Camille Duvall, Director of Sales at Warburg’s Flatiron office, is one of the most decorated water skiers in the world. We caught up with Camille to learn more about her fun and adventurous approach to staying fit.
Camille Duvall is, in no uncertain terms, a water skiing prodigy and legendary athlete. She learned to ski at the age of 4 and won her first tournament just two years later. By age 12, she was invited to the Master’s tournament — which selects only the top 10 skiers in the world — and she made the U.S. National Team the following year. Over the course of her 30-year dominance of the sport, she earned a list of accolades nearly too long to mention, including 56 professional tour titles with 15 national titles and five world championships among them. So significant are her contributions to the sports world that she was named to, not only the USA Water Ski Hall of Fame, but also to Sports Illustrated‘s list of the top 100 female athletes of the 20th century.
Camille Duvall in action.
Water skiing was a family affair for the Duvalls and every member skied, including Camille’s champion brother Sammy, whom she admits is “probably a better skier than me.” Under the demanding tutelage of their father, not only were entire summers devoted exclusively to water skiing, but nearly all physical activity out of the water skewed toward supporting the sport as well. “When I was young, we were really just skiing or doing things that would help water skiing,” Camille recounts. “I was on the gymnastics team until I grew too tall to swing under the uneven bars, and then moved on to the diving team. We had a trampoline, too. It was basically all body balance sports.”
As she left home and gained autonomy over her athletic pursuits, Camille began sampling an array of activities based on her own interests, including horseback riding and motorcycles, and later on the interests of her children, including tennis and hockey. “I tried a lot of different things, especially things that were fun and enjoyable, and it doesn’t feel like exercise.”
That abiding desire to focus on the fun side of being physically active, as well as a longing to embrace the outdoors whenever possible, guide Camille’s fitness regime to this day. “I have a seasonality to the sports that I do. This past winter I learned how to snow ski and really enjoyed the sheer beauty of being outside in winter. I also really enjoy hiking. I’ve always cycled a bit, and I bought myself a new bike last year and did the Twin Lights Ride, which is a 55-mile ride through New Jersey. It was amazing. Living in New York, getting out of the city and being able to touch dirt is really important.” Camille is also an avid runner who loves her Upper East Side home’s location for putting miles of Central Park running paths at her doorstep.
Camille has also developed an affinity for rock climbing. As she recently told The Wall Street Journal, she finds the sport similar to water skiing in that it requires abundant mental focus and the ability to be 100 percent in the moment. Having scaled peaks from the Adirondacks to the Sierra Nevada, Camille selects Yosemite as a favorite destination and points to the relative portability of the climbing equipment as another major plus, “The shoes, harness and chalk bag are pretty easy to slip into your suitcase and go.”
And, of course, her first love, water skiing, is never more than a stretch of warm weather away. She recently joined the Twin Lakes Ski Club in Monroe, New York, and once members discover who she is, they can’t help but ask for a few pointers. “I’ve been training a few of the members. It’s really enjoyable, and I love doing it. I spent my whole life sitting in a boat, teaching people to do something that I love to do, so it’s really a pleasure for me to be able to have that chance again,” she says.
Back at her office, Camille is quite literally surrounded by the Flatiron area’s great fitness offerings. “I look out of my office down into Flywheel and Exhale, literally into their windows. Sometimes, I’ll pop over to Exhale and take a quick lunchtime class, if I can squeeze it in. Peloton is in this area and Barry’s Bootcamp. So, whatever you have a yen for, it’s literally in this eight-block radius.”
Another local favorite of Camille’s is Shadowbox. “I really enjoy it. It’s a great full body, overall workout. When it gets cold in winter, and I don’t want to run outdoors anymore, it’s really a great alternative workout for me,” she says. She and the rest of the Flatiron office are such big fans they recently hosted a client appreciation night at the studio.
Warburg’s Flatiron office client appreciation night at Shadowbox
With so many great options in the immediate area, it’s no wonder Camille’s devotion to fitness is mirrored by the rest of the Warburg Flatiron office team. “Someone in this office is usually running off to a workout in between their appointments. It’s a very fit team, that’s for sure. I have to do a lot just to keep up with all the agents here!”