Up-Close + Personal
Stories, videos and interviews that give a behind-the-scenes look at the individuals who make up our collective.
Jul 05, 2016
Swimmer Tucker Dupree is clinically blind, but don’t think for one moment that he can’t see.
Jul 12, 2016
American pro cyclist Taylor Phinney has some serious questions. What does it mean to be an athlete? Where does he fit in the world of cycling? What is success? We joined him on a road trip to look for some answers.
Jul 28, 2016
After four years on the women’s national soccer team, Canadian pro goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé bravely redefined success and her performance transformed.
Jun 21, 2016
When Kirsten Sweetland got doctor’s orders to stop training less than a year before the biggest race of her life she laughed, and set her sights on the start line.
Jun 19, 2016
At 40, our Miami-based ambassador Matt Roy took an entirely new career—literally by accident.
Jun 14, 2016
This year is American pole vaulter Melinda Withrow’s last opportunity to vault in the big event happening this summer. That’s a lot of pressure for one person to handle. Luckily, she’s got the most incredible support system around–her dad.
Jun 07, 2016
After a disappointing loss in 2012 and the end of his team with his then on-court partner, pro beach volleyball player Jake Gibb wasn’t sure his heart was still in the game. Then he met Casey Patterson.
May 19, 2016
What happens when you bring a bunch of pro athletes together on a Hawaiian island with a loose agenda? Snowboarder Alex Diebold found out.
Mar 28, 2016
Marcus LeBlanc is a creature of habit, and with that comes an obvious work ethic, razor sharp focus, and ability to make crucial decisions—fast. That, paired with his time working for menswear maverick John Varvatos and a stint at ready-to-wear brand Theory, is exactly what our NYC lab needed for its inaugural collection to come into fruition.
Mar 08, 2016
Passionately and humbly Jian Pablico is elevating the world, one truth at a time.
Feb 03, 2016
Ryan Leier is a man with a past. Though it’s hard for us to imagine a time when he wasn’t on the mat, Ryan’s journey began as a record-breaking, semi-professional athlete. Read on as he tells us how an enticing offer from a rock star buddy brought him full circle.
Jun 09, 2015
If the thought of stepping into the home of an Olympian is daunting, imagine stepping into the home of three. The Phinney family home, however, couldn’t be further from a relentless, competitive environment that one might associate with the world’s top athletes. It’s surprisingly quiet and calm energy pervades each room. The secret to Davis, Connie and Taylor’s winning mentality, it turns out, is knowing how –and when – to let go.
Apr 23, 2015
Dotted with lush green rainforests, unspoiled beaches, and an endless coastline where surfers and humpback whales play, any tourist will attest that the seven-mile paradise known as Oahu’s North Shore is hard to leave. It’s no surprise that the locals, including our ambassador and surfer Jamie Sterling, feel the same way.
Jun 26, 2014
Those of us who are familiar with her know Gabby Bernstein as a super high-energy motivational speaker and author. So before I met her at Wanderlust in Stratton, Vermont, I expected a pretty intense, firecracker of a woman. Turns out, she’s pretty mellow off the stage and fully embodies her message.
May 08, 2014
For some people, just seeing the Great Wall of China warrants a check off life’s bucket list. For 2,500 others each year, including our ambassador Joe Rios, ticking it off the list means they conquer 5,164 steps of one of the greatest human engineered structures in history in less than eight hours.
Jan 31, 2014
Jacqui, Nikki and Georgia are three rad chicks. Their goal? To create healthy minds through healthy foods. Oh, and to make ridiculously good ice cream that’s dairy-, gluten- and refined sugar-free, therefore completely guilt-free as well.
Apr 23, 2015
Surfers, as the story goes, are pretty carefree. Laidback. Maybe a bit aimless, even. No one ever told that story to Jamie Sterling.
Mar 08, 2015
Maya Gabeira might be the most badass woman in professional surfing, but her real business, you could argue, is making history. Not only is the 28-year-old Brazilian big wave surfer tackling waves that no other woman has, she’s an inspirational athlete out of the water who possesses an admirable outlook on living in the moment. Conquering recent injuries, back-to-back surgeries and a major comeback from a 2013 near-drowning incident in Nazaré, Portugal during one of the most extreme swells ever surfed, she’s finally back in the water and doing what she loves most. Maya is powerful, independent and inspiring, and during our recent trip to the North Shore of Oahu our team spent three incredible days with her.
Oct 19, 2016
As the Chattanooga-based creative gears up for The Hike 2016, she gets real with us about her past, present and bright future.
Nov 15, 2017
‘Tis the season to breathe in calm, peace, and gratitude—and to give some away
Oct 24, 2016
How ballerina-turned-lawyer-turned-matcha merchant Sarah Holloway created a life she loves.
Feb 15, 2016
Lara Zilibowitz lived two very different lives for many years. Practicing yoga was a longstanding passion, as were senior roles she held in the magazine world. When she gave up her corporate gig last year, Lara found herself immersed in a surprising new world of creative expression.
Jul 05, 2016
Evelyn Stevens had no idea what she was getting into when she quit her Wall Street job to become a professional cyclist. Then she found a great mentor.
Jul 07, 2016
Three years ago, American pro weightlifter Morghan King never would’ve expected to be heading to the biggest competition of her life. In fact, she’d never even lifted before. Here she shares how she’s created a life completely unexpected.
Jun 19, 2019
Brandon fait partie de notre collectif local de La Métropole. Brandon a commencé la pratique du yoga il y a un an et demi et il n’aurait jamais pu imaginer l’impact de cette pratique dans sa recherche d’équilibre.
Dec 27, 2016
Why, before soprano Layla Claire makes a sound in practice or performance, she gets on her mat.
Oct 06, 2017
Our global yoga ambassador Chelsea Jackson Roberts is devoted to bringing yoga to everyone, regardless of race, gender identity or social status. Find out how.
Jan 17, 2017
Nobody becomes an ultramarathoner by accident. We speak to one to get to the bottom of how you do.
Dec 27, 2016
How this fitness model and elementary school teacher is making fitness a lifestyle.
Aug 23, 2016
When former British Swimming team swimmers Charlie Turner and Lee Forster retired from the pool their lives felt flat, so they dove into uncharted waters and launched a protein powder business.
Feb 28, 2017
Meet a running powerhouse who went from bullied kid to world-record breaker.
Jan 19, 2016
With an understated, dry sense of humour, soft tone and soulful lyrics, singer-songwriter Kevin Garrett can captivate any audience. His music shares the emotion of Sam Smith’s and the drama of Adele’s. Tracks on his first EP, aptly titled Mellow Drama, are about falling in and out of love, and trusting himself. What Garrett delivers to his listeners feels naked, exposed—and he’s utterly comfortable in that space.
Jun 19, 2019
Although today Nicole is in a place where she truly loves and lives life to the fullest, it hasn’t always been the case. She lived over a decade under the tightly wound grip of an eating disorder.
Nov 01, 2016
To stay active in whatever weather Alaska throws at him, elite Nordic ski racer and ambassador David Norris thinks outside the box.
Jul 06, 2017
What started as a method for coping with grief has blossomed into a full-fledged wellness brand and lifestyle—this is The Class by Taryn Toomey.
Oct 04, 2016
We turn the camera on Ben Webb, principal cinematographer for the snowboarding film Full Moon.
Feb 20, 2018
A collective of inspirational people who harness their passion to elevate the world through the power of practice—introducing the newest global yoga ambassador program cohort.
Jun 09, 2017
Australian photorealism artist CJ Hendry tells us why her art is her meditation and the comparisons are astounding.
Jul 19, 2016
American-born, Irish pole vaulter Tori Peña bounced back from failure by leaning on her rock-solid community.
Sep 07, 2017
Our ambassador, Anna Farrant, is changing the perception of boxing from being a masculine sport something that’s simply innate in human beings.
Nov 28, 2016
British sprinter Joey Duck shares her tips on proper preparation before you hit the pavement.
Jun 07, 2016
We believe that success is what you make it. This is where we celebrate our elite ambassadors, their personal definitions of success, and their audacious pursuits.
Dec 13, 2016
Bobsledding involves flying down a narrow ice track at an insane speed. For the top Canadian bobsleigh team, though, the crux of the sport is about more than technical skill.
Oct 11, 2016
It takes guts, vision and heart to move across the world and build a non-profit. Luckily Paige Elenson, co-founder and executive director of Africa Yoga Project, has those qualities in spades.
Jun 23, 2017
Meet the House of Apocalipstick—a vogue collective based in Mexico City—and find out how dancing helps them find the truest expression of themselves, and to let go of all inhibitions.
Mar 06, 2017
LoveYourBrain is the story of two brothers who are building a yoga-based community where people affected by traumatic brain injuries can accept themselves exactly as they are.
Sep 20, 2016
How ex-pro snowboarder Kevin Pearce is turning a traumatic brain injury on its head.
Feb 03, 2017
Two of our Cincinnati, Ohio ambassadors have been known to push things to the edge. This time, they’re going to the edge of the earth—literally—with a 63,000 km trek across six continents.
Nov 07, 2016
These four guys live together, train together, and fly down a sheer ice track in a metal box together. Meet the top Canadian men’s four-man bobsleigh team.
Oct 24, 2016
Our Director of Concepts for lululemon labs, Pascale Guéraçague, has accomplished the seemingly impossible: she’s making New York a whole lot more visible with her latest print design, Reflective Splatter. Find out what inspired the beautiful and functional print.
May 08, 2018
Rest, recover and beautify with pro surfer Malia Manuel’s holistic self-care routine.
Apr 11, 2017
Beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings interview on her mindful training plan ahead of the Olympic games in Tokyo.
Nov 27, 2016
Piloting a bobsleigh requires transitioning from sheer force to laser focus in a matter of seconds. Canada’s top driver talks mental challenges, meditation, and mindfulness.
Nov 17, 2016
We’ve all been there—questioning our choices in life, assessing the future, and envisioning the moments we might miss if we don’t take a leap. Melvin Echard, a former Smithson Valley and Texas A&M champion jumper, felt just this.
Mar 11, 2016
If Alexis Young issued a manifesto, it would include the following: Have the courage to be unapologetically yourself. Captivate with your authenticity. Believe in yourself, and people will believe in you.
Jun 03, 2016
Want inspiration to keep running? Look no further than the Instagram accounts of these five SeaWheeze 2016 pace beavers.
Jun 09, 2017
Known as the goddess of Chinese punk-rock, Atom shares how drumming is her outlet for self-discovery, relaxation and occasionally releasing anger.
Sep 20, 2017
Unapologetic. Uncensored. Themselves. Here's to the men who are true to who they are. Introducing a collection as versatile as the men it was designed for.
Mar 11, 2016
If Alexis Young issued a manifesto, it would include the following: Have the courage to be unapologetically yourself. Captivate with your authenticity. Believe in yourself, and people will believe in you.
Aug 02, 2016
This August, Samantha Gash is going for a run—a 77-day, 3,800 kilometre run that will take her more that five million steps across India. The question is, why?
Jul 19, 2016
How BMX racer, Tory Nyhaug, finds success between fast laps and relaxing moments.
Nov 17, 2016
We asked some of our friends and athletes where they go to find that moment of clarity in nature, whether for an epic sweat or just a moment to connect with the great outdoors.
Nov 28, 2016
A day in the life of Lindsay Jang is nothing short of multi-faceted: she runs four businesses, is the mother of two, and still prioritizes her yoga practice.
