We had the good fortune of connecting with Cory Camp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cory, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After spending years of trying my hand at various jobs like sales, recruiting, fitness, and swim coaching, I saw an opportunity to blend all of these past experiences into creating Forever Athlete. Prior to the pandemic I was working as an Assistant Fitness Director and Head Swim Coach at a Country club just outside of DC. While I enjoyed what I did, I wasn’t living a sustainable lifestyle. I was up and out of my apartment at 4:55 am and wouldn’t return home until 8:00 pm each day. When everything shut down, it gave me the opportunity to assess what it was I really wanted to do and plan a way to do so that was more sustainable than the way I was living at the time. After giving it some thought, I realized I could build something truly special that would require some upfront risks and sacrifices. When I weighed those vs what I was doing at the time, it became an easy decision to roll the dice on myself and go all in on Forever Athlete.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Forever Athlete is a social-wellness brand focused on curating experiences and community to help former athletes find purpose beyond sports. We do things a bit different than most in our space, meeting our athletes where they’re at and empowering them to share their stories with the world. I’m most proud that we’ve been able to make an impact that is larger than myself. I’ve never been a vocal leader, rather letting my actions speak for what I’m capable of and it’s through this that we create to empower our community to create a new life experience for themselves. It hasn’t been the easiest journey, it’s only recently that athlete mental health is being spoken about more openly and it’s a challenge to get athletes to feel like they have permission to open up authentically. The best way we’ve overcome this is by leading by example, sharing our experiences, and making sure the community is vetted to be a trusted space that honors what each of our members need. The biggest lesson I’ve learned in this journey is that there is no one right way to live your life. We all run around searching for one thing to fulfill our purpose, but it’s through exploring curiosities and passion that we can discover our own unique flavor. I want the world to know that regardless of who you are, you have the ability to be the MVP in your own life but you don’t have to do it alone, we will always grow further together.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Kicking things off with a Best Mate from Little Lunch Coffee in Venice as we hit a little stroll down the boardwalk before heading over to Abbott Kinney. Calling ahead to the Butcher’s Daughter, I’m reserving the back patio for one of the best hidden gem dining experiences the West Side has to offer.

After lunch, we’ll head up the PCH to do a little hike action in Topagna. My favorite to hike or trail run is Calabas Peak via Red Rock Road. You get some unreal views up there at the top.

Great White breakfast burritos are undefeated and definitely on top of the list. Favorite hang out spots to just kick it are the Santa Monica Acro Green and the beach up in either Malibu or down in Redondo.

Bardonna on a weekend morning for an early brunch is always great energy too!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my family, my Dad Brian, my Mom Joy, and my brother Scott. Throughout the waves of entrepreneurship, they’ve been there for me and allowed me to express how I’m feeling. I owe everything I do today to them because they each inspire me to keep going even when it might be against the tide.

Website: www.foreverathletesocialclub.com

Instagram: @corycamp

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-camp-893946135/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV1-VZAN4eZi-pnqC8mIkdQ

Other: TikTok: @foreverathlete

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.