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adult Champions Present and past  2021, 2019


Emily Avery, 2017 - 2019, 2021 18-49 Women's Gold Medal 

Emily took her first yoga class seven years ago, when she was just 16. Though her practice was initially motivated by a way to balance her classical ballet training, it quickly became much more than cross training. She fell in love with the physical and mental challenge and the ways it allowed her to grow -- athletically, artistically, academically, and otherwise.  

She began competing in 2012 in the youth girls division, where she placed first nationally in 2013. Now in the adult women's division, she continues to compete in the hopes of sparking excitement in youth students like her former self and inspiring them to take on the practice of yoga and gain its benefits. She is grateful that the yoga championships have provided a forum for this, and she is continually inspired by the incredible community of practitioners, teachers, coaches and friends who make these championships possible.


Spencer Larson, 2021 18-49 Men's Gold Medal


Keri Palasz, 2021 50+ Women's Gold Medal


Tim Mizerak, 2021 50+ Men's Gold Medal


Purannan Balakrishnan, 2019, 2021 12-17 Boy's Gold Medal Winner


Dustin Valenta, 2019 18-49 Men's Gold Medal

Dustin Valenta completed Bikram's Teacher Training in Thailand in the Spring of 2015, where he was named Valedictorian. He has over 500 additional hours certification in Hatha/Vinyasa training. He has been traveling and teaching all over the world for the past four years. But the only honest answer to the question of how long he has been teaching/practicing yoga is "not long enough". It's one of the many things that keeps him in love with and passionate about what he does--the revelations are constant and unending. He credits his yoga practice with saving his life after a nearly fatal bike accident in 2013, and teaches from a place of love, compassion, and emphasis on alignment, breath, and curiosity.

In February of 2013, he was riding his bike in Chicago when a woman opened her car door into the bike lane. He was thrown from his bike into traffic and run over by a truck. He broke 23 (of 24) ribs, both sides of his pelvis, both collarbones, his left hip, left shoulder, fractured a vertebra, punctured a lung, and cracked his skull.

Doctors didn't think I would survive, let alone walk again.

He knows for a fact that if he had not been practicing asana regularly before the accident (he was, in fact, on his way home from class when it happened), he would not be alive today. Doctors have credited his survival, in large part, to the flexibility and resilience in his spine. And he knows also, that had he not returned to regular practice as soon as possible afterwards, he would not have recovered anywhere close to the place he is.

In the years since the accident, his yoga practice has transformed from purely physical pursuit to a lifestyle that guides him on a path toward continuous self-improvement inside and out. But he will always believe fully in the transformative power of movement. Building a connection to the physical body is an essential first step to creating change in the deeper, more subtle parts of the self. With intention, determination, and practice the impossible is revealed as a myth.


Mai Toomey, 2019 USA Yoga, 50+ Women's Gold Medal Winner


Wayne Campbell, 2019 & 2017 50+ Men's Gold Medal Winner

Wayne Campbell’s first Yoga Competition was the 2014-2015 Texas Yoga Asana Championship, at age 49 in the Men's Division, in which he advanced to the 2014-2015 USA National Yoga Asana Championship.

The first year he competed because he was inspired by the energy, focus, and ambition of the five yoga athletes in the 84 Advance Yoga Series Class that he took two months before his first Yoga Competition.  He wanted to be among this group of yoga athletes who were all training for the 2014-2015 Texas Yoga Asana Championship.

Nowadays, he competes to train, prepare, and apply his body everyday through stretches, yoga, and exercises to progress into more advanced yoga poses.

As he took the stage for the 2019 USA National Yoga  Finals, his mind was clear, quiet, focused, and still.  He was "in the moment" and in "the zone”.  It was a beautiful experience and moment.  

Standing Bow Pulling Pose was the yoga pose he had been fine tuning and was most challenged by leading up to the 2019 USA National Yoga Championship.  After the 2018 USA National Yoga Championship Wayne’s goal was to spent the next 12 months tweaking and fine tuning each pose in his yoga routine to maximize the most points possible for each pose.  He had his personal best score during the 2019 USA National Yoga Championship Finals by 2.2 points, improving on his previous personal best score from the 2017 USA National Yoga Championship.  

Outside of the yoga studio, he spends his time at home with his girlfriend, Moji and his Jack Russell Yoga Dog, Max. He learned how important it is to sit still, and slow the breathing, which calmed the nervous system, quieted the mind, and kept the adrenaline low.  This was valuable in helping him to perform his yoga routine on stage at the 2019 USA National Yoga Championship.

After the 2019 USA National Yoga Championship, he will continue to fine tune his training and prepare for next year's 2020 Yoga Championship season.Part of the Yoga Championship journey for Wayne has been to be present to enjoy and fully experience those three minutes on stage and winning the Men’s 50+ Division because time is fleeting and it is gone in the blink of an eye.  

He would also like to express his gratitude to the United States Yoga Federation and it’s volunteers, all the Judges for keeping the standards high, Ainslie Faust for her time and energy, Kim Tang for her amazing energy, spirit, and coaching expertise, Glenn Brown for his insight, all the yoga athletes who help me to stay humbled and inspired, all the former USA Yoga National Champions for inspiring and keeping the level high for all yoga athletes, and finally my girlfriend Moji for really going through this yoga journey with me, our dog, Max who is at the studio everyday giving unconditional love, my family, friends, the Houston yoga community, and the Urban Fit Yoga Community.


YOUTH Champions Present and past 


Alexandra Soukhoveev, 2021 15-17 Girl's Gold Medal


Amisha Poojari, 2021 12-14 Girl's Gold Medal


Purannan Balakrishnan, 2019, 2021 15-17 Boy's Gold Medal



Suraj Ramesh, 2021 12-14Boy's Gold Medal


Liam Luce, 2019, 2021 9-11 Boy's Gold Medal


Shea Kenny, 2019 12-17 Girl's Gold Medal Winner


Nica Thomas, 2018 - 2019 7-11 Girl's Gold Medal

Nica began practicing yoga and gymnastics at the age of 3. She loved trying new things that made her feel powerful. Being a natural competitor, she entered her first yoga competition at 8 and soon became the first 7-11 Youth Girls Female Champion. Nica loved meeting all the yogis, making friends and cheering them on. She is always nervous before a competition and takes "a deep breath and I try to let it go. Once I make it through half moon, I feel very calm and enjoy myself."

Now 10, she is currently entering 5th grade and is a Level 5 Gymnast. Nica is an Olympic hopeful and her future plans include attending UCLA "on a math scholarship and doing gymnastics there."


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