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Laura is the Founder and CEO of Team Lipstick, New York City's most successful, all female triathlon team. Her background includes 20 years of dancing, 20 years as a group fitness instructor, 10 years as a nationally ranked ballroom dance champion, and since 2006, she has also been an active triathlete. Laura was published in New York Magazine’s “Best of New York” as one of the city’s top fitness instructors, as well as in Competitor and Triathlete Magazines for her accomplishments with Team Lipstick. Her celebrity client list includes Nicole Kidman, Dr. Sanjay Gupta (who she trained for his first triathlon), and Soledad O'Brien. Laura's mantra is to "never ignore what your heart beats for".
In 2008 Laura became a triathlon coach and business owner then she started the incredible company, Team Lipstick. It has been a stellar, life changing experience, and the one endeavor she is the most proud of.
After spending 10 years on the competitive ballroom dance circuit, she was looking for a change. She had a lot of triathlete friends at the time so she purchased a bike and began riding with them. When it was ‘just the girls' they jokingly referred to themselves as Team Lipstick, since they were as entirely concerned about having a great workout as they were about what their hair looked like when they removed their helmets at the most popular local hotspots for NYC cyclists enjoying a coffee break from their ride.
Laura signed up for her first triathlon with just 12 weeks to prepare, and she had absolutely no idea how to swim. Growing up in Brooklyn she wasn't actually taught to swim. Swimming was in direct conflict with all of the hairspray and makeup they wore to the beach. So she hired a swim coach, swam 6 days a week (out of pure fear), and was prepared for her ½ mile open water swim by race day. Having coached herself for everything but the swim, a lot of mistakes were made, but a lot was learned as well. Wet suit zippers go in the back not the front, your feet don’t need a special bath after the swim, transitions should not take 7 minutes, and no one brushes their hair before the run. It was an eye opening, amazing, and funny experience.
At the exact moment she crossed the finish line she thought 2 things...One, that it was easy, and two, that she wanted to start an all-women’s team. Her goal was to provide a safe, supportive environment for women to excel and thrive as athletes. She wanted to attract strong minded women. Women who support other women. Women who are positive, who don't mind getting uncomfortable, who embrace physical challenges. What she got was so much more. The women of Team Lipstick ultimately defined the brand. They are a family, they are fearless, they look out for each other, and they are forever in search of the next big race, goal, achievement, or crazy bunch of fun.
The women of Team Lipstick are committed to living a healthy, sporty lifestyle. They are more than just inspiring training partners, they are a family of strong, successful, positive women who are enthusiastic about supporting one another.
Team Lipstick hosts Travel with lipstick which includes exotic, life changing, bucket list retreats for both women and men who crave adventure and exploration. Travel to wild nature. Swim, bike, run, rappel and soar as your means of transportation. Do all of these things with happy, positive, FUN people, because fit travelers tend to fit that description perfect
If you are interested in "Fit Travel" events, please take a look at our travel website...
In this episode we discuss:
- Taking fitness outside of the box creates adventure.
- Laura learned how to swim while training for a Triathalon with only twelve weeks to prepare.
- How Team Lipstick got started.
- How attempting and reaching physical goals help you have faith and confidence.
- What it's like to train celebrity clients.
- Nicole Kidman's workouts.
- Laura's training of Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN for a triathalon.
- What a mountaintop experience is truly like.
- The power of connection through adventure.
- City Bike is Laura's new workout thrill.
- Places to workout outside in Brooklyn.
Laura's three truths.
1. You are who you surround yourself with.
2. Be willing to try new things.
3.Experience is the best education.