, Creme de Cacao, Amaretto, Almond Milk, Almond Milk Foam, Shaved Chocolate; Lavender Dreams ($18) – Don Julio Blanco, Lemon, Pea Flower Tea, Simple Syrup, Egg White and Primrose Cider ($18) – Barking Irons Applejack, Cinnamon Syrup, Lemon Juice, Sparkling Rosé, Rose Ice Cube.

AM: We have spent a number of nights, NYFW events and more at PHD Rooftop Lounge. When did this space open and what is the vibe of this penthouse space?

TGH: Having opened in June 2011, PHD Rooftop Lounge continues to be the ultimate penthouse, featuring timeless and luxurious finishes. With an exquisite panoramic Manhattan skyline view that includes direct lines of site to the Hudson River and Empire State Building, guests come to relax on custom-built Italian leather banquettes with marble tables, and cozy seating niches located on the outdoor terrace.

AM: What are 3 signature cocktails and dishes that we should enjoy when being here?

TGH: Dream Girl ($19) – Bacardi Limon, Cointreau, Raspberry; Strawberry Fields ($19) – Don Juilo Blanco, Fresh Strawberry, Basil and Ginger Towers ($19) – Ketel One, Fresh Ginger, Mint, Ginger Beer.

AM: What kinds of events are held at PHD Rooftop and as we head into the Spring and the Summer, what events should we mark on our calendar?

TGH: TBD! Follow us at @PHDRooftopNY to stay up to date with things fun for Spring / Summer 2020!

AM: Tao Group Hospitality has additional spaces within Dream Hotel Downtown, please share those with a little information about these as well as upcoming Spring/Summer events?

TGH: Join us every Monday night at Meatpacking hotspot, Bodega Negra, for the weekly themed dinner party – Loco Mondays. Amidst the intimate and moodily-lit “Tudor Hacienda” decor, watch as performers kick off the evening of vibe dining with music from DJ Select, followed by tabletop performances from a rotating line-up of mesmerizing acts such as burlesque dancers and fire-breathers. Enjoy menu offerings from Corporate Executive Chef Brad Warner with small plates such as fresh ceviche, tacos and generously proportioned dishes like Shrimp Alambre and Enchiladas, complimented by a selection of handcrafted mezcal and tequila cocktails; followed by the famous Don Huevo dessert from Corporate Pastry Chef Paola Marocchi. The perfect spot to host your birthday, visiting friends or simply just a way to turn your Monday around, this is a party you do not want to miss.

Located on the lower level of Dream Downtown in New York City’s Meatpacking District, The Electric Room is the perfect spot for late-night dancing and after-dinner drinks. The intimate room accommodates approximately 100 people and features a full bar servicing high-end spirits and specialty cocktails. The room provides a distinct cool Britannia feel with sofas featuring the Union Jack Flag and custom back-painted antique mirrors by artist Chris Stain that adorn the banquette wall. Relax among photography and artwork by Sante D’Orazio and Marilyn Minter, while two gothic-inspired chandeliers provide intimate lighting for a curated, one-of-a-kind experience.

Escape to The Beach at Dream Downtown, the outdoor/indoor restaurant located at Dream Downtown hotel in Meatpacking District. Spanning 5,000 square feet, The Beach includes a glass-bottom pool, full-service bar, pool deck, sand beach, two private cabanas, and over 50 chaise lounges. The café located adjacent to the pool features a casual all-day menu created by Corporate Executive Chef Brad Warner with highlights such as The Beach Burger and Baja Fish Tacos, which pairs perfectly with a seasonal cocktail menu. As one of New York City’s most beloved Summer staples, The Beach features a pergola filled with lush greenery, hanging lamps, lattice chairs, overhead twinkling mason jars, and oversized plant walls all surrounding the pool area and is open during the Summer season only.

IG @DreamDowntown

@TaoGroup

@PHDRooftopNY

@DreamBeachNYC

@BodegaNegra

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

Athleisure Mag's cover story was shot by Co-Founder/Celeb Photographer Paul Farkas, using Canon Mark IV; and selected Canon lenses: EF 50 f/1.2 L, EF 24-70 f/2.8 L II, and EF 70-200 f/2.8 L II.

IG @PVFarkas

STYLE, MAKEUP & HAIR CREDITS

Athleisure Mag's Celeb Fashion Stylist, Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director Kimmie Smith, MUA Jessica Bonilla and Hairstylist Lea DeLoy share how Jamie Gray Hyder's look was created for the cover editorial.

LOOK I | FITNESS STYLE

PG 24-29 | ULTRACOR Aster Luna Bra, Aster Legging and Aster Polaris Zip Up Hoodie |

SKINCARE | PONDS Dry Skin Cream | GLOSSIER Coconut Skin Balm | GIOVANNI Refreshing Rose Water and Aloe Mist | MILK MAKEUP Hydro Grip Primer |

FOUNDATION | L'OREAL Infallible Foundation Shade 475 | RIMMEL LONDON Concealer Shade Buff | L'OREAL True Match Powder Shade W2 + W4 for the center of the face; W7 for the perimeter of the face | FENTY BEAUTY Sun Stalk'r Shady Biz Bronzer |

BLUSH | MILANI Luminoso |

HIGHLIGHT | JOUER Skinny Dip |

EYES | ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS X AMREZY Eyeshadow Palette using Shade OG on the eyes | MAYBELLINE Lash Sensational Mascara |

LIPS | FENTY BEAUTY Gloss Bomb |

HAIR | Added THEURGY Gypsy Soul Styling Lotion throughout dry hair to maintain control of the hair and creating smooth hair before creating two inverted French Braids | Pulled out a few wispy pieces for an undone effect |

LOOK II | RELAXED STYLE

PG 16-22 | PARADISED Kelsey Jumpsuit in Vanilla | LAGOS Blue Caviar Beaded Bracelet x 2 | ATHLETIC PROPULSION LABS Women's TechLoom Bliss in Rose Dust/Nude | NAVAL SURFACE AND MINE WARFIGHTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER Hat |

EYES | ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS X AMREZY Eyeshadow Palette using Shade OG, New Yawker and Yugo was added on the Lash Line | ARDELL Trio Lashes applied |

LIPS | COVERGIRL Sienna Lipstick |

HAIR | This look showcased soft beachy waves | Sprayed in THEURGY Out of Body throughout dry hair for hold and heat protection | The wrap curled throughout curling curling everything away from the face | Finished with THEURGY Shape Shift for added extra root lift and sexy, messy texture |

LOOK III | OUT & ABOUT STYLE

FRONT COVER, PG 30 - 34 | THE FOLD Seville Coat Multicoloured Wool | OLIVIA VON HALLE Bella Jet Black Silk Camisole | MAVI JEANS Adriana Mid Rise Super Skinny in Black Denim | UNO DE 50 A Tickle with a Feather Necklace | MLB WASHINGTON NATIONALS World Series Hat |

LIPS | The lip was changed to DOSE OF COLORS More Creamer Please |

HAIR | Previously for the 2nd look, the hair was curled | For this look, the hair was pinned back on the sides | The hair was finished with a light mist of THEURGY Retrograde Hairspray workable spray |

LOOK IV | SPRING NIGHT'S GLAM STYLE

BACK COVER PG 36 - 39 | OLIVIA VON HALLE Capability Nika Full Length Robe | LUNYA Washable Silk Slip Dress in Deep Night | LAGOS KSL Cuff Bracelet | VIRGINS, SAINTS & ANGELS San Benito Crystal Magdalena in Blue Velvet |

EYES | BK on the lash line

LIPS | MILANI Red Lipstick in Kiss Matte Necklace |

HAIR | Hair was pulled up into a “Done/ Undone” top knot pulling out pieces from all around the hairline for soft texture |

IG @Shes.Kimmie

@Laniidoa_Cosmetics

@HairByLeaDeLoy

Read the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Finding the Through Line with Jamie Gray Hyder in mag.

WHEN WOMEN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER WITH WHITNEY PORT

One of our faves that we enjoy chatting with is Whitney Port. In addition to being someone that is positive, continues to grow her business interests and more, she truly enjoys reaching out to women and ensuring that they are connected with those that can assist them in their journey. We catch up with Whitney right before she starts filming for the second season of MTV's The Hills: New Beginnings. We talk with her about her upcoming projects, balancing her busy life as well as taking time for herself.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We talked to you last fall and touched on The Hills: New Beginnings and how we loved seeing you back on that show again! What can you tell us about the second season?

WHITNEY PORT: We haven’t started filming yet but I am eager to start back up and connect with everyone again! The show will dive deeper into our lives as parents and our relationships with each other.

AM: We have also become fans of your podcast and love how you share people that you are a fan of or talking with your husband to get to know more about you. Who are some upcoming guests that we should get excited about hearing?

WP: Well, last week I put out one of my favorite episodes ever! It was with BJ Fogg, a professor at Stanford. We talked all about how we can train our brains to be happier and more fulfilled by learning small habits to incorporate into our daily lives. We will also be having some fun peeps on soon like Kaitlyn Bristowe and Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

AM: Tell us about your partnership with Chloe Wine and Dress for Success?

WP: I’ve teamed up with Chloe Wine Collection to raise a glass to hardworking women everywhere this International Women’s Day. Together, we’re also raising awareness for ‘Your Hour Her Power,’ Dress for Success’ signature giving campaign, which encourages supporters to donate one hour of their pay to help women reach their full potential. I recently stopped by the Dress for Success LA boutique to style some of their clients in preparation for upcoming job interviews.

AM: Why does this partnership mean so much to you?

WP: As a business owner, I know how the right outfit can arm you with the confidence and charisma to make a great first impression, and how important it is to have a network of support cheering you on. I wouldn’t be where I am without the strong women in my life, so I’m proud to join Chloe Wine Collection in paying it forward.

AM: Many women are looking to live their best whether it’s starting a new business, delving into their communities and networks or just changing it up to go to a new city. What are your tips for women to optimize themselves through networking, putting their best foot forward as well as to establish themselves in a new city?

WP: Take advantage of social media apps like Bumble Bizz, Meetup and Facebook groups to make connections with likeminded women in industries you are interested in. Keep your eyes peeled for networking events or other fun after-work activities and make it a goal to go to at least one per week. If you work in a big office, send out an all-company slack message to see if anyone is free to grab lunch or a happy hour. It might sound intimidating to put yourself out there, but people are more willing to help than you think!

AM: How do you balance the needs of being a woman with a career, being present as a wife and being a mom?

WP: It’s definitely a challenge but I try to be ok with the imbalance as opposed to striving for perfect balance because that is just not very attainable. Some days may be very work heavy and there’s little time for Sonny or some days may be ALL about Sonny and my inbox might be flooded. It is all about being ok with this, being present in the moment you are in and almost most importantly, making sure your needs are being fulfilled so you can be present for your family and your career. For instance, to feel like a whole human, I need to work out a couple times a week so I make this a priority. It is ok to have needs. I make a working to-do list in a google doc and make sure my needs being met is something scheduled in.

AM: How do you support and motivate the women in your life?

WP: I try to always lend an ear when someone is in need. I try to listen without judgment and not just give advice. I try to hear where they are coming from and work through situations as opposed to just telling them what has worked for me. It is also important just to send random messages or quotes or words of inspiration to those you know need it! But really, just make it known that you are always there to work through tough situations.

AM: What are your 3 go-to power foods that you enjoy to keep your energy up when you’re constantly on the go?

WP: Sunflower seeds, almonds or pumpkin seeds, the Tranquility Smoothie from Kreation, and if I am running out the door but haven’t eaten I will toast some sourdough and slather on some peanut butter for a snack in the car!

IG @WhitneyEvePort

Read the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see When Women Support One Another with Whitney Port in mag.

THE BACHELOR S25. E12. | THE FINALE PART II

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

Part II of the Season Finale kicks off with seeing the aftermath of the life between Hannah Ann and Peter. We can’t believe that yet again, someone is not exactly sure about their choices. Even though he became engaged to Hannah Ann, we learn that Peter wanted to have closure with Hannah B, still had feelings for Madison and he couldn’t give his whole heart. We also saw Hannah literally share everything that she thought about everything - especially since he broke up with her. We have been on the fence with her, but love how she methodically held him accountable. We also get so many faces from Mama Weber as we can see that she loved Hannah Ann. At the end of the day, he didn’t want to make a decision and even when he brings Madison up (Chris visited her and let her know that although he asked Hannah Ann to marry him, they broke up), we don’t know the status of their relationship. We also learn that she kept his family waiting for 3 hours, didn’t want to meet them and flat out told his mom that she wasn’t in love with him. Mama W also let us know that Peter has no support by his family or friends in regards to Madison.

What can we say about a season that literally had drama in every week, saw Peter not really making decisions and people being moved to the next round that shouldn’t have been? It’s been a wild ride and we’re glad that we were able to tweet with you as well as to get some of the insider information with Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14).

We’ll be back for the next season of The Bachelorette and can’t wait to hear your thoughts as we tweet by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give our commentary on what’s taking place!

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LAST EPISODE

Peter got engaged to Hannah Ann.

WEEK 11 PART II

Peter got engaged to Hannah Ann and then broke it off about a month later. He is with Madison on some level - only time will tell.

MADISON

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S25. E11. | THE FINALE PART I

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

Part I of the Season Finale kicks off with Hannah Ann and Madison. Each of Peter’s final women have a chance to hang out with Peter as well as to meet his family in Australia. Peter’s mom says that seeing her son and Hannah Ann reminds her of how she and her husband looked. During tonight’s chat on Twiiter, @Bachelor.Spoilers shared how Peter’s mom and Hannah Ann looked and the resemblance is pretty uncanny!

We thought that the family would really like Madison and it seems like she’s not exactly winning over the family. Peter’s mom asks the hard questions with Madison asking about her religion and values and lays it out that she doesn’t want him to try to change Peter. She appreciated the religious nature of Madison while stating that Peter is a spiritual person, but he likes to party. His mom shares that she prayed for the right person to be able to meet him and lets him know that Madison is not for him. When Peter’s mom, Barb, inquires where he is leaning to, she cried as she passionately lobbies for Hannah Ann. He politely takes it in, but eventually tells her and his family to stop. Although we think Hannah Ann would make the most sense, we can appreciate how he stuck to his guns.

Peter takes Madison on a 1-on-1 date and it hits her that it’s time for her to walk away (although we think the whole Fantasy Suites scenarios said everything that needed to be said with her ultimatum that went unheaded). She shares that their faith and lifestyle are different and that she wouldn’t want either of them to change in order for it to work. We definitely feel that Barb has been a factor in some of Madison’s statements due to their conversation a few days earlier. With that, she says that she is not the right girl for him.

We come back from break and see Chris Harrison sit down with Peter. Apparently, Peter still feels that there is a future and it seems like he’s not letting Maddie go (even though his mom said that she would have all the love in the world for Hannah Ann) - but then he also said that he has love for Hannah Ann. While he debates what he will do, Hannah Ann, walks into the desert for her date. He puts on a good face and prepares for their final 1-on-1. Their date takes place at a kangaroo sanctuary where they can feed the joeys as well as to see the adults as well. We’re definitely feeling bad for Hannah Ann as she has no idea on what took place; however, she does say that she feels that something is off when she looks in his eyes.

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

Peter chose Hannah Ann and Madison. We said that we wanted him to pick Madison.

WEEK 11 PART I

Peter has selected Hannah Ann and Madison! Watching the dates, we’re changing our minds and going back to Hannah Ann!

AND THE FINAL TWO

HANNAH ANN

MADISON

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S24. E10. | THE FINAL 2 & THE WOMEN TELL ALL!

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

And we kick off the episode to see who Peter Webb will pick as we head into the final episode of the season! At first, we don’t even know if Madison will even be there as she was upset finding out that Peter had been intimate during the Fantasy Suites dates. We see both Victoria F and Hannah Ann waiting for him and shortly after, Madison makes her appearance. Ultimately, Madison and Hannah Ann get the rose and Victoria F is sent home. Madison makes a toast and says, “we’ll see if love can really conquer all.”

We roll straight into the Women Tell All portion of the show which is bound to be filled with accusations, clarity and hilarity.

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

Last week, Peter emerged from Hometowns with Hannah Ann, Madison and Victoria F. We’re hoping that Madison ends up being asked to marry him - but as always there is a lot of drama in the mix

WEEK 10

Peter has selected Hannah Ann and Madison!

AND THE FINAL TWO

HANNAH ANN

MADISON

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA (Copy)

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S24. E9. | ONTO THE FANTASY SUITES

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

We start with tonight’s episode with Madison pulling aside Peter. She tells him that she won’t feel comfortable if he uses the Fantasy Suites with the other girls - at this point, he doesn’t know that she is a virgin. Personally, to put the whole situation into context, she should have also shared this portion of the story. In an interesting switch it seems like all 3 girls will be staying together (usually, at this point everyone has their own places). Interestingly enough, everyone will know who ends up using it - clearly the producers are all about the twists this season to add to the tension.

The first date takes place with Hannah Ann and we know that he is falling in love with her. Of course, their date goes well. We expected to see the crazy train again between Victoria and Peter - although there were possibilities, they ended up having a regular date. Both of these dates resulted in the use of the Fantasy Suite. Madison told Hannah Ann that she felt that Peter should abstain from having sex with anyone. So of course, we can’t wait until Victoria is looped into this ultimatum.

Of course, Victoria and Hannah Ann talk about how Madison told Peter her thoughts without expressing that she is a virgin. Madison and Peter sit down to dinner to talk about open issues that have been hanging over them. Madison shares that she is a virgin and couldn’t imagine being with someone that had intimate relationships with others and then being asked to marry him. This leads both parties feeling uncomfortable. With 3 ladies left, it’s interesting to see who he will send home.

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

Last week, Peter emerged from Hometowns with Hannah Ann, Madison and Victoria F. We’re hoping that Madison ends up being asked to marry him.

WEEK 9

We’ll have to see what happens with Madison next week!

AND WE’RE STILL WAITING FOR THE FINAL TWO

HANNAH ANN

MADISON

VICTORIA F

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S24. E8. | HOMETOWNS

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

One of the best parts of The Bachelor/ette is getting to Hometowns and tonight we see Peter head out to Hannah Ann’s family in Knoxville, Tennessee. We don’t know about his axe throwing skills to impress her dad, but we do know that her father doesn’t seem to be too impressed. He suggests that Peter shouldn’t say that he is falling in love with her unless he really means it along with everything involved in it.

Of course, he tells Hannah Ann that he loves her and we all cringe as clearly he didn’t take her dad’s warning. Hannah Ann lets him know that she is in love with him and not just falling in love with him. Clearly, she feels that they had a great date,

We move right into Des Moines, Iowa with Kelsey where they try their hand on making wine by stomping on grapes and then making their own blend. We can’t wait to see what Kelsey’s family is like as she’s quite a lot and we can only imagine that it comes from somewhere. She lets him know that she is in love with Peter - we don’t know where Peter is just yet, but he says that he loves her honesty. We meet Kelsey’s family and honestly, between Peter not knowing what a Crab Rangoon was, watching the interactions with Kelsey and her family - it’s a bit awkward - we really wonder if she and Peter are a good fit.

Although Madison was not someone that stuck out to us initially, we have grown to like her. So Peter makes his way to Auburn, Alabama and of course, we see a fun video of Charles Barkley telling Peter to treat Madison right. We also meet the head coach of Auburn who her father coaches under. Seeing this part of Madison made us love seeing her even more and getting to know more about who she is as a person. Madison’s family is what we expected and her mom asks her if she has shared the fact that she wants to save herself for marriage to Peter. Once again, Peter sits down with another father who isn’t too pleased to hear that he is falling in love with his daughter when he knows that there are other experiences happening over the weeks. Interestingly enough, Madison doesn’t say that is falling in love with him and you can tell that she is weighing so much between what she wants, what she wants to say and what her parents are feeling.

So Peter continues onto Victoria F. which we liked initially until we started hearing about things that she has been doing in her life. We suppose that they gave them another country musician date with Hunter Hayes and clearly she didn’t date him formally. They have a great date; however, an old friend who is his ex (Merissa) sees him and warns him that he shouldn’t stay in a relationship with Victoria. So many thoughts and yet we can’t disagree with her.

Peter lets Victoria know about their conversation and of course she just melts down. He questions whether she has ever fought for anything that she wanted and that he feels like he is always talking her down. We can totally agree with him on this; however, he can’t get enough of her no matter how childish she acts. Peter doesn’t meet her family, but does talk with her the next morning.

We’re at an airport hanger and all the ladies assemble to see who will advance. Peter gives out roses to Hannah Ann, Madison, and Victoria F. Kelsey does not receive a rose (and although we didn’t think Kelsey was a great fit, we actually would have been ok with her over Victoria F.)

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

Last week, we found out that the remaining 4 Hometown contestants were Hannah Ann, Kelsey, Madison and Victoria F.

WEEK 7

Hometowns is always a fun time to get to know more about the friends and family of the contestants. As always, each week has been filled with drama and we don’t see it ending any time soon.

With that said, Peter gave roses to Hannah Ann, Madison and Victoria F. We hope that hw will pick Madison ultimately.

THE FINAL THREE

HANNAH ANN

MADISON

VICTORIA F

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S24. E7. | The Bachelor Rolls Onto Lima, Peru

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

Tonight’s episode continues onto Lima, Peru! This episode also marks the final one before Hometowns so we’re expecting tons of drama as this is a pretty key week. As the girls pow wow, Peter swings by saying how important the week is. The first date card arrives and Madison snags a 1-on-1 with him to find out about their vibe. We can appreciate Madison being blunt about how important her faith is to her. Peter agrees; however, he says he has struggled with the strength of his face. Although it seems like there should be more to say here, he changes the conversation and shares that he is falling in love with her. They both seem to be happy about where they are and she takes the rose and she prepares for Peter to see her family during Hometowns. This date is interesting because Madison got the first date with him when she went to his parent’s renewal in the first episode of the season.

While Madison is on her date, Natasha finds out that she is getting a 1-on-1 date as she has yet to have one at all! When Peter and Natasha go on their date, we're not going to lie, there is a lot of ground to cover. Natasha has never had a 1-on-1 date with Peter although, there have been a number of times when he has sought her out to check in with her. Their date is definitely easy; however, is it enough to take it to the level of advancing to Hometowns or is it merely a great friendship?

While Natasha is on her date, the next date card pops up as a 3-in-1 with Victoria F, Hannah Ann and Kelley. Although Peter picked up the rose while talking with Natasha, he tells her that he can’t give it to her. We can’t think of anything more cruel than picking up an item that symbolizes moving forward and then telling someone that it isn’t for them.

Kelsey and Peter hang out on ATV’s and hang out on a mountain. Now that dinner is starting, both want to dig in to the nitty gritty to find out about one another. Through it all. Kelsey got her rose. Onto the 3-on-1 date. I never knew that Kelley had a bit of a negative side as she goes in on Hannah Ann and Victoria F (not to say that we don’t see what she is talking about) and even says that she “hates” that she will have to throw them under the bus. In her confessional she talks about the fact that their young age doesn’t make them eligible to truly be competition and doesn’t think that she should be on this date with them. I guess it’s good that this is the last time that everyone will be together as she definitely isn’t building a community among these ladies.

Once again Victoria F’s time with Peter is always filled with angst. She’s always either stomping off camera, rolling her eyes, being passive-aggressive and just being annoying. If only she could be honest as opposed to hiding a number of things - we think it would be easier for everyone involved. When Peter comes back to the 3 ladies, he announces that he doesn’t need to have a dinner to figure out who he will go to Hometowns with.

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns if we were choosing right now! We will also say who we think should take it all.

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

Last week, we were treated to 2 episodes which of course continued with more drama than you can imagine. We predicted that Madison, Natasha, Kelley and Hannah Ann would make it to Hometowns. We also felt that Madison would ultimately be the winner.

WEEK 6

We’re convinced that every week is going to have an issue. With that said, we still see Hannah Ann, Kelsey, Madison and Victoria F. are heading to Hometowns with Peter. This week, we think he will choose Madison to ask for her hand in marriage.

PETER’S HOMETOWN PICKS

HANNAH ANN

KELSEY

MADISON

VICTORIA F

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S24. E6. | DRAMA FINDS THEM IN CHILE

If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!

Tonight’s episode kicks off in Chile! The girls toast to leaving the drama behind and focusing on their relationships. Of course, everyone begins talking about MyKenna making a mini party to force time with Peter. She defends her decision and the girls find out that Hannah Ann gets a 1-on-1. Tensions are high as the girls wish her well on her date - Hannah Ann gets her rose.

Hands down, this was one of our favorite group dates - the Novella that seemed to be never-ending! It’s interesting that whether you’re a die-hard soap opera fan or not, people have a soft spot for them even if it’s a memory of watching it with a family member! As they enjoy the cocktail party, Peter ends up sending Victoria P home - which was a bit of a shock as he bluntly stated that he didn’t see her as his wife. Although we totally get it, maybe he shouldn’t have let her sit on his lap as that seemed a bit awkward. In the beginning of The Bachelor, Tammy was someone that we liked; however, over the past few weeks, she definitely has been on a mission to belittle the other contestants. Her focus should be on Peter as opposed to the other girls. Picking on the other women is definitely a strategic position for her - we can only imagine who her next target will be.

From the group date, Peter goes on a second 1-on-1 date with Victoria F. On their last 1-on-1 date, her ex Chris Rice serenaded them which made it a bit awkward. So on date number 2, at least they’re riding horses in Chile and being low key. This particular relationship has been such an issue to us due to a lot of things that have come up about Victoria F’s modeling career. Interestingly enough, her date begins to bring up red flags which also makes us think of other things we have heard in terms of her dating life prior to the show. Her behavior at the dinner was questionable at best; however, Peter still gives her a rose even though he admits that this is the first time he has given one with doubt on his mind!

As the girls get ready for the cocktail party, Peter requests a 2-on-1 with MyKenna and Tammy - which means that someone is going home. Although we feel that both of these women are annoying, this pair has been an odd mix. Tammy seems to be unhinged and there’s a point where filling Peter in on all the details that are going on in the house, needs to be tempered. There’s a fine line between being informative and being a tattle tale. Tammy is sent home (MyKenna is not given a rose at this time, but is able to go to the cocktail party) and he continues with the cocktail party to find out more about the other women. He chats with Natasha, Sydney, Kelsey and Victoria F (although she has a rose already).

Going into the rose ceremony, Hannah Ann, Madison and Victoria F have their roses. 3 additional roses are up for grabs - 2 additional people will be heading home. Kelsey, Natasha and Kelley receives a rose. We’re seriously shocked that Sydney didn’t receive one - we’ll hold out hope that she comes back maybe? After all the drama, they’re jetting off to Lima, Peru.

As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns if we were choosing right now! We will also say who we think should take it all.

We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!

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LAST EPISODE

On Monday’s episode, we felt that Sydney, Natasha, Madison and Hannah Ann would make it to Hometowns. We also felt that Sydney would ultimately be the winner.

WEEK 5 (2nd of 2 episodes this week)

We’re convinced that every week is going to have an issue. With that said, we still see Hannah Ann, Madison, Natasha and Kelley heading to Hometowns with Peter. This week, we think he will choose Madison.

.

OUR HOMETOWN PICKS

HANNAH ANN

KELLEY

MADISON

NATASHA

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ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Columbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.