If Cosmopolitan public relations manager Samantha Grimes isn’t mingling with Jason Bourne himself, she’s probably lifting weights and training for bodybuilding competitions.
The 26-year-old from Barrow, Alaska, started training with a friend in 2014 for what she thought would be her first and last competition. One year and four competitions later, Grimes became a professional athlete in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness’ bikini division. “I would have never foreseen that happening, but now I consider it a part of my identity,” she says.
Although she loves working at Cosmo (“the most unique and forward-thinking resort on the Strip”), it isn’t easy to balance her demanding day job with her “fitspirational journey.” A typical day for Grimes consists of a morning cardio session, a full day at the office—where special events could find her hanging with stars like Matt Damon—and a late-night lifting session. Her goal is to one day compete at Olympia, which she calls “the Super Bowl of bodybuilding.”
Moving from the northernmost city in the U.S.—a whaling and hunting town near the Arctic Ocean—to Las Vegas was a huge change, but after graduating from UNLV and landing her current position Grimes says she feels blessed. “The Cosmopolitan has given me the opportunity to join a very talented team and collaborate daily with many different departments and partners,” she says. “From the design of the resort to the eclectic mix of offerings and entertainment, it’s always been my top recommendation for visiting friends. Now, I’m lucky enough to say I work there.”
