Popular Peloton Instructor Tunde Oyeneyin Shares How Cycling Changed Her Life
Tunde Oyeneyin inspires countless people who take her cycling class weekly but many may not know the journey that took her to become a successful Peloton instructor. The Nigerian beauty who was raised in Katy, Texas is opening up about her life in her new book Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut and Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Tunde stopped by Tamron Hall Show where she discussed her motivation for writing the book and the cycling class that changed her life.
“Speak is an acronym. Surrender, power, empathy, authenticity, and knowledge,” she said. “I looked at those words as elements and how they showed up in my life. Every misstep has got me here.” The 36-year-old fitness enthusiast went on to share the many tragedies she faced in her life over a short period of time. Tunde lost many of her family members including her mom, dad, and brother back to back. “I lost my little brother when he was 19-years-old. Three years later I lost my dad and three years later I lost my mother. Within six years I lost half of my immediate family,” she revealed.
But she managed to keep on pushing after she “realized we don’t get to choose what happens to us but we do get to choose how we react.” “Every single day is a new day so I choose to show up new in that day,” she said.
While Tunde has become well-known as a Peloton instructor, her first love was makeup. She worked as a makeup artist for 15 years and one makeup gig actually led her to the career change. “I was actually in New York City. I lived in L.A. at the time and I was in New York City on a makeup gig and I wanted to get a workout in. I went to a cycling class that changed my life,” she said.
“After my very first cycling class, I knew that I’d be cycling for the rest of my life. I knew with certainty that I would be teaching it without even knowing what Peloton was. After my very first class, I knew that I would be able to touch and impact the lives of tens of thousands of millions of people.”
Another thing that many people may not know about the famed instructor is that she also struggled with her weight growing up. During her appearance on Today, Tunde shared that when she was 13 years old she weighed 200 lbs and wore a size 18. Even as a fitness instructor now she still sometimes struggles with snacking and has an open and honest dialogue about it in her classes.
“I want people to know that even though I’m in the fitness world, I’m human too. I struggle just like everyone else. You don’t just lose weight and then just magically stay there. It’s a lifelong, forever journey,” she said.
Famed Peloton Instructor Tunde Oyeneyin’s Incredible Weight Loss Journey
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Featured image by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bring Change To Mind
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy