Leah Clapper is a gymnast at University of Florida. For over 20 years, Leah Clapper has been flipping around and persevering toward ambitious goals in and out of the gym. She believes serious athletes can have fun too and hopes to share a message of playfulness in sport.
Leah recently co-founded a direct-to-consumer company, Shine Creative, with the mission to ignite the athlete spirit. She created and launched the first ever gymnastics board game on the market, called Balance Palace.
Through her unique online offerings, captivating content creation, and growing experience working with brands, Leah has become a noteworthy leader in the NIL space. Leah is now working on a community-based business, NIL Island, to help student-athletes capitalize on their personal brands and make a positive impact online.
Aside from her entrepreneurial ventures, Leah’s professional experience started with a position at Aha Pure Foods, where she worked as a media manager for the plant-based soup company. In summer 2021, she made an impact during a Nike internship on the Global EKIN Experience and Education team. While at Nike, Leah developed strategies to optimize the training experience for Gen Z retail employees, and she successfully managed a seasonal content creation project involving team members from all around the globe.
Leah has earned athletic All-American honors for balance beam, and scoring a perfect 10.0 on balance beam is one of her proudest athletic accomplishments. Leah has also earned Academic All-American status every year of her college career, and she was named the 2021 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in advertising, and she recently earned her master’s degree in mass communication with a 4.0 GPA. She is now working toward her Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.
Leah is an energetic, ambitious athlete who takes on challenges with a vibrant smile. During her time as a Gator gymnast, she has pursued many passion projects. Leah enjoys sharing content that inspires people to live happier and healthier lives. Her vegetarian food blog, Zest & Finesse, is full of delicious and nutritious recipes that demonstrate how colorful, wholesome eats can be easy to make and delightful to eat. Her gymnastics-related podcast, Zest & Progress, uncovers athletes’ stories of resilience, energy, and self-confidence.
Leah’s strong organizational skills and capacity for creating stuns many outsiders. Productive energy is one of her biggest strengths, along with great curiosity, self-motivation, and a constant zeal to learn fresh things.
Working out, baking, dancing, getting outdoors, and listening to podcasts are some of Leah’s favorite activities. She loves traveling and immersing herself in new places, cultures, and experiences. Adventure and opportunity are always calling!
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