Starring in Equinox's latest campaign, Miles Chamley-Watson speaks to L'OFFICIEL about why the mind of an athlete is just as important as the body.

Olympic fencer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fencer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miles Chamley-Watson</a> has always had an over-active mind. It was his childhood ADHD that got him into the sport in the first place&mdash;when he was in grade school, his mom told him to pick between tennis, badminton, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/jackson-wang-k-pop-age-olympics-fencing-got7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fencing</a> as a form of discipline. He chose the latter, and hasn&rsquo;t given it up since. The London-born, New York-raised athlete now is at the top of his sport, becoming the first man of color and first American to win a World Championship title. He also competed in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, helping Team USA earn bronze at the latter. Now, he&rsquo;s got his sights set on qualifying for Tokyo 2020.
If all had gone to plan, he would have been on the piste in Japan last summer, but since the games got postponed due to the pandemic Chamley-Watson has been training at home in Vancouver. Beyond staying in physical shape, the fencer focuses on keeping his mind healthy and centered, too. Teaming up with <a href="https://www.equinox.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equinox</a> for its new Welcome Forward campaign, Chamley-Watson channels this inner strength by sharing a glimpse into his Mind Palace&mdash;the figurative place where you can zero in on your goal and get into the zone.

Equinox Welcome Forward

Welcome Forward | EQUINOX | Featuring Miles Chamley-Watson

The cinematic campaign directed by Johan Lindstroem shows Chamley-Watson in his element, caught in a fencing bout. Then, like a breath of fresh air, he&rsquo;s alone, standing on a giant mirrored ball in a stunning desert landscape. He contemplates, &ldquo;Where do you find your strength? Power? Where do you find the answers you seek? Maybe it&rsquo;s a place, maybe it&rsquo;s a mindset.&rdquo;
Underscoring that the mind is just as important as body, Equinox supports all aspects of an active lifestyle. For Chamley-Watson, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/home-exercise-program-workout-fitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">staying it shape</a> during the pandemic has meant doing personal training at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/equinix-club-fitness-luxury-nyc-gym-covid-workout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equinox&rsquo;s clubs</a> when safe, and taking the time for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/sky-ting-yoga-keep-calm-2021-stress-relief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yoga</a>, Pilates, and meditation, which are all available through Equinox&rsquo;s virtual programming on the Equinox+ app. The new platform allows members to take live and on-demand classes from SoulCycle, Pure Yoga, Rumble, Headstrong Meditation, and more, so Equinox&rsquo;s top tier training can go with you anywhere.
Here, Chamley-Watson speaks with L'OFFICIEL about the campaign, his Mind Palace, and his activism.

L'OFFICIEL:&nbsp;Why did you connect with this campaign?
Miles Chamley-Watson:&nbsp;What drew me was the initial call I had with the team about the concept and main points they wanted to get across, and it was everything I signed up for and do every day. Not to mention, Equinox is the only gym I&rsquo;ve been to since being in the states, so it was a perfect match and I believe in everything that they stand for and it was a meaningful campaign.&nbsp;
 L'O:&nbsp;What was the behind-the-scenes of creating it like? 
MCW:&nbsp;Where do I even start? They deserve an <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/full-list-2021-oscar-nominations-academy-awards-mank-promising-young-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar</a> for the performance they pulled off to get all the documents and permits and immigration to get me from Canada to Spain in time. I can't believe it worked out&mdash;it was meant to be. So from that aspect it was incredible, and the production was something I've never seen. People would think it was CGI, but I was literally on the orb as opposed to BTS. I didn&rsquo;t fall off, close a couple of times, though. And Jonas and Monica [Lenczewska], working with them was phenomenal. Everyone was professional and had the same vision, which is why it all came out so well on camera. From the makeup to the CEO, it was honestly an incredible team.&nbsp;

L'O: The concept of the campaign is that we have a Mind Palace&mdash;what does that look like for you?
MCW:&nbsp;Being an athlete, we&rsquo;re so used to going to the gym and lifting weights, but we don't realize the mind is where it all starts. For me, I've been journaling and meditating [with Equinox+'s Headstrong], which is something I never thought I'd do, and these mindful acts I've been doing are helping me perform better. When people ask what the Mind Palace is, I say it is what you put into it, what you feed it. It's just like your muscles. What you feed into your brain will help you become a better you. I think it's such a powerful message, especially for me as someone who has always been told to go to the gym. There are so many things that are more important to me than lifting weights, like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/meditation-apps-help-you-relax-headspace-calm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meditating</a>, doing <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/yoga-for-beginners-what-to-know-yogi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yoga</a>, doing Pilates, and Equinox has all of those in their clubs. I do this every day. It's my routine which has helped me get through this mad quarantine and helped me become a better athlete and person.&nbsp;
 L'O: What have you learned from journaling and meditating?
MCW: I am crazy hyperactive at the gym and I didn't even know what a journal was, so my coach got me a journal and he said listen, just write whatever comes to your mind. Then COVID hit, which was the first time in my life I didn't have a schedule. I didn't have any competitions, so I was just like, what is my identity now? Then I started to write more and ended up writing like 200 pages. I may end up writing a random book about my past experiences, but just meditating and journaling honestly changed my life and I'm so much more aware of myself as a person than just an athlete. So I journal every day, do yoga, and meditate. Those are the three things I do in the morning, and this ritual is very authentic to me.

L'O: Do you have any advice for people who are struggling to feel motivated to stay active and work out?
MCW:&nbsp;I've gone through every emotion in quarantine. What helped me was a routine. It was something small, just waking up and putting on pants that weren't sweatpants, just something different to give myself a separation from the quarantine. And getting your sweat in no matter what, even if it's just a run up the street. It really triggers the mind and produces serotonin. Any kind of sweat, whatever it might be, is really powerful. And now I am a massive believer in journaling, as well. So for me it was the routine, keeping positive, and not worrying about what you don't know. Relax, we're all in this together, and we're going to be just fine.&nbsp;
 L'O: Throughout your career, you've worked towards making fencing a more diverse and inclusive sport. How does <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-osaka-tag-heuer-interview-tennis-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">activism</a> fit into your identity as an athlete?&nbsp;
MCW:&nbsp;Me having a platform, especially in a sport that's predominantly white, it&rsquo;s my duty to show kids of all colors, shapes, and sizes that if you love something and you dedicate your life to it, you can be as successful as anybody else. I didn't have anybody to look up to in my sport so I want to be a role model to kids or anyone who may feel like they&rsquo;re in a niche part of this world. As someone who had ADD, ADHD, dyslexic, everything under the sun, I think I turned out alright. Fencing changed my life, it gave me discipline and me growing as a person came from sports. If kids can understand that, especially in this crazy time, if you just have self-belief that&rsquo;s all you really need. I don't think my parents realized that I'd be a professional fencer, but I knew deep down inside that I had this vision and I knew what I wanted to do. In this last year we&rsquo;ve been through a civil rights movement, we are in the pandemic, and everyone's trying to figure out what this new normal might be, but I realize that my purpose is to inspire kids to do what they want and don't let anyone tell you anything different, even your parents. If you believe in yourself you can be as successful as you want to be. It all comes down to you.

L'O: As things are starting to open up again, how are things looking for getting back to competing?
MCW: I&rsquo;m actually going to Qatar this weekend, because that&rsquo;s where everyone is competing and what's been open lately. I&rsquo;m excited to get back to training, because it's been a year since I was competing in Italy. I&rsquo;m also working on creating tournaments with my sponsors to change the sport entirely. Now is no better time. If you don't come out of this quarantine with something new or positive than you&rsquo;re doing yourself a disservice, so I'm trying to come out of this better than I came into it, but I'm very excited to compete.&nbsp;

Olympic Fencer Miles Chamley-Watson on Meditation and Getting Your Sweat In

Olympic Fencer Miles Chamley-Watson on Meditation and Getting Your Sweat In

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