Q&A with Emilie Lovaine

Emilie Lovaine is a girl of many talents. She blogs, she’s trains, she surfs, she sings and even has her own clothing and jewellery line. And now? Emilie’s most recent achievement is working with Adidas on its #workit campaign; an exciting project that promises to bring us a host of new workout material we can try out from the comfort of our own homes. We found out more in this Q&A…

You currently run a successful fitness, lifestyle and travel blog. What was it that made you want to start a blog?

I’ve had a blog since 2008. I started with a tumblr in my first year at University when I was studying Fashion Photography and Advertising, and I used to use it as a platform to showcase my work. I was always creating and uploading original content and then started showcasing more of my lifestyle and other passions rather than just my photography work. I then set up my blog, which I use as my online visual diary showcasing all my passions; food, fitness, fashion, photography, music and travelling. It’s been really exciting to team up with Adidas to give my followers something they can really get involved with. By following my Adidas #workit Circuit each week for the next five weeks, my followers and Adidas fans can get a free personal training session from me and try out my training regime!

As well as blogging, you’re also a personal trainer. What made you get into fitness and working out?

Growing up with four brothers and a twin, I was always chasing after them and trying to keep up. They were all into different sports, from sprinting and long distance running to gymnastics, trampolining, swimming and basketball. If they did it, I wanted to play too!  It wasn’t until I was introduced to surfing at university that I really started training for something specific. The sport really pushed my fitness and training to a new level, particularly my strength and stamina, which helped me last in surf sessions. I now live four hours away from the nearest surf break compared to our old cottage back in Wales, so I have to make sure I keep my training solid for our next surf trip. Now that I’m a qualified personal trainer I’m excited to show my followers and Adidas Facebook fans how to #workit!

What’s your go-to workout and why?

I love anything high intensity! Circuit and spin classes are my favourite which is why I loved working with Adidas to create my #workit Circuit. To feel like I’ve really worked out, I need to leave the session ready to go straight to bed. Hopefully everyone who has tried out my #workit Circuit is suitably knackered afterwards!

We see from your blog that you’re also a vegan. What made you change to this lifestyle?

I have suffered with a condition called endometriosis for around seven years. This affects two million women in the UK. It has had a negative effect on my everyday life and health – I was on a lot of medication with side effects and frequently in hospital. So I made the decision to go off all medications and follow a plant-based diet to see if it helped my condition. The results were pretty amazing, and I now have no symptoms for the first time in seven years, so for me this lifestyle has been a blessing! It has really help me improve my health and quality of life.

What are your favourite three foods of all time?

Porridge would have to be number one. I think I could eat it for every meal if I had the choice. I just love it! Two would have to be avocado on rye bread, toasted under the grill with a layer of homemade pesto, tomatoes and mushrooms and a sprinkle of lemon juice, and black pepper. Food number three is butternut squash/sweet potato coconut curry with quinoa.

Who’s your biggest fitness inspiration and why?

I have always looked up to the girls on the world surf tour, surfers like Sally Fitzgibbons, Lakey Peterson, Laura Enever, Rosy Hodge and Sage Erickson. These girls are amazing athletes both in and out of the water, and they have pushed women’s surfing to a whole new level. I also love pro trainers Kirsty Godso and Hannah Saul.

You’re now working with Adidas for the #workit Circuit. Can you explain what this is?

The #workit Circuit is a new five-week workout series, with a new video dropping every Saturday on the Adidas Women’s Facebook page. Each video showcases four hero moves to add into your winter workout and really get you working! The videos are all free online and we are hoping they will get girls across the UK stoked to take on the challenge. The great thing about taking part in a social workout movement is that you can connect with girls all over the world, support and inspire each other, no matter what your level.

How did you get involved with the campaign?

I was finishing up my personal training course when I was pitched the idea from Adidas. I have always documented my training online, along with my love for health and fitness, which is how I somehow managed to get on Adidas’ radar! I was so excited to be given a platform alongside such a passionate brand. To be given the opportunity to inspire and encourage girls with this #workit campaign is a dream.

You feature some amazing photography on your website. How did you get into this and what camera do you use?

I always wanted to be a photographer ever since I can remember. I enrolled to do it after my GCSEs and then got offered an unconditional place to study it at university. I’ve always been a very creative person. I’m dyslexic, so the more creative subjects and sports have always come more naturally to me. I completed a three-year degree in fashion photography and advertising, and went on to work as a fashion stylist and photographer for Surfgirl magazine. I now work on a freelance basis, and love that I get to incorporate my photography in with my blog. I tend to shoot either on my Canon 550d with a 50mm 1.8 lens or my fiancée’s 5d mark II. He is also a photographer and we met while studying the same course at university.

You also have your own clothing line on lovainestore.com. How did this come about?

When I was sponsored by Roxy, we took part in a jewellery-making workshop. We soldered, hammered and shaped our own bracelets, rings and earrings and this is where the dream for my own line started. Being a creative person it all came so naturally to me, and last year I decided to invest in some materials and bring my dream to life. I started with just a few bracelets and slowly built it up piece by piece, to where I am now with two collections selling to girls all across the world.

Can you sum up your line in three words?

Chilled surf vibes.

We know from your blog that being in a band and surfing are two of your hobbies. Can you tell us a bit more about these?

My life has always been divided between a mixture of passions, with music and surfing being two of them. I taught myself the acoustic guitar when I was really young and somehow picked up millions of hits and fans from my acoustic covers that I uploaded to YouTube. It was pretty crazy really how it all happened and I owe everything to my early YouTube days as I wouldn’t have had half of the opportunities I’ve been given without it. I started surfing at University – my boyfriend started teaching me as we had some of the best surf beaches five minutes from our house so it was the perfect place to learn. Since then I’ve travelled the world with surf sponsors modelling and surfing. Being so involved in the surf industry has been such a big part of my life and journey so far.

What are your plans for the future?

I would love to bring out my own food and fitness book, full of my own workouts, recipes and photo work that would be incredible, but for now I would love to carry on writing my blog and working with brands like Adidas, who inspire me to keep pushing myself, and to have no limits.