Amy Leffingwell
ABOUT AMY
Amy is a new NEXT Brand Ambassador for the 2013 season. Originally from Kansas, Amy has been a resident of Chicago for fifteen years where she lives with her rescue dog ‘T’. Amy has been enjoying the Chicago lakefront as an avid runner and accomplished tri-athlete. She is excited to share her love of stand up paddling with other Chicagoans by recently co-founding the Chicago Paddle Company.
Amy is a PaddleFit Level 2 and World Paddle Association (WPA) Level 1 Certified Instructor and is Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR and AED Certified. In addition to endurance sports, Amy has been a student of Bikram yoga for over six years and plans to add SUP Yoga to her list of certifications this season.
To compliment her training, Amy follows a Paleo way of eating and has mastered what she refers to as the ‘Sunday Cook Up’ to stay on top of her nutrition given her busy schedule. Look for her blog My Inner Paleo, launching this spring.
CONTACT
Kathy Osterman Beach
5800 N Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, IL 60626
(312) 970-0861
Coreena Fletcher
ABOUT COREENA
Coreena was raised in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, home of mountain and water adventures. Thanks to her upbringing, she quickly developed a passion for skiing, cycling and the all sports on and in the water.
After racing mountain bikes for many years in California, Coreena started a small business in the mountain bike industry where she learned a lot about the outdoor industry. When she was introduced to paddle boarding at Outdoor retailer in Park City Utah in 2010, she fell in love with this amazing sport. Coreena has recently started a new company called 3 Phase Adventures. There are 3 phases to every adventure, can you guess what they are? Having the proper gear, knowing how to do the sport and the overall experience. Coreena’s background is also in event management where the 3 phases apply to pre production, the equipment necessary to host an event and the overall guest experience. Check out the new company www.3phaseadventures.com and stay tuned for the new location for 2013. Coreena plans to teach hundreds of families how to SUP this summer and can’t wait to hit the water.
During the off season, Coreena can be found downhill skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing and paddle boarding in her new dry suit! There is nothing better than spending time outside with friends and family!
CONTACT
coreena@3phaseadventures.com
www.3phaseadventures.com
604-209-4447
Maggie Sullivan
ABOUT MAGGIE
Maggie Sullivan resides in Atlantic Beach, FL and is an avid athlete and adventure enthusiast; she loves to exercise, play soccer, golf, travel, surf, SUP, explore, and learn. After completing high school, she began practicing yoga and embarking on surf travels, yet her love for the mountains and snowboarding brought her to Colorado where she attended the University of Colorado Boulder and graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology. In 2006 she traveled to Costa Rica to obtain her yoga teacher certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute, to improve her surfing, and to continue her study of the Spanish language. Maggie had already experienced the benefits of an ocean/surf/healthy living lifestyle firsthand, but it wasn’t until the Spring of 2009 as a guest teacher and lead surf instructor for a yoga and surf retreat that she witnessed the true breakthroughs and benefits these retreats have to offer, all the while discovering her dream job. Maggie now owns and operates Surfoga™ Lessons & Retreats where she teaches surfing, SUP, yoga and organizes retreats focused around all the things she loves. She is a certified Interdisciplinary Yoga teacher, certified ISA surf and SUP instructor, ACE certified Paddle Fit instructor, CPR and First Aid certified and also a NSCAA youth soccer coach. Maggie has an extensive background in athletics and training, and strives to expose people to the benefits of a healthy, fun surf and fitness lifestyle! It’s her drive for learning and knowledge that fuels her to continue to build her foundations on the benefits of nutrition, exercise, and body awareness.
CONTACT
904-361-YOGA
www.surfoga.com
Kristy Wright
ABOUT KRISTY
SUP Yoga Vancouver Owner/Instructor Certified Yoga Teacher (RYS 200hr Foundation, 80hr Yhot, and attended Baron Baptiste’s Level 1& 2 Teacher Training)
Kristy grew up in Ontario spending time on the lakes and water ways of Muskoka wake boarding. After moving to Whistler in 2002 the mountain lifestyle industry opened many doors in sales & marketing, but with office work came stress and deadlines, to help manage this lifestyle Kristy started practicing yoga. Through her yoga practice, teaching snowboard and horseback riding, teaching yoga was a natural transition. Receiving her 200hr Foundation Yoga teaching certification with Yyoga in Vancouver, BC Canada she has since trained with Baron Baptiste and teaches Power Yoga among other styles.
After paddle boarding in Hawaii she began to look at the paddle board as a moving mat to not only expand her practice but work stabilizing muscles to refine her practice on the mat.
Through starting SUP Vancouver, Kristy has continued to grow the yoga practice on her board and looks forward to teaching others the joy and fun that comes with challenging your balance and your body.
Kristy wants to share the love of water, new experiences and water sports. Kristy enjoys teaching people how to access the water on their boards offering the freedom to view and try new things with confidence. While practicing Yoga on her SUP board, Kristy decided to take her knowledge of the Yoga practice and adapt it to the ‘moving mat’ of her paddleboard. Sharing this amazing practice has transformed her ‘on the mat’ practice and has offered a whole new view of what the elements of yoga truly represent – Earth, Wind, Fire and Water!
Check out www.standuppaddlevancouver.com for more details on SUP Lessons, SUP Yoga and SUP Adventures for Summer 2012~
Contact
SUP Vancouver & SUP Yoga Vancouver
kristy@standuppaddlevancouver.com
778-833-2445
Cynthia Aguilar
ABOUT CYNTHIA
Considering her accolades and athletic history, one might say that Cynthia Aguilar must have been raised in a swimming pool. The 28-year-old Miami, Florida native spent her formative years in the water: swim practices eventually led to swim meets and those soon gave way to water polo matches. Her apparent attachment to all things water-related led her to her current profession.
She began her career with Miami Beach Ocean Rescue at 19. During her first few months of work, one of her supervisors introduced her to the prone paddleboard. Given that Aguilar is known for being up for a challenge, she took to it naturally and began competing shortly thereafter.
In the years since that first paddle off the beach, Cynthia’s entire outlook on life has changed. It is the challenge that inspires her — standing up to face anything head-on that comes her way, overcoming every battle. Her never-give-up attitude led her to paddle a little farther each time in the water, and she soon found herself crossing the 58 miles of water that separated Bimini from Miami, in record time.
That first crossing has since given way to her passion for tackling any body of water that is (or perhaps is not) paddle-able… for fun. Cynthia’s passion for paddling has come to be a metaphor for her perspective on life and one she wishes to inspire others to live, as well.
The idea of facing challenges and never giving up, regardless of the odds, led her to crossover into the non-profit realm. In 2007, Aguilar teamed up with Care Resource, an organization that improves the quality of life of individuals in need. Aguilar’s Bimini crossing inspired others to help her raise over $2,000 for this benevolent non-profit. Cynthia continues to work with Care Resource today.
Soon after finding the link between her passions for paddling and helping others in need, Aguilar founded her own non-profit, Keep Paddlin’. Through this new outlet, Cynthia began to really DREAM BIG: Why not prone paddle across the Florida Straits from Cuba to Key West? In the process of doing so, she would raise money and awareness for the Make A Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. She would also become the first individual, male or female, to successfully complete the journey solo. It took two attempts, but Aguilar completed her 103.2-mile epic journey in June of 2011. For over 29 sleepless hours she never left her board — she simply kept paddling to prove that anything is truly possible and to inspire others to always DREAM BIG.
Aguilar’s vision continues to expand as Keep Paddlin’ hosts paddle races, such as the Annual Kommona Paddle, in support of various charitable causes. Furthermore, the non-profit recently joined ECOMB’s Adopt A Beach program in Miami Beach, is in the process of starting a rehabilitative paddle program, and is constantly seeking new ways to do small things with great love.
Cynthia Aguilar continues to race as a prone paddler, traveling the country to share her vision one paddle at a time. She was recently named Lifeguard of the Year for the entire State of Florida, thanks to her dedication as a professional rescuer, innate athletic gifts, contributions to the community, and inspirational way of life.
Written By Lindsay Dare Shoop, Olympic Gold Medalist
Lori Long
ABOUT LORI
Lori is a native Texan who returned to her beloved Austin in 2007, after nine years in Southern California. While in CA, Lori had a successful career in the wine industry and became a certified sommelier. She also competed in many duathlons, running and cycling races, and qualified twice and competed once in the World Duathlon Championships. In early 2011, Lori left corporate America to pursue her passion and founded Paddle Zen, a Stand Up Paddleboard shop. She has now turned her competitive drive toward SUP races and enjoys spreading her love for this rapidly growing sport. She is a certified ASI instructor by WSUPA and a certified Paddle Fit instructor by ACE. She receives great support from her husband, daughters and “shop dogs”, Macy and Minnie. When she’s not traveling to a race, Lori can be found teaching SUP lessons on Lady Bird Lake or enjoying the great restaurants and music venues in Austin, TX with friends.
CONTACT
Lori Long
lori@paddlezen.com
512-462-0732
Tiffany Layton
ABOUT TIFFANY
Tiffany Layton was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida and is familiar with the SUP launching locations that access some of the most beautiful inland and coastal waterway systems in the world. Her favorite SUP paddling is exploring the Intracoastal and the rivers of Florida. She is owner and operator of Jacksonville Surf Training, providing quality private or group surf, SUP, and fitness training. This lady loves her family, friends and all board sports! She has been a professional surfer for 5 years and won the Women’s East Coast Surfing Championship in 2006. She started competing in SUP surfing competitions and looks forward to SUP racing. Tiffany enjoys alternative ways to workout; her activities compliment each other whether training on her paddleboard, surfboard, skateboard, Indo Board, doing yoga, or fitness.
CONTACT
Tiffany Layton
Jacksonville Surf Training
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Web: www.jacksonvillesurftraining.com
Phone: 1-904-435-7873
Email: info@jaxsurftraining.com
Carly Lindmeier
ABOUT CARLY
Carly Lindmeier is a 16 year old young woman who lives in Southern California. At the age of 3 months old, Carly was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes excessive mucus to accumulate throughout her body. Because of CF, she must go through a rigorous daily regimen in order to keep her lungs and digestive system working properly and delay inevitable infections.
At the age of 12, Carly surfed for the first time. The salty ocean was the perfect therapy for her congested lungs and sinuses, because it cleared her out and allowed her to take a deep breath. She fell in love, and has been surfing ever since.
In 2010, Carly SUPed for the first time. She found that SUPing produced similar positive effects on her body as when she surfs. Although she doesn’t get to SUP as often as she’d like, it is still a sport that she thoroughly enjoys.
One thing that Carly has a passion for is public speaking. She is the ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Pipeline to a Cure, a gala every summer that focuses on the amazing healing effects of surfing and SUPing for cystic fibrosis patients like Carly. The gala earns hundreds of thousands of dollars that are used for research to find a cure for CF, which is what Carly dreams of seeing in her lifetime.
Being a NEXT ambassador is something that is pretty close to Carly’s heart. NEXT swimwear has teamed up with the Pipeline to a Cure campaign; every time a NEXT product is purchased, Carly and the thousands of others with cystic fibrosis become closer to seeing the cure. What a perfect way to for Carly to give back to those who are helping heal her! Not only does she get to represent a company whose swimsuits are perfect for her favorite sport, but she is benefited by their affiliation to a cause that hits home for her.
Tracee Stanley
ABOUT TRACEE
Tracee Stanley E-RYT is rare hybrid of Hollywood film producer meets yoga and meditation teacher with over 11 years of teaching experience. She was introduced to the practice of yoga in 1995 as a way to relieve stress from her demanding job as a film executive and soon realized that there was more to the practice than just the physical postures. She was inspired to share the authentic practice of yoga when she met her teacher Yogarupa Rod Stryker. In 2001 she was initiated by him into the Sri Vidya lineage and has been studying and teaching in his Para Yoga style ever since. Her primary focus is to share tools to help people balance spiritual and healthy living in the material word. She loves to share her passion for Stand Up Paddling and is an avid paddler and novice racer who can often be seen in Malibu practicing yoga on her SUP. Tracee teaches workshops and retreats internationally and continues to produce films through her company Kundali Entertainment.
CONTACT www.traceeyoga.com
Nancy Malleo
ABOUT NANCY
Nancy was born and raised in Alpine, NJ. Formerly a New York actress, she has appeared on many television shows, including 30 Rock, One Life to Live, Kidnapped and As the World Turns, as well as many national commercials and print ads. Her love of extreme sports inspired her to compete on Fear Factor Live and Discovery Channel’s Alaska Challenge Show, which was shot in the Alaskan outback in the dead of winter.
In 2010 Nancy packed her belongings, 2 daughters and 2 dogs into a used minivan and began a road trip across the US. The trip brought her to Laguna Beach, California, where she started her own business, SUP Fitness Laguna, where she teaches SUP and rents paddleboards in both Dana Point Harbor and Laguna Beach.
Her passion for Stand Up Paddleboarding inspired her to become ASI certified (Academy of Stand Up Paddleboard Instructors) and share her love of the sport with others. Nancy is also a member of WSUPA (World Stand Up Paddleboard Association), the Surfrider Foundation and trained in CPR and AED.
Nancy has come a long way in a short amount of time. SUP Fitness Laguna has become the # 1 activity of ‘Things to do in Dana Point’ on Trip Advisor, in addition to Nancy being recently featured in Coast Magazine.
Nancy’s motto these days is ‘To keep both feet firmly planted on a paddleboard and look at the world not with your head, but through your heart.’
CONTACT 949-342-6555 www.SUPFitnessLaguna.com The Basics of Stand Up Paddleboarding, located on SUPFitnessLaguna.com will give you a brief introduction to SUPing, and why it is the fastest growing water sport in the world!
Gretchen Tseng
ABOUT GRETCHEN
Gretchen Tseng is a Nutrition Specialist with Certification in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University. At a young age she experienced a series of illnesses which propelled her to seek nutrition based solutions. Gretchen is absolutely passionate about sharing the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle and can be found doing so through her website Veggie Grettie, as Editor for Chic Vegan, as a freelance writer, and as a Brand Ambassador for NEXT by Athena. Gretchen lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and 4 legged best bud. She dreams of living on a farm someday surrounded by animals and an amazing organic garden.
CONTACT
Gretchen Tseng
Veggie grettie
gretchen@veggiegrettie.com
www.veggiegrettie.com
Linda Wagner
ABOUT LINDA
Linda Wagner is an experienced and skilled Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach who utilizes a holistic methodology to invigorate the mind, body, and spirit. It is her passion to assist others in achieving their true, unlimited potential.
Linda has the unique ability of identifying root, underlying issues for both basic and complex nutritional concerns. She uses a straightforward approach that embodies a combination of dietary, emotional, and lifestyle techniques that are both easy to follow and enormously effective. She has helped hundreds of people across the country achieve radiant, long lasting physical and emotional wellness.
Linda has trained extensively with some of the nation’s foremost PhD’s, Clinical Nutritionists, Biochemists, Athletic Coaches, and Sports Psychologists. Through her comprehensive training, Linda has developed a thorough knowledge of Clinical Nutrition, Chinese and Ayeurvedic medicine, dietetics, performance nutrition, herbal nutrition, detox and cleansing. Linda also has a strong background in psychology and ABA Therapy and spent two years as an ABA Therapist for children with Autism.
Linda was a competitive athlete for 13 years and spent two of those years training at the University of Texas in efforts to earn a spot on the US National Team. Her elite sports background has given her an inside look at how the world’s top athletes are able to effectively to fuel the body, stay lean, and maintain emotional poise.
CONTACT
Linda Wagner
Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body & Spirit
linda@lindawagner.net
512.698.6814
www.lindawagnet.net
Suzanne Yeo
ABOUT SUZANNE
Suzanne Yeo is one of NEXT’s new ambassadors, and it’s a perfect marriage! NEXT’s clothing line fits her lifestyle/workstyle all day long, from her 5:30 am yoga classes to her evening SUP sessions (stand up paddle boarding) and beyond!
Suzanne teaches a variety of group fitness class formats including SUP lessons, SUP fitness, SUP yoga, all on the board, as well as indoor cycling, bootcamp, sculpt and athletic yoga. She also loves to cycle and run. So, you see, not only do NEXT products work for all of her activities, she is also small in stature and the NEXT line actually fits! They have small and extra small sizing! So, whether she’s on (or, splash, in) the water, on land, in the gym, or in the studio, NEXT can be in all of those places as well. Just a little mixing and matching¾ easy!!
Suzanne grew up in Huntington Beach, went away to Cal Poly SLO where she received her B.S. in Physical Education, and came back “home” to HB 22 years later. She has been teaching group fitness for about 30 years and yoga for about 10 years. She believes she does not get “burned-out” because she continues to teach a variety of formats and is always looking to put a new twist on the tried and true.
You can find Suzanne at Newport Aquatic Center where she teaches the SUP classes, or SUPcore (she is one of the founders of this program), at Los Caballeros in Fountain Valley, Yogaworks in Huntington Beach, and, too, she is allied with Surftech under the SSUPA (Surftech SUP Academy) as one of the lead instructors that travel (to some AMAZING destinations) to teach other instructors to teach the SUPcore program.
CONTACT
Suzanne Yeo
Huntington Beach
fitnessyogini@yahoo.com
(714) 478-3362
