Kimbentley combines fitness, fashion tips to inspire good health in everyday life
by Beth Kraft
Beginning a weight-loss journey or simply making a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle can be daunting, but a new blog created by Eleva native Kim Larsen strives to inspire people to work fitness into their everyday routines and even look great in the process.
An avid runner who also holds interests in various other fitness pursuits from lifting weights to yoga and aerobics, Larsen’s “kimbentley” blog went live on June 1 and quickly morphed into a growing brand that found itself a part of the WEAU TV-13 morning show, “Hello Wisconsin” every Friday morning throughout the summer.
Larsen, a 1980 graduate of Eleva-Strum Central High School, says the concept of her blog was born from “just having fun on Instagram.”
Larsen’s seven-year-old Shih Tzu/Maltese dog, Bentley, is often by her side when she’s out and about in the Eau Claire area. Posting pictures of her pup on Instagram led people to continually ask where Larsen got her shoes or other workout apparel that would often pop up in the shots.
Noting that fitness fashion is a growing sector in the clothing industry, Larsen decided to start sharing her finds on her kimbentley blog, aptly named after she and her canine “mascot,” to help readers find their fitness fashion style.
“Consumers are looking for ‘athleisure’ items that can be worn from the gym to anywhere they need to go after,” Larsen explained.
Her blog posts feature versatile workout clothing that can seamlessly take the wearer from a cardio session to a yoga mat to running errands and meeting friends for lunch.
As more and more people checked out her kimbentley blog, Larsen looked to share her insight with a larger audience.
She approached WEAU TV-13 with an idea for a special segment, and the station jumped on board with her idea almost immediately.
A few short weeks after Larsen’s blog went live, she was on the air broadcasting the first “Fitness Fashion Friday” segment on “Hello Wisconsin.”
“Fitness is so popular right now and the clothing is huge,” shared Larsen, who holds degrees in fashion merchandising, marking and business administration.
Larsen also has prior experience in the public eye. She was Miss Eleva 1978 and has served as a television spokesperson, appearing in weekly Menards commercials for about a year-and-a-half.
“It’s fun to come up with ideas that people want to watch,” Larsen said of the “Fitness Fashion Friday” segment.
The show is set to continue on a monthly basis with the next segment scheduled to air this Friday, Sept. 25, at about 6:45 a.m.
“Fitness Fashion Friday” video clips can also be found on the kimbentley website for those who are unable to watch at that time.
Motivating people to dedicate the time and effort to getting healthy is another area of focus for Larsen.
“There are tons of reasons to work out,” she says, noting physical activity is great for a person’s mental, physical and even social health.
Larsen has met many new people through running events she has completed. It all started with a run around the block, she says, and progressed to several half marathons such as the Eau Claire Marathon event, Whistlestop in Ashland, St. Paul’s Monster Dash, and Grandad Half Marathon in La Crosse. She has also participated in other athletic challenges like the Ragnar Relay in the Florida Keys and MS 150 Bike Tours.
The tips on her blog are geared towards everyone, “no matter what your starting point,” says Larsen.
Another feature of the kimbentley site is to share true success stories to connect with her audience.
“I think that appeals more,” Larsen said, noting she loves hearing all people’s stories “whether you lost five pounds or are just trying to get healthy.”
Battle with Hodgkin’s leads another E-S grad down path to better health
One story shared on Larsen’s blog is that of Kia Johnson, also an Eleva native, who fought off Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and used it as motivation to start fresh in her fitness goals.
Johnson, a 2001 graduate of E-S Central who now lives in Somerset, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007, kicking off a back-and-forth battle with the disease that saw her undergo chemotherapy, radiation treatments and even a stem cell transplant to achieve remission and stay there. She has now been cancer-free for nearly five years.
In between relapses, Johnson gave birth to her two children, who she says helped inspire her to get in shape.
“I wanted to get in a better routine for myself and for my family,” she said.
Johnson viewed life after cancer as a “new beginning” and started running with a group of friends. Dedicated to getting in shape, she lost 100 pounds.
Conversations about running a marathon with her friends started off as a joke, but “then one of us signed up and the rest of us didn’t want to leave her hanging,” Johnson laughed.
Johnson legged out the Fargo Marathon in 2013 and ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., in 2014 with many 5K and 10K races and half marathons to her credit as well.
She says she started checking out the kimbentley blog looking for new ideas to help break out of a workout rut.
“It’s always nice to hear the different tips,” said Johnson. “It’s just realizing that it’s a lifestyle and not a fitness fad.”
As part of ongoing product giveaways on the kimbentley website Johnson recently won a Fitbit Flex to help keep her workouts on track, awarded to her by Larsen herself.
Larsen says she started offering the regular giveaways to encourage people to visit her website and sign up for her newsletters, which provide updates on giveaways, fitness fashion tips and other topics.
“We’ve been growing really fast,” says Larsen. “There are a lot of things that I want to do, but I’m just trying to take things one day at a time.”
Adding quick how-to tips to her website and participating in community outreach opportunities, such as races or other events with worthy causes, are among her brand’s future goals, says Larsen.
To see all of Larsen’s fitness and fashion tips and more, please visit kimbentley.fitness (formerly kimbentley.co) or check out her Facebook page.
