Competing in the Olympics, CS Creative-Style: Tanya and Judy Zumba for Medals

The Olympics may be over, but being fit as a fiddle is a year-round endeavor here at the studio. How else can we stay energized for all the great projects we’re a part of? Creativity + Fitness = Fun!

In this, our next installment in our Olympics blog series, I and Judy (Copywriter), share our mutual love of all things Zumba.

Tanya

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy most on a regular basis?

Zumba!

How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

The music drew me in. And NO! I can barely keep up with the belly dancing songs!

Why did you choose this sport/activity?

The instructor said that if we are giving it our all, we can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour!

How often do you engage in this activity?

Usually twice a week

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

YES! I love the Olympics and get totally caught up in the back stories of the competitors. I’ve already gotten sucked into the American Team trials last week!

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be?

Gymnastics would be amazing! Really amazing for me since I can’t do a cartwheel!

Judy

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy most on a regular basis?

I’m with Tanya – Zumba classes (love the salsa- and samba-inspired routines the most). Also yoga – we all need balance and focused breathing. And, allegedly, we burn more calories during inverted poses like downward-facing dog. It’s just that yoga is anathema to the competitive spirit of the Olympics.

How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

I’ve been doing exercise classes in a gym setting for 30 years. Prior to Zumba, I was doing TurboKick, boot camp, high-low aerobics and even, snicker, Jazzercise. I’m used to working to deadlines and getting to classes by a deadline!

Why did you choose this sport/activity?

I’ve never been into competitive or team sports; I never liked running; and I never learned to ride a bicycle. But I’ve always liked exercising to music with a good beat and rhythm – it’s the closest I get to dancing.

How often do you engage in this activity?

2-3 times per week.

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

Yes. Probably some of the opening ceremonies. I enjoy gymnastics (especially women’s) the most. Not sure what else – I’m not a big Olympics fan.

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be?

Gymnastics – not that I was ever good at any of it in school!

Can you imagine Zumba being a part of the Olympics? It would certainly be a fun “sport” to watch!

In our next (and final) post in our Olympics series, Ted, Kevin and Dan share their ESPN-worthy activities, from triathlons to gardening, and what they hope to achieve. Hint: it’s all about a cereal box.

Comments (0) Aug 13 2012

Author: Tanya

Competing in the Olympics, CS Creative-style: The Jonathan and Chase Edition

Congratulations to Team USA for nabbing 90 medals so far, and it’s only the end of Week 1!

Our next installment in our Olympic-inspired blog series, we’re featuring two of our User Interface Designers, Chase and Jonathan!

Chase

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy most on a regular basis?

Used to be Soccer, but after a foot injury I have taken a year off. Lately it is Western Martial Arts (Fiore di Liberi), though I’ve only just started out.

 How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

 Soccer: I started playing in High school and through collegeWMA: I found a group here in DFW and went to a class.

 Why did you choose this sport/activity?

 Soccer: Always loved the sport. The international presence, the pageantry, the strategy and physical conditioning. It’s the beautiful game. WMA: I’ve always wanted to take a more weapon-based martial art. And with my deep love of history this seemed a perfect way to get in shape and explore this revival of European martial arts.

 How often do you engage in this activity?

 Few times a month.

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

Yes, but having grown up doing winter sports regularly, the summer Olympics don’t interest me as much.

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be?

Soccer.

Jonathan

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy most on a regular basis?

Currently I enjoy exploring behind my eyelids while I sleep, but on a more serious note, I regularly swim and run.

How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

I swam for the majority of my young life since I was about 5 years old. I started swimming competitively shortly after that during the summer. I regularly competed at the State level in both high school and summer seasons. During my senior year (summer season) I placed 3rd at Nationals in the 100m Butterfly in Colorado Springs.

Why did you choose this sport/activity?

I’ve never been very coordinated so this was the safest sport for me that didn’t involve wearing a helmet. Plus who doesn’t like to wear a speedo all day?

How often do you engage in this activity?

During swim season I swam twice a day, two hours a day, 5 times a week. Currently I just run about 3-4 times a week.

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

USA Swimming primarily.

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be?

I would seriously consider swimming, but if I could pole vault that would be pretty rad too.

 So there you have it. We have our very own soccer and swim stars. And yes, Jonathan did actually say rad.

Next up: Tanya and Judy square off in the Zumba competition. The medals await…

 

Comments (0) Aug 10 2012

Author: Tanya

Competing in the Olympics, CS Creative-style Part 2

If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you know that, in the spirit of the 2012 London Olympics, we’ve been having our own summer games. No medals here, and NBC’s morning team won’t be covering our athletic pursuits anytime soon, but we’re a pretty healthy bunch over here. We’re not just creative eggheads!

Check out the athletic exploits of Ruth, our Translation Coordinator, and Monica, our new Account Executive.

Ruth

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy most on a regular basis?

Walking.

How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

I have not competed.

Why did you choose this sport/activity?

It can be done anywhere, anytime!

How often do you engage in this activity?

4 days a week.

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

Oh yes!

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be? 

Gymnastics.

Monica

 

What sport or physical activity do you participate in and enjoy the most on a regular basis?

Zumba or Yoga.

How did you get started? Have you ever competed?

I started both in college — Yoga to de-stress and Zumba to get me pumped! I danced competitively from childhood through high school, so Zumba seemed like a natural fit.

Why did you choose this sport/activity?

Because of an old back injury, I was looking for low-impact ways to exercise, and both Yoga and Zumba were fun alternatives to add to my otherwise boring exercise routine.

How often do you engage in this activity?

2-3 times a week.

Are you planning on watching any part of the Olympics?

Yes, especially swimming, gymnastics and soccer. I’ve always loved the summer Olympics and look forward to it every four years!

If you could participate in any Olympic sport at the Olympic or professional level, what would it be?

Soccer and gymnastics – those women seem so tough!

Wow – can you imagine Zumba as an Olympic sport? It’s obviously not from ancient Greece, but wouldn’t that be fun to watch? At least it’s something we can follow along at home, like having a live Wii game on TV.

Next time: we actually have a real-life soccer – er, football? – player in the house, as well as a guy who apparently enjoys wearing Speedos. Brave man. Stay tuned!

 

Comments (0) Aug 02 2012

Author: Tanya