Life In A Leo

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 ;) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://anch

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! --- Support this podcast: https://a

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 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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 :) --- Support this pod

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

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! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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! --- Support this podcast: h

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! --- Support this podcast: https:/

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 :) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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

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! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifeinaleo/support

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 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

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!!

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