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She’s got an impressive body of work.
Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, 40, a lifestyle influencer who gained a cult-like following during the pandemic with her subscription-based Pilates and yoga workouts, is one of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s 2023 Rookies, the glossy announced Wednesday.
In a photo released by the magazine, the Manhattanite looks fierce on the Caribbean island of Dominica, wearing a bikini in a colorful print by designer Ola Vida and a choker necklace by Alexis Bittar.
“Since I was a teenager I remember flipping through the pages of SI and feeling such strength, beauty and empowerment,” Wood-Tepperberg said on Instagram. “Never in my life did I ever think that at the age of 40 and being a mother of two that I would now be in SI.”
A Syracuse native, Wood-Tepperberg worked as a model and cocktail waitress in her 20s. While slinging drinks at the Meatpacking District nightclub Marquee, she met husband Noah Tepperberg, the CEO behind the international restaurant empire Tao Group.
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The two wed in 2016 at the Plaza Hotel in front of 350 guests, among them Paris and Nicky Hilton, Busta Rhymes and Mario Lopez.
Wood-Tepperberg first started her fitness brand the year prior, filming workout videos in her living room using a tripod purchased on Amazon. The lithe beauty now has a million Instagram followers, 100,000 subscribers who pay $9.99/month to access her classes, her own bowl on the menu at Sweetgreen and celeb fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Keke Palmer.
In a flooded industry, her workouts stand out for their brevity — usually around 20 minutes — and the fact that they’re relatively low impact compared to punishing, once-trendy boot camps.
“Our society says that if you don’t have an hour to work out, you don’t have enough time, and I’m here to share that that’s completely not true,” she told WSJ Magazine in an interview this month. “It’s about giving yourself time daily.”
Acolytes rave about her relatability, achieved in part through an active Instagram showcasing her life in the Hamptons and the West Village with daughter Elanor, 4, son Benjamin, 7, and Tepperberg, 47, who reluctantly meditates and sips green juice alongside his wellness-obsessed wife.
“I know it’s psychotic because I’ve never even met her, but I feel so connected to her,” Kimberlee Howe, a 30-year-old Los Angeles wedding planner, told WSJ Magazine. Howe credits Ms. Wood-Tepperberg for helping her develop abs.
Wood-Tepperberg is the second SI Swimsuit Rookie for 2023 to be announced. Last summer, it was revealed that model and designer Nicole Williams English, 35, is also making her debut in the iconic issue, which hits newsstands in May.
“Melissa blows me away both personally and professionally,” SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited.”
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