Life in a Leo

Episode 40: Interview with Olympian and total inspiration, Betty Okino Feb 01, 2019

This week on Life in a Leo, I interviewed the amazing Betty Okino. Betty was part of the 1992 USA Olympic Team. This was the first team to win a medal at the Olympics. This was a time when the athletes had to compete both compulsory and optional routines. Betty was known for her beautiful lines and gracefulness. She has a couple skills named after her. The most famous being the triple turn on beam.

What I loved about talking to Betty was how much mental toughness she displayed through her career in the sport. She had so much drive and determination that she was able to overcome her fears and achieve her dream of becoming an Olympian.

Betty has continued to stay involved in the sport, giving back and building on the qualities she thinks make it so unique and important in young girls (and boys) lives. Betty has recently joined the National Team Staff, she also runs her own camp called Peak Training, and choreographs routines all over the country. If you want to learn more, check out www.bettyochoreo.com or find Betty on Instagram @BettyOChoreo or @BettyOkino.

Thanks everyone for tuning in. If you are competing this weekend, good luck! Hope everyone stays warm and don't forget to point your toes ;)

Episode 39: Interview with gymnastics PT expert, Marla Ranieri Dec 28, 2018

This week on Life in a Leo, I interviewed Marla Ranieri, a physical therapist specializing in gymnastics. As an elite gymnast herself, Marla completely understands what these athletes go through and what they are striving for. She is working to make sure injuries don't keep them from reaching their dreams. This is done by performing an injury prevention assessment to find out what strength, range of motion and biomechanics deficits a gymnast has that may put them at risk for certain injuries.

It was fun to learn what got Marla to this place in her career and what she is working to do to improve the care for gymnasts going forward. Definitely check out the app/resource she has created at https://www.betterpt.com/

If you have any feedback or ideas for future episodes, or even want to appear on the show, you can reach us at Rebecca@leotard.com or on Instagram @Rebeccasmomleo.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays! We want to thank our community for all the support. You guys are the best!! Hope everyone has a safe and very Happy New Year!! Looking forward to more episodes in 2019!

Keep up all the hard work, stretch and condition, and of course, don't forget to point your toes...

Quick update - new episodes coming soon!! Dec 07, 2018

Just a quick update and apology for not having an episode ready for you. We have more in the works and I’ll have a new one next week. Happy holidays and don’t forget to point your toes 😉.

Episode 38: Interview with college recruiting expert Jill Hicks Nov 16, 2018

This week I got to interview the incredibly accomplished Jill Hicks. Jill runs a business called Jill Hicks Consulting where she helps athletes in seven different sports navigate the college recruiting process. Her expertise is gymnastics but the other sports include women's soccer, women's basketball, track & field, cross country, acro& tumbling, and cheer!! In addition to helping young athletes navigate the recruiting process, Jill was an elite gymnast at SCATS and received a scholarship to compete for the Oregon State gymnastics team, where she ended up becoming the assistant coach and transitioned her career as an athlete. Jill moved back to So. CA for a period of time taking on the head coach position at Cal State Fullerton for six years before returning back to Oregon to be with her kids and grandchildren. Jill discusses how this process is a marathon and not a sprint, so make sure you are patient with yourself through the process. If you want more information, check out Jill's website https://www.jhicksconsulting.com/ You can also see all 82 schools that offer college gymnastics programs here https://usagym.org/pages/home/college/womeninfo.html I mention that this is episode 40 at the beginning, but in fact, it's actually 38. Whoops...hope you guys enjoy the show! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week! If you're competing this weekend, hope you have a great meet!! Keep up the hard work, stay positive, and of course, don't forget to point your toes ;)

Episode 37: Interview with level 7 gymnast Anabelle Nov 02, 2018

Happy Friday and welcome to Life in a Leo! This week I got to interview, 10-year-old gymnast, Anabelle. She is training level 7 at San Mateo Gymnastics and just qualified as a TOPS National A Team Member! What a huge accomplishment. Her favorite gymnast is Laurie Hernandez because she looks like she's having so much fun out there. What a great thing to admire! We hope you enjoy the episode. Are you watching World Championships? What do you think? What are your favorite moments so far? You can send us an email at Rebecca@leotard.com or you can reach us on Instagram, @Rebeccasmomleo. We hope to hear from you :) If you're competing this weekend, good luck and good skill. Hope you have fun out there and of course, don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 36: How I manage my time, tips and tricks, past and present Oct 19, 2018

Thank you so much to everyone that answered my question on Instagram regarding topics you want to hear on the show. This week I explore a topic suggested by @abriannagallo on time management. I talk about what I did when I was still a gymnast, some of the tools I use now as an adult, and ways to plan your time. Check out https://monday.com/ if you want to learn more about one of the tools I live by these days. And remember, we are all human and mistakes happen. We can't always plan our time perfectly, so be kind to yourself and learn what works for you! Good luck to everyone competing this weekend. Hope you have a great meet! And good luck to Team USA at World Championships. Can't wait to watch all the amazing athletes in Doha. If you want more info or have other ideas, you can reach us on Instagram - @Rebeccasmomleo or by email - rebecca@leotard.com. Hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 35: Interview with Elodie Bazin, my French Colleague Oct 05, 2018

This was so much fun. I got to interview one of my new co-workers who grew up doing gymnastics in France! It was great to learn a little bit about what that was like, her favorite event, her disgusting competition leotard, and some great advice for young gymnasts. It was a little challenging at times with the language barrier, but we figured it out. Let us know what you think? Have you ever done gymnastics in a different country? What was it like and what did you learn? Did you or are you growing up outside of the USA? How is gymnastics different? Let us know - Rebecca@leotard.com. We hope to hear from you! Everyone competing this weekend, good luck, stay focused, have fun and don't forget to point your toes! Thanks for listening!!

Episode 34: Sorry, I don't have much for you today Sep 22, 2018

I started a new job and am finding it difficult to create new episodes. I'm so sorry!! But, I'm still here and I'm going to try and get new episodes out. What do you want to hear? Email me - rebecca@leotard.com and let me know. Have you started competing this season? Let us know how it's going. What level are you doing? Are you competing in excel? Are you heading to World Championships? Now that's exciting!! We can't wait to see who makes the team. Finally, we are running a contest to promote Miss Val's new book - Life is Short, Don't Wait to Dance. Create a video dancing, whatever you want, and email us or post it on Facebook or Instagram. Make sure to use the hashtag #dontwaittodance and tag @MissVal @UCLAGymnastics and @Rebeccasmomleo We can't wait to see what you create! Five winners will be selected and will receive an autographed copy of Miss Val's book and a Rebecca's Mom grip bag! That's it for this week. Hope you all have great meets and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 33: Interview with Sophie Kleinberg Sep 07, 2018

Happy Friday and welcome to #Lifeinaleo! We hope you enjoy this week's interview with Sophie Kleinberg. Sophie is training level 10 at a small gym in NYC. She started gymnastics at 7 years old after someone commented on how well she did cartwheels. Once she started training she caught the bug and was hooked. I'm sure there are a lot of things you can relate to as a gymnast in this episode. I know I certainly did. We can't wait to see how things work out for you in your first season as a level 10. Good luck and keep up all the hard work. If you want to share any ideas with us about the show, we would love to hear from you. You can reach me at rebecca@leotard.com. Finally, we would love it if you would vote for our pink leotard in the Flo Gymnastics lovely leo competition. https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/6246901-lovely-leos-2018-us-gymnastics-championships-day-2 Thank you so much! Hope you have a great weekend, enjoy being back in school and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 32: Goal setting & my USAG Nationals experience Aug 31, 2018

Sorry, there was no episode last week. I'm working on figuring out how to budget my time and continue publishing this show. Thank you to everyone for tuning in and sharing your support. It means a lot. This week I discuss some experiences with goal setting as a gymnast. I provide a little insight into using a technique called SMART. You can learn more just by searching online if you're interested. I also share some of my thoughts about National Championships this year. It was so awesome seeing Margzetta wear one of our UCLA Gymnastics leotards as well as the ladies from MG Elite who competed in our leos on both days. If you liked our leos, Flo Gymnastics is having a contest right now to vote for your fave. Here's the link. If you can, please vote for the MG Elite leo. Thank you so much! https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/6245543-lovely-leos-2018-us-gymnastics-championships-day-1 A huge thank you to Maggie for thinking of us and giving us the opportunity to design her leos!

Episode 31: Interview with Erica Rubin Peressin Aug 17, 2018

Happy Friday! In this episode of Life in a Leo, I interview a good friend and old teammate of mine, Erica Rubin Peressin. We discuss Erica's journey through the sport, getting a scholarship to the University of Michigan, and her most recent adventure, coaching gymnastics in Austin, TX. I love how one of Erica's proudest moments in the sport was when she first made JO National championships her first year as a level 10 when she was 13 years old. I also love how Erica has kept perspective on the role gymnastics has had in her life and that it's very much part of her life, but doesn't define her. Check out the episode to learn even more. And of course, this weekend is the USA Gymnastics National Championships in Boston, MA. We are so excited to watch these ladies compete. I think a few of them are competing in Rebecca's Mom leotards this year. Let us know if you spot our leos out there and what you think? Hope everyone has a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes.

Episode 30: Interview with Ana Villela Aug 10, 2018

Happy Friday! This week I had a great interview with level 5 gymnast, Ana Villela. Ana was so fun to talk to. Her passion and excitement for the sport of gymnastics are contagious. She has only been in the sport for four years but has continued to grow and progress. Ana is so focused and such a hard-working young athlete. We discuss Ana's favorite college gymnastics team, UCLA, and how attending the camp and meeting the team have continued to inspire her through her day-to-day training. We also discuss some of Ana's goals, greatest achievements so far, and things Ana likes to do outside of gymnastics. Tune in to learn even more, and don't forget to let us know what you think. You can always reach me at rebecca@leotard.com with any feedback you want to share. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Keep working hard, stay focused and don't forget to point your toes.

Episode 29: Quick reflection on peaking at the right time Aug 03, 2018

I've been having issues getting my interviews to record well and so this week I had to come up with a quick alternative. I'm working on getting it fixed so hopefully next week I can share the interview that was planned for today. Today, I talk a little bit about what it means to peak at the right time. This is not something I thought much about as an athlete. I'm wondering if it's something coaches discuss and work harder towards now and have a better understanding of how to train for it. As an adult, I clearly can see when it happens or doesn't. Some examples I share in this episode are Morgan Hurd's timing for making the World's Team and the UCLA gymnastics team winning NCAA National Championships this year. Do your coaches focus on timing things right for you as an athlete? How do they do that and what do you think about to make sure you are healthy and at your best throughout season. Let us know - rebecca@leotard.com. Have a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 28: The GK US Classic in Columbus, OH Jul 27, 2018

In this solocast, I provide the 10 (actually 11) things I'm going to be watching for at the US Classic this weekend. It's also the Hopes Championships. We are so excited to see all these amazing athletes get out there and compete. They've been working so hard and it is exciting to see it all coming together. Remember, the Juniors need to get a 51 to qualify to National Championships and Senior Elites need a 52. Some of the athletes have already qualified but most have not. Some of the gymnasts discussed in the episode include Konnor McClain, MG Elite (Zoe Gravier and Olivia Greaves), GAGE (Aleah Finnegan, Alexis Jeffrey, Leanne Wong and JaFree Scott), Sunisa Lee, Katelyn Rosen, Sophia Butler, Simone Biles, The Gymcastic Podcast, Olivia Dunne, Jordan Chiles, Ragan Smith, Morgan Hurd, Jade Carey, Ashton Locklear, Riley McCusker, Shilese Jones, Levi Jung-Ruivivar and Hezly Rivera (via a shout out from @gymnast_nateianna). Have a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 27: Interview with National Judge, Kathi Ortiz Jul 20, 2018

Happy Friday! This week on Life in a Leo, I interviewed one of my friends and fellow judges, Kathi Ortiz. Kathi is currently living in the Chicago area and got into the sport of gymnastics in 1968. In addition to being a successful gymnast, Kathi was also a coach, club owner, and a very well respected judge. Kathi has had the honor of judging NCAA National Championships four times and was one of two judges on the bars panel at the 2018 Nastia Liukin Cup, in addition to judging plenty of states, regionals, and national JO competitions. One of the other really cool experiences Kathi had was performing with The Flying Wallenda's. The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus group, most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net. Hope everyone is having a great summer! If you want to reach us with comments or feedback, you can email me at rebecca@leotard.com. Please make sure to rate and review us! Keep up all the hard work, stay hydrated and don't forget to point your toes

Episode 26: Interview with Melisa Torres Jul 13, 2018

This week I got the chance to interview Melisa Torres, the author of the Perfect Balance Gymnastics, a fiction book series. Melisa started gymnastics a little bit later in life and progressed through the sport. As a junior in high school, her coach asked her if she wanted to continue in college and helped her find a school that matched her goals. Melisa continued to flourish in the sport as a collegiate athlete at Utah State University. Melisa builds off her experience in the sport to help develop the characters she uses in her books. To learn more about Melisa and her books, check out her website www.melisatorres.com. Let us know who else you want us to interview and what you think of the show? You can email me at rebecca@leotard.com or message us on Instagram @Rebeccasmomleo. Hope you all have a great weekend, keep working those upgrades, and don't forget to point your toes :)

Episode 25: The American Classics at University of Utah Jul 06, 2018

This week I discuss the top 5 things I'm most excited about at The American Classic. The American Classic is one of two elite meets that athletes can compete in to qualify for US National Championships. There are a lot of new Hopes gymnasts that will be competing. Some of the kids that competed in Hopes last year have now qualified as Jr. Elites so we will be watching how they do. We are also excited to see some Sr. Elites compete that we haven't seen compete in a while. You can check out The Balance Beam Situation for a great preview (https://balancebeamsituation.com/2018/07/05/american-classic-preview/) and more detail on some of the key athletes to watch for. Here's my top 5. 1. So many new elites - mostly talking about Hopes kids here 2. Tom Forster 3. The podium 4. All the athletes - w/bias towards MG Elite, Paramount Elite and GO 5. The Leotards (of course) Good luck ladies! Have fun, stay focused and don't forget to point your toes :)

Episode 24: How I'm interpreting the new composition rules Jun 29, 2018

In this solocast (what I've decided to call it when I don't do an interview), I provide what my key takeaways are and some examples of how to interpret the new composition deductions in the new code of points. I don't go into too much detail but provide examples of the extremes on each event. Basically what is expected to receive no deduction and what scenarios would apply the full deductions. I hope this is informative and everyone enjoys learning some of the technical details required and expected for level 10. We also gave a shout out to @gymnast_nateianna1 for her awesome work in the gym and her friend @alyssacolerolls for being a great friend and having a great work ethic! I love it when I hear from you guys and I love all the support you give to your friends too. You guys are a great community!! Hope everyone has a great weekend, if your headed to camp, have fun and let us know how it goes and of course, don't forget to point your toes :)

Episode 23: Part 2 interview with JaNay, Peng and Deanna Jun 22, 2018

Here is part two of my interview with JaNay Honest, Christine Peng Peng Lee and Deanna Hong, the incredible trio that hosted Bruin Banter this season (can you tell, I'm obsessed). This week we go into more detail about their time as Bruins, their most memorable gymnastics moments and what Life in a leo means to them. I loved this interview and can't wait to hear what you think!! Also, if you are visiting San Diego and want to catch Peng in her new gig, visit Sea World and make sure to check out the IllumiNight Show. https://seaworld.com/san-diego/shows/illuminight/ Good luck to all the judges out there who are testing this summer. I hope you are getting in lots of study time and learning all those new composition formulas. Finally, in the words of Peng, JaNay and Deanna, be true to who you are, stay positive and have fun and of course, don’t forget to point your toes.

Episode 22: Part 1 Interview with a mystery trio Jun 15, 2018

This week I got to speak with the trio that put together Bruin Banter this past NCAA gymnastics season, JaNay Honest, Christine Peng Peng Lee, and Deanna Hong. https://youtu.be/wp0_PdKzYVg Just one of the few things these women are known for. We discuss their career in gymnastics prior to UCLA, how they made their way to UCLA and of course their favorite and most memorable leotards. There was so much to discuss, so we only just start to scratch the surface of our conversation. Stay tuned for part 2 next week when we learn more about Bruin Banter, what it's like to have a coach like Miss Val and what Life in a leo means to each of these amazing women. Please let us know what you think? We want to hear from you and learn more about our audience. You can always reach out over email. I'm rebecca@leotard.com or you can find us on Instagram and message us there @Rebeccasmomleo. Keep having fun out there, working hard, and don't forget to point your toes! xo

Episode 21: How to care for your leotards Jun 08, 2018

Every week we are in and out of the gym training our butts off. We live in our leotards and sometimes we forget how to best care for them. This week I provide some advice on how to best take care of your leotards, especially the fancy competition ones that cost tons of money. These are the things you need to do to make sure the white stays white, the beads stay in place and the fabric remains soft and comfortable for you and all the athletes that you pass the leos down to after you. If you have any questions or want more information on the products we recommend, you can email me at rebecca@leotard.com. Shout outs this week go to @gymnastabrianna and @gymnast.soof. Keep up the great work ladies! You are doing awesome things out there. Hope everyone has a great weekend, keep training hard, cleaning your leotards and don't forget to point your toes ;)

Episode 20: Interview with Erin Kirschenbaum Jun 01, 2018

This week I got to interview one of my favorite Soul Cycle Instructors, Erin Kirschenbaum (https://www.soul-cycle.com/instructors/231/erin/). Erin grew up as a very focused ballet dancer training with the Boston Ballet. After high school, she decided she was ready to try something different and focus on school. However, Erin couldn't stay away from an athletic lifestyle and felt the need to keep her body moving. One thing led to another and eventually, Erin ended up in NYC as a Soul Cycle instructor. As you will learn in our conversation and on her soul cycle bio, her classes combine athletic intensity with lighthearted fun. She wants her riders to see themselves as fierce warriors when they attack their workout, but also be able to laugh at themselves along the way. A few shout outs this week - @Yuna.the.gymnast, @AnastasiaCardino and @Grace.with.a.freckle.face. We love hearing from you guys. Hope everyone has a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes! xo

Episode 19: Artistry May 25, 2018

This week I discuss the three things that judges look for when evaluating artistry on floor. I break down each deduction and provide my best interpretation of the JO Code of Points. The music in the episode is Stevie Ray Vaughn's Little Wing which I reference when I talk about my floor routines. This was the music I had when I competed in college. Please take a look at our blog post on www.leotard.com this week to watch the YouTube videos of the three routines I reference for having wonderful artistry. I also think it's worth watching the profile of Alexei Ratmansky on YouTube, some Misty Copeland videos and Tiler Peck to see how they create such an amazing story with their dance, choreography, expression, and quality of movement. I think this provides some unique perspective to athletes typically focused on only gymnastics. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend and good luck to everyone competing or TOPS testing. Keep dancing and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 18: Interview with Hannah Kaufman May 18, 2018

This week I interviewed our amazing summer intern, Hannah Kaufman. In addition to being our intern, Hannah is studying dance and sociology at Rutgers University. She got her start in dance doing jazz and hip-hop but quickly found a passion for ballet. As Hannah got older, her style shifted and she discovered something called Gaga. Hannah shares her experiences as a dancer, a Rebecca's Mom intern and what she hopes to achieve after she graduates college. We also would like to send a shout out to Hannah Clark at Azarian gymnastics. She is a level 9 Westerns Floor Champion!! What a huge accomplishment. Hannah, congrats and keep up the amazing work. Hope you've started learning some fun new upgrades for next season. Let us know what you think? Email me, rebecca@leotard.com with any feedback or ideas for future episodes. We can't wait to hear from you. Hope you all have a great weekend and don't forget to point your toes. xo

Episode 17: Failure May 11, 2018

This week was another solo episode. Next week I will be back with an interview so stay tuned. The topic for this week was inspired by an experience I had when I was volunteering for an organization I feel passionately about. I was asked to work at a phone bank and it was one of the most frustrating experiences I have had. I wasn't even asking for money, but people just didn't want to hear what I had to say. This experience left me feeling rejected and frustrated. I felt like I had failed the organization. I was also inspired by the #gymnasticsfailchallenge. This viral movement has humanized all these gymnasts but also provided us with lots of comedy. I believe everyone is posting moments where they aren't hurt and able to walk away from the fail. Hope you enjoy my thoughts and take something positive away from what I share. We would love to hear from you, so please message me - rebecca@leotard.com. Good luck to everyone competing this weekend! And don't forget to point your toes :)

Episode 16: What are the requirements to start from a 10.0 May 04, 2018

Happy Friday! In this episode, I explain how to get a level 9 or 10 routine to start from a 10.0. I felt inspired by Easterns and Westerns taking place this weekend and JO Nationals next weekend. I thought it might be helpful to the audience to better understand the requirements and nuances that go into designing a 10.0 start value routine. There are three main buckets to consider, special requirements, value parts and bonus. I hope my explanation and examples provide a bit of clarity as you cheer on your friends and family. If you have any questions, please email me, rebecca@leotard.com. Good luck to everyone competing! We hope you have a wonderful, safe and fun meet. Don't forget to point your toes

Episode 15: Interview with Emily Chan Apr 27, 2018

This week I spoke with Emily Chan from Singapore, the youngest FIG women's artistic gymnastics judge in the world! Emily runs a YouTube channel and Instagram account called Flip Fly Tumble (@flipflytumble) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_1JiHs3Bw0GVfLqLFH7OPw where she creates video edits judging elite gymnastics routines, providing some much needed insight into how they come up with the difficulty and execution scores. Emily also creates floor music edits. In addition to her YouTube Channel, Emily has a website where she uses her graphic art talents to create some signature gymnastics t-shirts. https://www.teepublic.com/stores/flipflytumble It was great chatting with Emily and learning a little bit more about her and her love of gymnastics. Hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 14: Interview with UC Davis Alumni Apr 20, 2018

This is a very special episode. It's the first time I interviewed a group of people. In addition, these were three of my teammates at UC Davis. Meghan was two years ahead of me and Flora and Lynn was a year younger. We discuss our growth in the sport throughout our time in college, the camaraderie of our team and how we never fully got closer even after we graduated. We also discuss some of our most memorable moments and leotards. It was so fun talking to these ladies and learning more about how gymnastics has impacted and influenced their lives. I hope you enjoy it!

Episode 13: Interview with Taylor Goron Apr 13, 2018

This week I wanted to bring you something a little different. I got the chance to interview my friend, Taylor Gordon. Taylor is a professional dancer. She started dancing from the time she could walk, leaving home at the age of 15 to train at the Rock School in Philadelphia. Taylor moved to NYC where she continued to perfect her craft and grow as a performer. Taylor has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, off-Broadway, on tour, and on television. To learn more about Taylor and watch some clips of her performing, check out her website, www.taylorgordononline.com. Good luck to everyone competing this weekend! Keep training hard and don't forget to point your toes!

Episode 12: Some Thoughts on Execution Apr 06, 2018

Ever wonder why your routine scored an 8.1 and your teammate got an 8.8? Maybe it's the execution...I have been a judge for 22 years. I provide some insight into what judges are looking for on all four events. I also provide some anecdotes from my experience as a gymnast. Let us know what you think? We hope to hear from you. If you want to share your Best Things in the Gym, please email me, rebecca@leotard.com or send me a DM on Instagram, @rebeccasmomleo Hope everyone competing this weekend has a great meet. Can't wait to see all the NCAA regional competitions (Go Bruins). Keep training hard, stay positive and don't forget to point your toes.

Episode 11: Interview with Blakley Mar 30, 2018

Blakley is an 8-year-old Level 4 gymnast at National Gymnastics Training Center in Orange County, CA. She has been doing gymnastics since she was 1 year old, and has been competing for 3 years. Blakley is known for being a fearless daredevil and was awarded the "Mini Powerhouse" award at Woodward last summer. She's been known to spend her free time making conditioning routines and checklists for her and her little sister to do at home. Blakley loved her time at UCLA Gymnastics Camp last summer and can't wait to return this year. She is coached by Debra McCurdy, who also used to coach Rebecca of Rebecca's Mom :) Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! Keep training hard and don't forget to point your toes.

Episode 10: Interview with Lauren Hopkins Mar 23, 2018

This week we interviewed Lauren Hopkins, Editor-in-Chief of the Gymternet. She aims to bring the very best coverage, interviews, features, histories, and opinion pieces from the people who really “get” gym – other gym fans. As a journalist, Lauren has covered every elite competition on U.S. soil in addition to all major international competitions like world championships and the Olympic Games. Lauren also worked as an associate producer for NBC’s live digital Olympic Games coverage, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage as part of the NBCOlympics.com team, and her writing has been featured in publications around the world, including most recently in the Huffington Post. Featured gymnasts in our Best Things from States segment - @zoie_pelfrey @calliemcvey_ @haleyallengymnast @flippin_kira and @sarapaulella3 Congrats on all these achievements! Thank you so much for sharing with us. Don't forget to help spread the word. Thanks for listening!

Episode 9: Interview with Maddie Larson Mar 16, 2018

This week we got to interview the talented Maddie Larson. Maddie takes us through her journey in gymnastics, starting at 2.5 years old, and now competing as a 12-year-old level 10. Maddie aspires to be an elite and compete in the Olympics someday. She has had some serious highs and lows this season including learning her Jaeger on bars and getting hurt just after her first level 10 meet. Maddie has kept an incredibly positive attitude and maintained her mental toughness throughout this season and just got cleared to train again, the week before the State meet. In addition to her training, Maddie has started a slime business, helping raise money to cover the costs of her father's surgery earlier this year. The company is called Pinkaboo Slimes and can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy. We are all cheering for you Maddie and can't wait to hear how things go at State! We also heard from @Averygymnast_ who shared her Best Things in the Gym This Week! Congrats, Avery!

Episode 8: Interview with Hallie Mossett Mar 09, 2018

Today we interviewed the incredible Hallie Mossett. Hallie started gymnastics at the age of 5, quickly progressed through the sport to become elite and make it on to the US National Team. In 2014, Hallie started her NCAA career as a UCLA Bruin! Hallie is finishing up her degree, working as a choreographer and the Bruins Undergrad Assistant Coach, and figuring out the next phase of life. I found Hallie's interview to be truly inspiring. I hope you enjoy what she has to say. Make sure to let us know what you think. Also, please tell us about your best things in the gym. We want to hear from you. You can send a voice memo or even just an email and we will read it in our next episode. You can reach me at rebecca@leotard.com. Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Keep flippin and don't forget to point your toes :)

Episode 7: 10 things about Winter Olympics Ice Skating Leos Mar 02, 2018

I didn't get my interview done early enough this week, so I decided to bring you the top 10 things I learned about ice skating leotards from the 2018 Winter Olympics. Hope you enjoy it. Let us know what you think. Please email me rebecca@leotard.com and make sure to send us your Best Things in the Gym This Week!! This week we heard from Sarah who just learned her full, woohoo! Congrats Sarah, that's so awesome

Episode 6: Interview with @_gymnastisabelle_ Feb 23, 2018

In the latest episode of Life in a leo, we interviewed gymnast Isabelle, an Instagram phenom with over 140,000 followers. This 8-year-old gymnast shares her goals for the season, her favorite gymnast and food and what life in a leo means to her. We want to hear from you. Email me your Best Things In The Gym This Week at rebecca@leotard.com. You can send a voicememo or just an email and we will read it in our next episode. We hope to hear from you. Hope you all have a great meet weekend and don't forget to point your toes!

Mariah Merkle Interview Feb 16, 2018

This week we interviewed Mariah Merkle. You might know her as @Triplefull on Instagram. She is one hard working 18 year old! Mariah coaches gymnastics, trains and competes in CrossFit, and manages one of the most successful gymnastics fan pages on the insta. Check it out and let us know what you think. Visit www.leotard.com for more info. Happy flipping 😊🤸‍♀️

Cheryl Gambuti Feb 09, 2018

Cheryl Gambuti was an elite gymnast, a coach, a national judge, a meet director and the parent of a level 10 gymnast. She understands the sport of gymnastics from every angle. Take a listen and get to know Cheryl a bit better. Shout out to Taylor for sending us her best things in the gym this week. Happy Friday and happy flipping 😊

Bailey McCabe interview Feb 02, 2018

This week we interviewed Bailey McCabe from Auburn Gymnastics. Bailey is entering her third season as a level 10 gymnast. She is a sophomore in High School. She tells us about some of her new upgrades and her current bars routine. We also hear from Gabby and Sarah with the best things in the gym this week. Don’t forget to send us your best things. You can email me, rebecca@leotard.com. Hope everyone has a great weekend and great meets if you’re competing!! 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️

Episode 2 Jan 26, 2018

Today we interviewed world champion power tumbler @Mel_Doucette. She started as an artistic gymnast in NH eventually competing for The University of Bridgeport in college. After college she went back into the JO program and competed level 10 and Elite! Her college coach, Byron from UB turned her on to power tumbling where Mel’s career in the sport flourished. In one year, she qualified to Nationals and placed 2nd and ended up competing at World Championships in Bulgaria where the USA finished 4th. What a stud! She has so much passion and has worked so hard. This was a really fun interview. We conclude our show with the best things going on in the gym segment where Tara and Blakley shared some of their highlights from the week!! Keep up all the amazing work. If you want to share with us, email a voice memo to rebecca@leotard.com. Thanks 😊

Candy from Rebecca’s Mom Jan 19, 2018

This our first episode. We interviewed Candy Dengrove. The founder and CEO of Rebecca’s Mom Leotards. She has been in business for 25 years and has lots to share.

Intro to Rebecca Dec 20, 2017

We are here to discuss what makes gymnastics great! Do you have a lucky leo, prefer strength or flexibility any lessons learned and all sorts of stuff. Don’t forget to email us the best things that happened all week rebecca@leotard.com

Intro to Life in a Leo Dec 12, 2017

Life in a leo introduction

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