Exclusive: Camille Kostek On Partnering With Rowdy Energy, SI Swimsuit Issue, And More

Rowdy Energy’s Chief Wellness Officer Camille Kostek

France and Jesse

Model, TV personality and entrepreneur, Camille Kostek has joined Rowdy Energy as the company’s Chief Wellness Officer for their new calorie-burning product line, Power Burn. Power Burn was launched in February of this year and has been clinically tested to burn up to 150 calories per can.

“When it comes to my lifestyle, I always say, ‘If I’m going to partner with someone I need it to naturally fit into my life because ultimately, I end up doing these press tours and these appearances and I’m speaking on behalf of this brand and I want it to feel comfortable,” Kostek told me via Zoom video in regards to the new partnership. “I don’t want to have to study a script and read up on it. I want it to be something that I live, I breathe, I eat and literally drink.

“So when I learned about Rowdy, I was like, ‘Let me give it a try.’ And I loved it. I loved the taste, but beyond that, I love what’s packed into this thin, vibrant can, and it looks beautiful.

“So that’s a plus when you see it in the cases because there’s a lot of energy drinks out there, but it definitely catches your eye. … They’re cute, they’re thin, slim cans, they can fit in a cup holder or a beach chair, wherever you’d like to take it with you.

“When I talked to [Rowdy Energy] I said I want to be 100-percent involved, hands-on with creative direction, choosing the team, being a part of everything, creating the campaign, future appearances… They said, ‘Let’s do it, join the team.’”

Rowdy Energy Chief Wellness Officer Camille Kostek

France and Jesse

“Rowdy Energy continues to redefine the category by creating smarter, cleaner energy drinks that taste great and deliver superior functional performance,” said Jeff Church, Co-Founder and CEO of Rowdy. “With the launch of Power Burn and it now being on shelves and for sale online, it was important for us to partner with someone likeminded who enjoys the product and has a heart for our brand, which is why we’re thrilled to be working with Camille.”

Kostek, who’s featured in Sports Illustrated’s 2022 Swimsuit issue and was tapped to host NBC’s upcoming series Dancing with Myself, doesn’t sign on the dotted line with any sponsor courting her, she’s very picky when it comes to the brands and products she endorses.

“I’m going to be really candid with how I break this down, because a lot of times when I get asked, ‘Oh, who do you work with? What are your sponsorships’ and stuff, I used to be a little bit embarrassed that I didn’t have many to say, but it’s because I’m so selective and I actually take a lot of pride in the fact that I can count on one hand the partnerships that I’m full-fledged in long term,” Camille said.

“And these are the conversations I have since the beginning, I say, ‘I want to be hands-on, I want there to be activations, I want there to be opportunities where I can connect with a lot of the people that look up to me because the moment I say that I drink Rowdy, I know that I’m influencing just about a million people to do the same.”

A partnership with an energy drink company is a good fit for Kostek. When Camille is filming a hosting gig with a TV show, she can spend 12 to 16 hours straight on set. It’s also not unheard of for her to do photo shoots for multiple magazines in a single day from “sun up to sun down” as she describes it.

It would be easy for Camille to sling any energy drink with her schedule, but due to her commitment to nutrition, fitness and overall health, Rowdy makes a lot of sense given its ingredients, including electrolytes to maintain hydration and natural caffeine to eliminate the patented energy drink crash.

When it comes to workouts, Kostek isn’t focused on the head start with burning calories Power Burn provides, but the consistent, clean energy.

“I’m not a calorie counter, so when it comes to that number (up to 150 calories), I’m sure it’ll apply to a lot of people, but for me I love to wake up when I go to workout and fast,” Camille said. “I don’t like to go in with a heavy stomach, even if I eat something light.

“I just like to go in and burn and sweat and not have anything kind of holding me back or you know, we’ve all had those workouts where you go really hard and you’re like, ‘Am I going to throw up right now?’ … So now that I know I have something that can fuel those workouts and that it’s still providing that clean energy in giving me that extra boost without the jitters and without the crash, it’s a go for me. But again, before I reach a partnership, I have to try it out for myself.”

Fitness has naturally factored into Camille’s relationship with boyfriend, and four-time Super Bowl champ, Rob Gronkowski.

“I think we both kind of give each other advice,” Kostek said. “I’ve learned a lot about pliability from him. He practices the TB12 method a lot, so it’s worked for him. Obviously as a pro athlete he takes on a lot with his body, a lot more than me as a dancer and someone who works out. I don’t take those hits. So I learned a lot from him.

“I used to be a barre fitness instructor and do cardio dance teaching, as well as being a dancer and a ballerina my whole life, so there’s a lot of different techniques that I’ve taught him. I definitely think he’s learned a lot more from me from my eating habits. Surprisingly, he enjoys some of my vegan and vegetarian meals.

“He used to call it ‘bunny food’ and now he’s like, ‘Wow. You can get full off of some of the meals that you’re eating.’ I’m like, ‘Always. You always can.’ We both constantly educate each other and we love learning and just bringing our bodies to the optimal level of health.”

Camille says the couple maintains a low-key lifestyle outside of the viral photo shoot and Super Bowl celebration videos fans see on social media.

“It’s so funny because he can totally hear this right now. He’s around the corner. I’m like, ‘Don’t talk during my interview,’” Kostek said with a laugh. “Is it crazy parties and loud music at all times? No, he’s a homebody. He loves being home, going to sleep early, hanging out with our dog, making meals at home, watching movies and hitting the sack.

“I think that that’s not the side that we share on the internet and a lot of people see those videos that go viral [from] the Super Bowl parade boat or Vegas pool parties and things like that. We like to have fun but in order for us to be juiced up and be overly excited in those moments you have to rest, reflect, and recover.

“So there’s a lot of that that goes on every single day. We’re actually going to go get massages. We’re pretty burnt out from the last two months of traveling and working so our day-to-day is very chill.”

Outside of her new beverage partnership, 2022 is shaping up to be a career year for Kostek. Camille graced the pages of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue, which released last week, for a fifth time.

“So excited,” she said of the honor. “This is year five and you are not promised a role. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been on the cover, how many years you’ve been in the magazine as a veteran, you’re not promised the invite.

“They start shooting around the end of September, the beginning of October and they start closing out their shoots for creating the magazine in February. I got my call around the end of January, beginning of February, so I was on my toes and I just didn’t know, and you never take your spot for granted and I was screaming and crying when I found out, and when I found out I was shooting in the Virgin Islands, where I have family, it was really special.

“I’ve grown up going there. I actually was 15 years old in the Islands pretending I was shooting for SI, so it was really a full-circle moment to really shoot for the magazine there; so definitely a memorable shoot.

“We were on a boat, it was challenging but super rewarding to see the finished product. We just finished launch week and it was exhausting and exciting and we’re happy that a year in the making of the magazine is finally out for the world to see.”

Kostek’s hosting chops will be on display in NBC’s Dancing with Myself, premiering May 31, opposite Shakira, Nick Jonas, and Liza Koshy.

“I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but I grew up a dancer, that’s where I found what passion was all about,” said Camille, who also serves as a host on TBS’ Wipeout. “Dancing is something that has shaped me for who I am as not only a person, but a performer and I say that this is probably one of my favorite hosting jobs to date because it’s like my worlds are colliding.

“I’ve been going to school for journalism and communications and have been in this field of hosting and reporting for a little while and now I’m going to be hosting from a dance stage with a bunch of dancers choreographing the dances, teaching the dances and with other castmates Nick Jonas, Liza Koshy, Shakira — it’s incredible. …

“You don’t have to be a pro, we teach you the dances, they’re super fun, and it’s people from all over the world, all different ages, all different backgrounds just giving us what they’ve got and we just have a big dance party. It’s a live audience, lots of energy and we all just really love being there and I think you’ll really be able to tell through the screen.”