Like John Elway or Daniel Day Lewis, Chelsea and Robert left the scene at the apex of their accomplishments. Before their official term as Athlete of The Season had even expired, these two beloved DBS athletes moved to New York City. I caught up with them for a make-up interview over video chat many months later in the dead of winter. Though it was bitter cold in their new city, Chelsea and Robert’s warm feelings for The Shop emanated so tangibly that Austin reached a high of 80 degrees only hours later on that day.
“Imposter Syndrome”
Well, lets just jump in here- I’ll record and transcribe this, so if we get into any tawdry personal details, you can just ask for it to be off the record. The first thing I want to ask is, you both look great, what are you doing for fitness in New York City?
RM: My workout routines are not what they were when I was in Austin going to Dane’s- sadly. Graduate school has chipped in to that, but I have a gym a block over from my school building and over the last year and a half I’ve gone there a lot and done a lot more cardio and bodyweight exercises. When I’ve gotten really pressed for time, I have a workout app on my phone that programs little workouts to do at home- push ups and squats and wall sits.
CB: Unfortunately, with the added commute time we have in New York, we aren’t able to workout together any more. In Austin, we really consistently worked out together- went to Dane’s a lot together. I knew that coming to New York, it was going to be really hard to find something like Dane’s. Ugh… but what I didn’t realize is that it was actually going to be impossible. So I’ve been doing a mix of strength and conditioning classes through my work and then putting in a lot of cycling classes that have a weight lifting component- I have classpass. I found a couple “strength” classes, but the most weight we lift is like 15lbs- I pick up the 15lbs and people are like “Oh my god! That girl is lifting 15lbs!”-
Pee check her- she’s on steroids!
CB: And those were like the lightest weights at Dane’s- so it is different for me. We miss Dane’s a lot if you can’t tell. *laughs*
Needy ex-boyfriend question: what do you miss the most about The Shop?
RM: *laughing and then pausing* You know, you came back just as we left and that was exceptionally cruel. You were like our first coach that we really bonded with-
CB: I must have told you this at some point, but when we first started I took a couple classes and I was like “I don’t like this, it is too hard.” Everyone was being incredibly nice and welcoming, but I just had imposter syndrome. We went to your class and you made a joke about a stretch being really great for when you’re playing Mr. Mistoffelees in your local production of Cats. We left class and I was like, “Okay, I’ll keep going, but only if we go to that guys class, because he’s making musical theatre jokes and I finally don’t feel like an imposter.” We only went to your classes for a while-
RM: We went to the Chad Ramsey Wednesday night class.
CB: Yeah! Until we finally got comfortable and I felt less imposter syndrome. But now what’s great is after being at Dane’s so long, I never feel like I don’t belong in a gym setting.
So you’ve carried that confidence with you?
CB: Definitely in class settings. Working out just on my own, there are too many dudes trying to tell me which weights I should be using- I’m like “get out! I know what I’m doing!” The other day I was deciding which kettlebell to use- they weren’t label and all the weights are the same size- so I went for the heavier one and a guy was like, um- I think you want this one and pointed at the lighter one. I said “no, no- I want the heavier one.”
Bro please! When did that imposter syndrome go away at Dane’s?
CB: *Looking at Robert* I don’t know, did you have imposter syndrome? That might have just been me.
RM: I don’t that I felt imposter syndrome exactly. I do remember the first couple weeks just being in agonizing pain and muscle soreness. We started with a few introduction classes with John, just learning the movements like kettlebell swings- which I never felt like I got the hang of. (He LIES dear reader! I can attest that Robert’s kettlebell swing became delightful indeed within a few months of practice!) After that we had a class where we did this cycle of like forty pull-ups-
CB: I don’t think we ever had that many pull-ups in a class again.
RM: So, like just not being able to extend my arms. The soreness wore off as we became more accustomed to doing the moves. It is a great community at Dane’s, so once we’d gone to a couple Steak & Wine Nights and gotten to know some of the regulars in our classes- you start to see a lot of the same faces in a given class time- we had our 6:30pm weeknight crew that we got to know and started to feel like part of the community.
CB: Yeah, that’s a good point. For me, feeling at ease came with feeling more confidence with the movements themselves, but then also just the community. The people were really nice- seeing the same faces and feeling encouragement.
Do you have any memories of the first people you connected with or times where you had a good interaction with another member? Or an awkward interaction- those are always fun.
CB: Ooohh… Awkward interactions. Off the record? *laughing*
RM: I remember at one of the first Steak & Wine Nights getting to chat with Matt and Michelle McCartney. Getting to know them as people with lives outside the gym. At first pass, when you’re first introduced to (the gym) setting, people at the gym can feel a little anonymous.
CB: Matt and Michelle and Fabiola and Juan and Mark-
Yep, the PM crowd. I was partying with Juan and Fabiola last night actually-
CB: Woah! Jealous! Juan travels so much, I’m hoping they’ll swing through New York some time soon.
I wanted to take a minute to talk about the two of you as artists- you’re in New York for film school right Robert? What was the specific degree you’re pursuing?
RM: Yeah, it is an MFA in film directing.
Can you both just talk for a minute about your artistry and what you do?
CB: You go!
RM: So I’m studying at NYU to be a film director; it is a great program with a rich tradition in the film industry. I get to learn from a lot of great professional filmmakers and it is training us through making films of our own. Last year, I wrote and directed three films. This year, I write and direct just one which I shot in the fall and now am editing.
Is there a film that you have worked on that you are particularly proud of or intrigued by?
RM: I really enjoyed the experience of making the film that I’m editing now; it is a psychological thriller set in New York. I got to work with some very talented actors and a wonderful crew. It was a great experience and I am excited to finish it.
That is really cool. And you Ms. Bunn, can you talk about what you’re working on?
CB: In Austin, I was doing quite a bit of improv. I actually had quite a bit of support from folks at Dane’s! In New York, I’ve actually shifted gears a bit to focusing on screen-writing. Working at google is still my day job, but my creative pursuit has been screen-writing. I’ve also been taking classes at Upright Citizens Brigade to sort of work my way into the community there. I’m hoping to get more involved in the improv scene. It takes time to earn your way in.
That is very interesting and was a genuine question- I really didn’t know what it was that you were working on creatively in your new city. I’m always curious how fitness and art interplay. For instance, when I started working out seriously in my mid-twenties, it just opened up a whole other set of characters I was comfortable playing. I was just more confident in my body and the way that I moved. I was able to play bad guys much easier. On your fitness journey, have you noticed that influencing your art at all?
CB: One of the last shows I did in Austin before moving was “Funny Ladies of Rassling” which was an improvisational comedy show where we had rassling personas and we actually had a match at the end of each night. That was the first time I was able to really fully bring fitness into improv and informing a character. That was a fun experience; I briefly thought about throwing comedy away and joining an independent wrestling league- apparently a pretty big one- in New Jersey, but I don’t know if I can hang with that commute. So I might stick with the soft arts of improv comedy. I would say also that having helped on Robert’s film shoot earlier this year, just having the stamina to get through a long day on set-
RM: Yeah, filmmaking is a super physically demanding activity, so being in shape is crucial for that. You are on your feet and moving constantly, so you don’t want physical fatigue taking the edge off of your ability to make creative decisions. Working out also definitely helps in the more solitary aspects of the process; the writing, the planning- working out on a regular basis just helps just keeps you fresh mentally and helps you to sleep better and just perform better all-around. I would add to that, that working out- particularly with knowledgeable coaches- provides a great model for developing skills. Working out is just a great metaphor for trying to improve in an enterprise like filmmaking where you are working on improving lots of different skills and repeating them over and over. Getting feedback and trying to raise your level of performance.
That is a really good point. I’ve thought about that a lot- as I’ve gotten back to The Shop and been focused on my work there, I have spent less time on my artistic endeavors. I have had moments of frustration when the juices aren’t flowing, but I’ve had to check myself and remind myself that my lifts would all suck if I weren’t doing them regularly, so of course my writing has not been great because I haven’t been picking up the pen and paper regularly. You’re right, it is a very good metaphor.
RM: The idea that any skill is a muscle that can be strengthened is a great life lesson.
That is a very thoughtful observation. So this is your first time living in a city the size of New York- how has that adjustment been?
RM: *Looking at Chelsea* You’re fresh-
CB: Yeah, you’ve got a year on me. I would say the thing that has helped me the most has been establishing routine. One of the first things I did here was to get a gym pass. I didn’t really like the first classes I went to, but I went to keep some semblance of routine and what my life was like before the move. Honestly, I feel kind of like I’m on some kind of extended work trip or vacation- it doesn’t really feel like home yet. Routine helps it to feel more like home. Manhattan is like the world’s best adult playground. The difference is really just that, outside of daily routine, when you want to go out and have dinner or go to a show, you have some of the world’s best at your fingertips. There are amazing restaurants and shows- I went with a friend to a broadway show just on a whim. Off the record- or on- I think Robert is giving much better answers here. Just attribute my name to some of them. *laughing*
RM: Um… *smiling*… New York is a very exciting place to live. I definitely miss a lot of things about Austin- the friends, and the food, and soforth-
CB: The weather…
RM: Yes, the weather. Having your own space. In New York, you can never escape being around other people. You’re just constantly surrounded in buildings, on the sidewalk, on the train; it is just tough to get a moment to yourself. But there are so many exciting things happening as Chelsea was saying. You can experience the best of the best.
This is the point in the interview where I just quickly go through some random questions with you- sometimes they have nothing to do with anything and sometimes they have everything to do with everything. So… if you were on death row and you had a last meal, what would that last meal be?
RM: Oh wow.
CB: Oof.
You have to go to that dark place Chelsea.
CB: Agh… this is such a morbid question. Really I should say something intelligent about the prison industrial complex and how people don’t actually get last meals. Theoretically, I get one last meal? You know what, I’m homesick so all the stuff that comes to mind is from Austin. I would probably have my last meal at Uchi Ko or Foreign & Domestic, which are two favorites in Austin that I’ve been missing a lot lately.
RM: Yeah, I would say Uchi and particularly singling out their 72 hour braised short rib.
Do you have a drink of choice? For me, it is an up Manhattan.
CB: Really?!?! Bourbon or rye?
Oh, rye. And yours Robert?
RM: Oh, we just had Manhattans last night! Vodka martini with an olive.
Chelsea? Lukewarm PBR?
CB: Cowboy cold! Um… I guess maybe vodka martini with an olive.
You guys are just adorable-
CB: Actually, bourbon on the rocks is good for me. I’m amending my answer from cowboy cold PBR to bourbon on the rocks.
Amendment accepted. What is a surprising thing that really annoys you in the world?
CB: That’s a tough one. Lots of things annoy me- Robert doing better at interviews than me…
You’re doing fine Chelsea. He is doing really good though!
CB: If we’re talking petty annoyances, then people talking on their phone in the bathroom.
Public bathrooms or any bathroom?
CB: Public bathrooms.
Oh good, because I’m actually sitting on the toilet right now. It is just out of frame.
CB: Well you aren’t in public, so it is fine.
RM: When people smoke cigarettes on subway trains.
I think that is aggressively annoying-
CB: Like too aggressive. If my answer is people talking on phones in public toilets and yours is people smoking on trains, then I am going to need to one-up you!
If you had a chance to have dinner with or spend an evening with a historical figure, who would it be?
CB: *after a surprisingly short pause* Ann Richards- the former governor of Texas. I should say someone in entertainment so that I can ask advice, but Ann Richards would probably be a lot more fun to have dinner with. I actually always thought George W Bush would be fun to have dinner with.
RM: People say that he is a lot of fun. Um… Yeah, I would probably say some president. Like Obama.
That’d be a good hang. Do either of you guys have a surprising celebrity crush?
CB: Surprising? My celebrity crush is Gael García Bernal, but there should be nothing surprising about that. *slightly nervous laughing*. I have kind of a crush on Phoebe Waller Bridges, but again- not that surprising!
RM: That is great- I don’t have one on hand, so Chelsea can have mine.
CB: I’ll have two…
In a similar vein, who would play you in a movie- actually, you should cast one another!
CB: *zero pause* It has to be what’s his name from Rushmore-
RM: Jason Schwartzman? Sure, I’ll take it.
CB: Cast me- it better be cute (proceeds to distract Robert by striking various cutesy poses for a delightful uncomfortably long amount of time)
Is this the question that ends your relationship?
CB: Yep, nine and a half years gone!
RM: *continue to very carefully consider* Lets just say Tina Fey.
CB: The last improv show I did, someone told me I reminded them of Owen Wilson. And I think they meant looks like too.
RM: I don’t see it…
How many vodka martinis had that person had?
CB: It was 1pm in the afternoon, so a very sexy time for comedy.
Chelsea, this dovetails with what you talked about earlier regarding professional wrestling- entering in to the ring or just a random room, what would your entrance music be?
CB: I actually did have an entrance song, but it was for a really weird character. *thinks for a long moment*
I think I’ve said this in interviews before, but mine would be- and I don’t know why it is this, but it definitely is this- “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. I think I’m just an emotionally very needy person and the song also just rips.
CB: *laughing* I would maybe say something by The Scissor sisters… or maybe Rico Nasty. I think maybe “Big Dick Energy” by Rico Nasty. You should look her up.
RM: Um… Hmm… Maybe the song “I” by Kendrick Lamar.
Good call! We’ve been talking for about forty minutes here, so I think we’ve covered some excellent ground, but I always like to give the Athletes of The Season- even though it is a couple seasons past in your case- a chance to impart some words of wisdom to their minions. You are now in the Pantheon of great Athletes of The Season.
CB: Oh my gosh… What an honor!
Yeah, your words carry great weight, so any advice, or warnings, or admonishments- this could be the airing of the griefs.
CB: *long thoughtful pause* I just don’t think I have a succinct way of saying what I want to say. Off the top of my head, I like to bring a playful attitude to the gym; whether that is pretending I’m a bear when doing bear crawls or trying to encourage the people around me, I think it is good to not take ourselves too seriously. I think it is important for adults to play and I think the gym is a very safe place to play like a child on the playground. That has really worked for me and made workouts feel like a space where I belong and can bring my full self. I would also say something to the effect of it is good to be competitive with yourself and not others. That took me a while. I would get too caught up with something like “that person is ahead of me, but they aren’t doing a full push-up”. It took me a while to learn to not compare myself with others. I still do it- I was in the gym today and was looking at other people’s watts and was like “hell yeah, I’m working harder than any of these people!”; I have to fight that urge to compare myself to others. I feel like I get more competing with myself versus with others. I get more when I bring my full self by being playful.
I think that is an important thing and you definitely brought it to class- that sense of playfulness and not being overly self-important.
CB: It is so nice to hear that. Also, the coaches that we were drawn too, like you and Autumn and Keith were all very playful people too, so that creates space for those of us who need the space to be a little silly from time to time.
RM: I’d say, just appreciate what a great place Dane’s is. Not having it has really reminded us of how amazing it was. I would also say, check out Strength class. The last two years I was at Dane’s, I really loved having the balance of Fusion and Strength- I thought it really rounded out my fitness routine in a great way. And just keep going consistently- as consistently as you can. I broke my ankle the summer before I left for school and even while I couldn’t walk or put weight on it, I still went to Dane’s. I didn’t let the routine slip and that was a huge part of my recovery. Even though I wasn’t able to do all the exercises, the coaches were really amazing at accommodating me. Keith really went the extra mile creating special workouts and adapting the day’s workout to what I was able to do. I will always be grateful for that. When I got out of the cast and was able to start working out again, I hadn’t let the routine slip. Just being mentally prepared to set the time aside to go to the gym each day. Even though my muscles had a lot of work to do to rebuild, the consistency was still there.
You guys, those were both killer last answers!
CB: We can say so many nice things about the community and the coaches and our experience there; the individuals and the collective whole. It really changed my life. If we had moved to New York before going to Dane’s I would not be like “okay, I’ve been here for a week, I need to go to a fitness class.” It totally reprogrammed my brain.
That is one of the ways that I can tell you two are staying in shape. You both look great, but you’re also able to just drop in to class any time you are back home.
CB: I’m going to be there in a couple weeks and I am terrified to come to classes because I just have no sense of how much weight I can lift. But I know there will be other things I can do to keep up.
RM: Yeah, every time I go to Austin I email John like six weeks before to make sure stuff is set up so we can take classes. Shout out to Dane Krager.
Dane Krager… Who dat?
