GG Townson for Comeback Issue

ON THE COVER: GG TO WNSON

Photographed by Tim Schaeffer

Editor-in-Chief

IAN CARLO BAJADA

Creative Art Director SYBIL GRACE HANN

Deputy Editor KYLE RICHARDS

Associate Editor VIV PETZOLD

Executive Managing Editor

MOEKA TANIUCHI

Feature Director NAOKI KOBAYASHI Publishers

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78

Cover Girl: GG Townson takes the stage for this year’s Comeback Issue!

Photographs by Tim Schae er Photography

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Associate Publisher Ian Carlo Bajada

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Feature:

Photographed by Simon Upton

Feature:

Photographed by Martin Kurina

23 Hot Slam by Nick Tumminello

Photos by James Michelfielder

31 Mind over Muscle by Sam Hancock

Photos by Getty Images

32 Ice Picks

by Matthew Kadey, RD

Photos by Brian Klutch

38 Build Your Best Body

by Laura Potter

Illustration Getty Images

44 30 Ways To Getv Lean by Greg Lotus

Photos Sam Kaplan

50 WTF is Ear Seeding by Brooke Young

Photos by Getty Images

52 This is Gabby by Kara Byers

Photos Simon Upton

54 Smarter Ways to Use Your Noodles by Matthew Kadey

Photos by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh

58 What is Toxic Positivity?

by Sarah Young

60 Know Your Worth by Maxine Ali

64 Five Ways To Share Your Skills

by Caroline Butterwick

Illustration by Rosan Magar

66 A New Age by Kathryn Wheeler

Illustration by Rosan Magar

Feature: Deano

Peano

Photographed by Christian Oita

146

Feature: Cody Simpson

Photographed by Jamie Green

168

220

Feature: Kay Jaime

Photographed by Casey Withers

Cover Story and Featured Editorials

GG TOWNSON

Cover Photographs by TIM SCHAEFFER

JOEL ASIGRI

Feature Photographs by MARTIN KURINA

KAY JAMIE

Feature Photographs by CASEY WITHERS

KJ APA

Feature Photographs by JIM JEONG

JACOB ELORDI

Feature Photographs by BEAU GREALY

CODY SIMPSON

Feature Photographs by JAMIE GREEN

214 5 MYTHS ABOUT ALLERGIES BY KATE ROCKWOOD

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREA DE SANTIS

228 MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN BY KAITLYN PIRIE PHOTOS BY THE VOORHES

236 STILL IN THE GAME BY ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS PHOTOS BY ANTHONY BLASKO

242 ON THE BRINK BY LAUREN LARSON PHOTOS BY BEAU GREALY

250 YOUR FOUR-WEEK STRONGMAN PLAN BY ANDREW TRACEY PHOTOS BY PHILIP HAYNES

256 INTO THE WILD BY JAMIE GREEN

272

58 WAYS TO MOVE MORE BY JENAE SITZES

278

BEST OF BOTH BY LIAM CHANDLER

286

HOW TO BE A BETTER LISTENER BY KATIE COLOMBUS

290 PRACTICE EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY BY MARA SANTILLI

294 EFT TAPPING BY JASMINE GOMEZ

296

16 BIGGEST FOOD MYTHS OF ALL TIME BY SCARLETT WRENCH

140

LET YOURSELF OFF THE HOOK BY FAITH HILL

142

ELEVATE YOUR ENERGY BY ALI MARSHALL

146

THE LAST MOVIE STAR BY CHRISTIAN OITA

162

12 WAYS TO REDUCE ANXIETY

168 NEPTUNE IN RETROGRADE BY ALEX MITCHESON PHOTOS BY JAMIE GREEN

176

READY, SET, SUMMER BY STEVEN CHEE

198

DECODE YOUR FATIGUE BY ALEX HOWARD

200

EATING CLEAN BY LINDA STEPHENS, MS

207

BUILD YOUR BEST BODY BY MATT

302

BALANCING ACT BY CAITLIN CARLSON PHOTOS BY LEE MORGAN

310

MOULD YOUR MIND BY ABIGAIL CUFFEY

316 MANE MAN BY BEN JHOTY PHOTOS BY JIM JEONG

326 BRIEFLY INSPIRED BY RONALD LIEM

334 BODY POWER BY EBENEZER SAMUEL

PHOTOS BY ALLIE HOLLOWAY

Center View Models Inc. View Talent Management

GG Townson

Jacob Elordi, one of the in-demand and rising stars new lm and hot show.

in Hollywood talks about his

EDITOR’S NOTE

20 Fresh Start With New Endings

2022 is the year of comeback and also a revamp. As we move forward, let us learn how to grow holistically, excel openly and make decisions wisely to become a better version of yourself.

BY IAN CARLO BAJADA

MORE EXTRA AS USUAL

94 What Are Your Health Goals for 2022? by Holly Pevzner

100 Deconstructing People-Pleasing by Andy Gill

102 How To Stay Motivated as a Working Adult With ADHD by Charlie Swarbrooke

Illustration by Rosan Magar

106 New Year, Strongest You by Jacqueline Andriakos

114 Remote Reiki by Megan Johnson

Photos by Sadik Demiroz

118 How To Be A Happier, Calmer, Stronger You in 2022 by Laura Potter

122 How To Stay Strong by Claire Cantor

124 The Physical Power of Positive Thinking by Faye M Smith and Jenny Stallard

126 Think Yourself Well by Faye M Smith

130 Modern Vinyasa for the Masses by Renee Marie Schettler

Photos by Ian Spanier

140 Let Yourself Off The Hook by Faith Hill

142 Elevate Your Energy by Ali Marshall

146 The Last Movie Star by Christian Oita

162 12 Ways To Reduce Anxiety

168 Neptune in Retrograde by Alex Mitcheson

Photos by Jamie Green

176 Ready, Set, Summer by Steven Chee

198 Decode Your Fatigue by Alex Howard

200 Eating Clean by Linda Stephens, MS

207 Build Your Best Body by Matt Ray

214 5 Myths About Allergies by Kate IllustrationRockwood by Andrea De Santis

228 Make Change Happen by Kaitlyn Pirie

Photos by The Voorhes

236 Still In The Game by Anna Katherine Clemmons

Photos by Anthony Blasko

242 On The Brink by Lauren Larson

Photos by Beau Grealy

250 Your Four-Week Strongman Plan by Andrew Tracey

Photos by Philip Haynes

256 Into The Wild by Jamie Green

272 58 Ways To Move More by Jenae Sitzes

278 Best of Both by Liam Chandler

286 How To Be A Better Listener by Katie Colombus

290 Practice Emotional Sobriety by Mara Santilli

294 EFT Tapping by Jasmine Gomez

296 16 Biggest Food Myths Of All Time by Scarlett Wrench

BY JIM JEONG

302 Balancing Act by Caitlin Carlson

Photos by Lee Morgan

310 Mould Your Mind by Abigail Cuffey

316 Mane Man by Ben Jhoty

Photos by Jim Jeong

326 Briefly Inspired by Ronald Liem

334 Body Power by Ebenezer Samuel

Photos by Allie Holloway

Kiwi hunk and Riverdale Star?

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ian Carlo Bajada

DEPUTY EDITOR

Kyle Richards

CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR

Sybil Grace Hann

MANAGING EDITOR

Moeka Taniuchi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Viv Petzold

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Innov8 Digital Inc.

Viewpoint Media International DISTRIBUTION

ISSUU

Sentro PH

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A COMEBACK WITH OPTIMISM

IT’S ALL ABOUT ADVOCATING LIFESTYLE TO EQUIP, ENABLE, AND EMPOWER REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL STORIES.

January-February issue highlights all the remarkable talents of some new yet efficient faces in the fitness and lifestyle industry. These strong ladies and bold gentlemen of this influential era will truly embrace challenging perspectives with hard work and grit. They will definitely face challenges and overcome them with hope and view it with optimism. It also focuses on ladies and gentlmen’s epitome of confidence through charm, wit, physique, passion, purpose and most of all influence. Get ready and buckle up as we celebrate a decade-long creativity, empowerment and excellence!

FRESH START WITH NEW ENDINGS.

New Year is about moving forward and bringing out the best in you. It is set with new beginnings, new choices, and new opportunities. It is another phase where people grow holistically and learn openly from their career, decisions in life, and the people they deal with.

The year of 2022 is the year of comeback and revamp. Our society has evolved over the years. We are at the peak where technology keeps on developing and the competition around us ourishes.

The issue focuses on the thriving talents of new faces and some familiar faces in di erent industries that Center Stage Magazine features and highlights. They are exclusively selected and picked carefully to cater their re ned talents and experiences in di erent elds such as tness, fashion, entertainment and media,

music, art and a whole lot more. Re ned ladies and gentlemen of this era who embrace the new perspective of excellence and exceed themselves to the limit of their careers. Diverse professionals, inspiring stories of equipped individuals, fresh faces and new bodies are waiting to be discovered and ready to be unleashed in these pages. Happy New Year and Happy Valentine’s Day who celebrates it!

IAN CARLO BAJADA Editor-in-Chief

GG TOWNSON

IS YOUR COVER GIRL FOR COMEBACK

American actress and BET+‘s Sacrifice star reveals the true essence of confidence, impact of healthy lifestyle and the importance of diversity. Here’s how she plans to slay her comeback goals in fitness and career to become a public figure of inspiration.

By Ian Carlo Bajada

Photographs Tim Schaeffer Photography

Hair and Make Up Charlee Brown

GG TOWNSON

Out with the old, in with the new to become a new kind of headstrong woman to face new possibilities

COVER STORY BY IAN CARLO BAJADA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TIM SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

HAIR AND MAKE UP BY CHARLEE

BROWN

PUBLIC RELATIONS KATZ PR

COVER STORY BEYOND FACES

Revamp your mindset with her guide to working smart and slaying the year of 2022: all the competence and practical advise you need to take your life and career for a greater comeback.

IAN CARLO BAJADA

I think you can exude being decisive by just being confident and sure in how you speak and carry yourself.”

IN-DEPTH CONNECTION WITH COVER STAR

CSM: The last couple of years were labeled as a rollercoaster ride full of twists and probably surprises. How did you show your resiliency?

GG: Oh yes, it was! Honestly, just maintained being grounded in the process of life and adjusting with all that was thrown at me.

CSM: What’s the best course of action to take in the face of uncertainty?

GG: Relax because nine times out of ten the uncertainty is out of your control anyway, so why stress yourself out over it? This is what I tell myself. Now does it always work? That’s a different conversation for a different day, but the intention is to relax.

CSM: Professionally speaking, how can you exude being decisive?

GG: I think you can exude being decisive by just being confident and sure in how you speak and carry yourself.

CSM: What comeback goals do you want to achieve in 2022?

GG: The comeback goals that I want to achieve would just be to really get into my groove with my career in the projects that I book and just hit the ground running with my team.

CSM: Define confidence and being sexy. GG: Confidence and being sexy to me means owning each and every thing about you. I personally don’t think that it has much to do with an outfit or how much makeup someone puts on, but the essence of the individual that shines through any outer aesthetic. It’s the vibes that come into the room seconds before the individual actually enters, and then stay and linger even after they’re gone.

CSM: How do you standout in a fast-paced and competitive industry?

GG: I just be myself, honestly. No one is me and that’s my super power, anything that is required beyond my actual control is none of my business.

CSM: Career-wise, how can someone be a good influence to others?

GG: Well first, I think people need to be good influences to themselves before taking on the role to be an influence to someone else.

CSM: What vital lessons can you share to young people?

GG: Be true to you self! Be your most authentic self! Work on loving the person you see in the mirror first!

Well first, I think people need to be good influences to themselves before taking on the role to be an influence to someone else.”

SM: What do you think is the role of food or nutrition in healthy living?

GG: The role of food and nutrition is literally everything. It all starts with what you put in your body. Fitness and healthy living are more than just working out; you have to fuel your body properly to live your best.

CSM: How can you maintain your consistency of weight or shape?

GG: For me personally, I maintain my weight and shape by working out and eating pretty clean for the most part. Although I can’t say that I’ve ever had a really bad diet, there are moments where I do like to eat my junk food, but it’s not something that becomes a habit. I’m proud to say that I keep a pretty wellmaintained and clean diet.

CSM: What fitness goals do you want to attain?

GG: Honestly, where I am now is the fitness goal that I want to maintain. I’m healthy, I love the way I look, and I feel great so I am currently living in my fitness goals

CSM: What exercises do you consider fundamental?

GG: I consider cardio and HIIT exercises to be fundamental.

CSM: What gym etiquette must people follow?

GG: I don’t have a typical answer for this. I would say gym etiquette that people should follow is respecting others’ progress; encouragement is always nice, but what works the best is simply just staying focused on yourself.

CSM: When you’re stressed, how do you manage it?

GG: Try to relax and do things that make me happy. Color or do some kind of arts and crafts. Go to the beach or park—taking naps outside is really top tier if you’ve never tried it!

CSM: Expound why mental matters in the digital age.

GG: Mental health matters so much in the digital age because it’s so easy to get caught in the realm of comparing yourself or constantly wanting something different from your own life based on the highlight reels that we see via social media. Comparison is bad news for good mental health.

CSM: Simplify if mental and physical health are connected or not.

GG: I think mental health and physical health are definitely connected because if you don’t feel good mentally, your body can and often times will shut down on you—it’s all connected.

CSM: In achieving fitness goals, what do people should remember?

GG: In achieving fitness goals, I think people should remember to do what makes them happy, not what society believes our fitness goals should be. Try being your own fitness goals for once and see how that feels.

CSM: What stereotypes should people break when it comes to physical and mental health?

GG: I think one stereotype that people should break in regards to mental health is the taboo feeling of talking about your mental health in general. Not expressing yourself does more damage than good.

In achieving fitness goals, I think people should remember to do what makes them happy, not what society believes our fitness goals should be. Try being your own fitness goals for once and see how that feels.”

GG TOWNSON TALKS ABOUT

DIVERSITY, EQUITY anD InCLUSIVITY

CSM: Explain what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you and why they’re important.

GG: Being an African-American, diversity, equality, and inclusion mean everything to me. They are important because in my field and in entertainment, our stories need to be told and deserve to be told. Not only that, but they need to be told from our actual experiences and how we experienced it; not from someone on the outside looking in and making an interpretation of what they see rather than the people that actually experience it firsthand.

CSM: What is the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment?

GG: I don’t have many personal challenges working in a diverse environment. But I could see how the challenge of not being understood can come up in a diverse environment.

CSM: What is your approach to understanding the perspectives of colleagues from different backgrounds?

GG: My approach to understanding perspectives from colleagues is simply just listening to them and their experiences. Really listen to understand, not just listen in order to have

something to say in response to what they are expressing, but really hear them.

CSM: How would you handle a situation where a client or a talent was being culturally insensitive, sexist, racist, or homophobic?

GG: Well, I would try to handle it in the calmest manner, but because I’ve never been in that position, I can’t give you an absolute honest answer. I don’t want to pull something out of the air just for the sake of it, but I do know I would try to start with being calm.

CSM: How would you advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with brands or companies that don’t understand its importance?

GG: It all starts with a conversation and willingness to listen.

CSM: Describe an ideal brand that has a sense of inclusion, belonging, and equity on a daily basis?

GG: Nike does this beautifully.

Being an African-American, diversity, equality, and inclusion mean everything to me. They are important because in my field and in entertainment, our stories need to be told and deserve to be told. ”

GG TOWNSON

ON HER VIEWS ABOUT UnDERSTanDInG DIVERSE PEOPLE

My approach to understanding perspectives from colleagues is simply just listening to them and their experiences. Really listen to understand, not just listen in order to have something to say in response to what they are expressing, but really hear them

JOEL ASIGRI

Photographed by Martin Kurina

The Comeback Issue

JOEL ASIGRI

on his biggest breakthrough and how being decisive can help you face the uncertainty. He’s diligent, focused and cool.

Photographed by Martin Kurina

Represented by EMKAI Models

Feature editorial by Ian Carlo Bajada and Moeka Taniuchi

CSM: The last couple of years were labeled as a rollercoaster ride with full of twists and probably surprises. How did you show your resiliency?

JOEL: Even though the last couple of years weren’t what we expected, I still tried to stay focus on my goals by meditating, working out and staying at home with family.

CSM: What’s the best course of action to take in the face of uncertainty?

JOEL: Keeping a cool head.

CSM: Professionally speaking, how can you exude being decisive?

JOEL: Believe. You must always tell yourself that you are decisive and that there are no bad decisions. It either works out or not but you don’t have to feel bad if you decision don’t bring out the results you expected. You must keep going and never stop.

CSM: What comeback goals do you want to achieve in 2022?

JOEL: Grow financially and mentally and build more healthy connections with people.

CSM: Define confidence and being sexy.

JOEL: Confidence is believing in oneself and being is to be sexually attractive

CSM: How do you standout in a fast-paced and competitive industry?

JOEL: By being yourself because that makes you unique and always working to improve in various areas of life.

CSM: Career-wise, how can someone be a good influence on others?

JOEL: Living a healthy life to serve as an example for others to learn from.

CSM: What vital lessons can you share to young people?

JOEL: Always believe in yourself and your abilities. Never let anyone make you feel small because you are great and beautiful just the way you are.

JOEL ASIGRI

ON FITNESS TRAINING AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE:

CSM: What do you think is role of food or nutrition in healthy living?

JOEL: Healthy food makes a healthy body and when your body feels and looks its best, it automatically makes you feel more confident. Good nutrition is essential. If you consume and provide your body with the right amount of nutrients needed, your body can perform at its best.

CSM: How can you maintain your consistency of weight or shape?

JOEL: Most important thing is to eat healthy foods and the right portions. In addition to this, it’s also important to monitor you calory intake. You must also exercise regularly (don’t necessarily have to be daily but at least 3 days a week minimum is required to maintain a good shape or weight). If the goal is to lose weight, calorie deficit with more exercise is the best bet. That means, load your body with less calories and exercise more (cardio sessions are key to achieve this).

CSM: What fitness goals do you want to attain?

JOEL: I currently weigh about 76kg/167lbs/12 stone.

CSM: What exercises do you consider fundamental?

JOEL: Personally, I’d say pushups, squats, lunges, and Burpees are fundamental to keep fit without doing too much. These exercises help burn calories and build a little bit of muscle and helps you keep a healthy heart (especially burpees).

CSM: What gym etiquette that people must follow?

JOEL: Randomly dropping weights on the floor is bad because it could land on someone’s foot or something. Also, please don’t push yourself too hard. Stick to weights you can control. My popular statement is “Control the weight, don’t let the weight control you ‘’

CSM: When you’re stressed, how do you manage it?

JOEL: It is normal for everyone to get stressed over certain things or certain situations in life, but it is always important to tackle everything at a steady pace (Never make rush decisions). I tend to plan out how I’m going to deal with certain situations.

CSM: Expound why mental matters in the digital age.

JOEL: It is important to look after your mental health in this digital age as it’s so easy to be consumed by the online world. Spending too much time online can really alter your sense of reality. Too much technology can have a negative impact on your everyday lifestyle and mindset.

CSM: Simplify if mental and physical health are connected or not.

JOEL: Our physical and mental health are most definitely interconnected, not feeling good and healthy within your physical body can impact your mental health. Also, if you’re strong mentally you can focus on what is important to you and able to achieve more in various aspects of your life.

CSM: In achieving fitness goals, what do people should remember?

JOEL: Be consistent! This is important. Good things take time to happen so don’t be put down if you’re not seeing quick results. Keep working on yourself.

CSM: What stereotypes should people break when it comes to physical and mental?

JOEL: Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is unique in their own way be it physically, mentally or in any other way. I know that it will be really hard to not pay attention to the negative stuff people say and the stigma which exist in the world, but we can always try.

JOEL ASIGRI

SPEAKS ABOUT DIVERSITY, InCLUSIVITY, anD EQUITY

CSM: Explain what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you and why they’re important.

JOEL: Diversity, equity and inclusion are important because everyone deserves equal opportunities despite who they are as individuals. Underrepresentation remains a real problem in this current age.

CSM: What is the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment?

JOEL: Working in a diverse environment can

CSM: Discuss a time when you advocated for diversity and inclusion.

JOEL: Diversity and inclusion are two very important topics to me. I always honor different cultures and I am always happy and ready to learn new cultural practices and activities because I am amused by how different people from different parts of the world do certain things. I would proudly say that I like to enrich myself.

CSM: Describe an ideal brand that has a sense of inclusion, belonging, and equity

present itself with many challenging aspects for example accepting and embracing differences. But then we must know that we can not all be the same and other people react to certain things differently. Example, you must be careful with certain jokes you make around people because you don’t know if it’ll settle right with everyone who hears it.

CSM: What is your approach to understanding the perspectives of colleagues from different backgrounds?

JOEL: Getting to know them more is the best approach. Personally when I meet new people I limit what I say or do until I get to know them better as you’re not aware what the like and what they don’t.

CSM: How would you handle a situation where a client or a talent was being culturally insensitive, sexist, racist, or homophobic?

JOEL: Report them to the head or leader of the group if it is a group of people. Actions like that should not be accepted at all.

CSM: How would you advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with brands or companies that don’t understand its importance?

JOEL: Recognizing, respecting, and valuing differences based on gender, race, skin color, ethnicity, etc. of people I come in contact with every day.

daily?

JOEL: I personally think Nike is top on my list. The products they release are diverse and caters for everyone. They have shops is many parts of the world and the models on their website are from different backgrounds as well.

CSM: What steps will you take to eliminate bias from other brands or companies?

JOEL: It’s always best to stand up for yourself in situations where you’re being undermined. This makes the brand or company know that you’re aware of your rights and they should work on doing better next time

Working in a diverse environment can present itself with many challenging aspects for example accepting and embracing differences. ”

KAY JAIME

Photographed

The Comeback Issue

KAY JAIME

on her timely progress and how healthy lifestyle can radiate your confidence. She’s caring, flexible and clever.

Photographed by Casey Withers

Feature editorial by Ian Carlo Bajada and Naoki Kobayashi

CSM: The last couple of years were labeled as a rollercoaster ride with full of twists and probably surprises. How did you show your resiliency?

KAY: For me, the pandemic forced me to stop making excuses for why I hadn’t applied to graduate school. Not only did I apply and get in, but I also graduate in May 2022.

CSM: What’s the best course of action to take in the face of uncertainty?

KAY: Uncertainty is part of life. Knowing that, I do my best to live the life I want to and not the life anyone else thinks I should.

CSM: Professionally speaking, how can you exude being decisive?

KAY: In my profession the ability to critically think and make quick decisions based on information I just received is very important. My ability to exude divisiveness comes from my confidence in the knowledge I have. I choose not to second guess myself in these moments.

CSM: What comeback goals do you want to achieve in 2022?

KAY: 2022 is definitely my comeback year. I graduate from my Master’s program in May of 2022 and will be able to fully immerse myself into my career.

CSM: Define confidence and being sexy.

KAY: Confidence is being able to trust yourself and your abilities, whether that is professionally or personally. To me being confident is sexy, because that person cares more about their own self-worth than what other people define it as.

CSM: How do you standout in a fastpaced and competitive industry?

KAY: By challenging yourself to be better than you yesterday. I’ve found that the people who continually stand out are focused on their own personal growth and not what others think of them.

CSM: Career-wise, how can someone be a good influence to others?

KAY: 100%. I would not be here if it wasn’t for the people who were good influences in my career. I consider them my mentors because they are more experienced in my field, and I’ve been able to learn from their failures and successes.

KAY JAIME

CSM: What vital lessons can you share to young people?

KAY: No one can fight your battles for you. They can try, but at the end of the day you’re the only person that has to live with your decisions. So, if something makes you happy, don’t let someone stand in your way of do it. On the same note, don’t do something just because someone else wants you to.

ON FITNESS TRAINING AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE:

CSM: What do you think is the role of food or nutrition in healthy living?

KAY: food is so important in living a healthy lifestyle. What you eat doesn’t just affect your weight, but your energy and how well the body functions overall.

CSM: How can you maintain your consistency of weight or shape?

KAY: being consistent about exercising and what you eat. That doesn’t mean that you are eating a strict diet 100% of the time or working out every day but realizing that if you prioritize your health it will show in the way you are able to maintain your weight or shape.

CSM: What fitness goals do you want to attain?

KAY: I’d like to compete in a couple powerlifting competitions and a wellness competition this coming year.

CSM: What exercises do you consider fundamental?

KAY: This is hard. Being able to work out all of your body parts is important; not just legs or upper body. If I’m thinking about legs it would be, hip thrusters, squats, split squats, leg press, leg curls and extensions.

CSM: What gym etiquette that people must follow?

KAY: I wish people would rerack their weights.

CSM: When you’re stressed, how do you manage it?

KAY: I usually workout or watch a show that makes me laugh.

CSM: Expound why mental matters in the digital age.

KAY: It is really easy to get caught up in social media, but it provides a distorted view of people’s lives. For example, a person can see someone who is a fitness model and assume that they are living a healthy lifestyle. But that is not necessarily true. There are plenty of people who appear to be healthy on the outside and are wrecking their body with drugs, alcohol, etc. So knowing this, being able to check in with yourself and check out of social media sometimes can be imperative to a person’s mental health.

CSM: Simplify if mental and physical health are connected or not.

KAY: There have been quite a few studies connecting the two. For example, if a person is physically unwell and is suffering from chronic pain, it can cause them to be depressed. If a person is depressed, they can also find I hard to care about their physical health. This is why mental health professionals encourage movement of any form when someone is depressed. Even if it’s just walking outside for 30 minutes of your day.

CSM: In achieving fitness goals, what do people should remember?

KAY: It can be easy to give up when things don’t go 100% your way in your fitness journey. But remember why you made the goals you did, and that you and your goals are worth fighting for.

CSM: What stereotypes should people break when it comes to physical and mental health?

KAY: Staying physically healthy and conscious of what you put in your body does not equal spending 7 days a week at the gym and eating a diet that is strictly calculated. It is important to realize that a lot of people who take on new fitness goals have other things going on in their lives other than the gym. Yes, there are athletes whose career is to stay in optimal shape, but that is not the majority of the population.

KAY JAIME

SPEAKS ABOUT DIVERSITY, InCLUSIVITY, anD EQUITY

CSM: Explain what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you and why they’re important.

KAY: Diversity is surrounding yourself with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Equity is being deliberate in providing equal access to people who have historically been excluded. Inclusiveness is not allowing people to be excluded from a situation to

CSM: How would you advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with brands or companies that don’t understand its importance?

KAY: By educating them on the importance of inclusion and highlighting companies that have been successful in campaigning for inclusion.

CSM: Discuss a time when you

begin with. All of these are values I live by and stress as important in the work I do as a mental health provider.

CSM: What is the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment?

KAY: Communication can be difficult when working in a diverse environment because people come from different cultures and understand the world differently.

CSM: What is your approach to understanding the perspectives of colleagues from different backgrounds?

KAY: I ask questions and observe and don’t assume I know anything about a person’s experience outside of my own.

CSM: How would you handle a situation where a client or a talent was being culturally insensitive, sexist, racist, or homophobic?

KAY: I tell them that they are being one of those things and if they continue I choose not to work with them anymore.

advocated for diversity and inclusion.

KAY: Recently, I’ve been advocating for better access in long-term care facilities for older adults in the transgender community. Transgender and non-binary older adults face a whole host of challenges and experience some major disparities in areas such as quality of health and access to healthcare services, mental health care, employment, and housing to name a few. To highlight this and raise awareness, I posted resources to not only educate the general public but allow for people to find help in the transgender community if they need it.

CSM: What steps will you take to eliminate bias from other brands or companies?

KAY: By being willing to engage in conversations around the importance of inclusion and diversity.

Diversity is surrounding yourself with people from different backgrounds and cultures... not allowing people to be excluded from a situation to begin with...”

ON THE COVER: GG TOWNSON

Photographed by Tim Schaeffer

Editor-in-Chief

IAN CARLO BAJADA

Creative Art Director SYBIL GRACE HANN

Deputy Editor KYLE RICHARDS

Associate Editor VIV PETZOLD

Executive Managing Editor MOEKA TANIUCHI

Feature Director NAOKI KOBAYASHI Publishers

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