Athleta Studio

Today marks the first day of Black History Month. This month, we'll for four incredible changemakers and grant recipients of The Power of She Fund, dedicated to fostering confidence and connection through movement. Every week, we'll learn who and what inspired each woman's love of sport, art, and the outdoors, and why they've chosen to build for the next generation.

To start, we welcome Michelle Grady. As the Founder and Executive Director of , Michelle is committed to inspiring, educating, and supporting women of color on their journey towards living a healthy lifestyle through the sport of triathlon.

“I was watching Wide World of Sports with my dad, and they were covering Ironman World Championship in Kona. They covered the pros, but they also highlighted regular people. I remember their stories were so inspirational, but I never saw the sport of triathlon in my community.

When I crossed the finish line of my first race, I burst into tears. I felt so accomplished and empowered. I realized at that moment, I came from doing nothing to swimming, riding, and running. To look around and not see a face that looked like mine, understanding the challenges Black women face to be in this space, I really wanted other Black women to feel that. You can really develop as an empowered woman through sport. There is a connection between the physical, the mental, the emotional. And in our program, multi-generational training allows women and girls to learn from each other. The sport itself is so community-based, encouraging.

I would want my legacy to be that RYPE is an organization that continues to grow and provides opportunities for young girls to grow through triathlons. I want to provide opportunities that I never had. I want to touch as many girls as possible, to help them find their voice very early through sport. To help them understand that they don’t have to experience diseases that so many women of color face, from diabetes to high blood pressure. How? Focus on staying healthy.”

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12-3pm at Athleta Manhasset or call us to place your order at 646-660-8509.

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We’re introducing December’s topic, BIPOC families, with a spotlight on four generations of women in the Marquez family. Read on as they share what their close-knit relationships—individually, and as a whole—mean to them.

"We are four generations of fierce Afro-Latina women. We are mothers, daughters, sisters, and best friends. We are athletes, directors, nurses, entrepreneurs, and PhD cancer researchers. It began with the matriarch, Violet, who instilled in all of us the importance of confidence, compassion, and a relentless spirit. We were not taught these values through words, but instead through the actions of each generation that came before us. We saw strong, loving relationships which became our own expectations. We witnessed perseverance and determination which became our own habits. We support each other to live our best lives. We are the first people we call to share in the joy of our successes, as well as our struggles and disappointments.

Our deep family ties were forged over years of support across the generations. Grandparents cheered at our volleyball games and practiced with us for job interviews. Aunts flew miles to see our school plays and family consults were mandatory for college decisions. And the support was always reciprocated as grandkids and great grands traveled across states to fill the bleachers for their grandmother’s Senior National’s tennis tournaments.

One of our strongest traditions centers around food. It is a focal point of all our gatherings with much energy spent on making, serving, eating, and critiquing the meals. Recipes are never written down however they continue to be passed down. Despite thousands of miles between us, we have stayed a close-knit family reuniting often to celebrate successes, cry on shoulders, and of course engage in competitive family sports. We are proud that a visit to Grandma’s house is always filled with excitement and joy and never an obligation; proud that we are all best friends by choice.

Most of all, we are proud of what we’ve built and hopeful that our deeply embedded values and traditions of support will continue to guide our future generations."