Gayle King is preparing herself to face her fears for her upcoming trip to space.
While CBS Mornings guest William Shatner possibly scared Gayle more than helped alleviate her concerns, she has found ways to calm herself.
She previously admitted she was terrified of getting into a rocket and blasting off to visit space. Still, after speaking with family and friends, she decided she’d go on the journey.
On Wednesday, Gayle’s CBS Mornings co-star Vladimir Duthiers announced that Gayle and her crewmates are on the cover of a new digital issue of Elle magazine.
The group includes author and philanthropist Lauren Sanchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and singer Katy Perry.
The magazine’s digital cover story includes remarks from each crew member about the trip, including Gayle indicating her first reaction to Jeff Bezos’s invite “was a no.”
Gayle King is preparing herself for space
The Elle digital magazine cover shows the six women participating in Blue Origin New Shepard’s mission, with the headline “For All Womankind” printed beneath them.
During CBS Mornings, Gayle shared that the Elle photoshoot occurred several weeks ago, as the all-female crew assembled in Los Angeles, California, for the first time.
Gayle joked that she borrowed her outfit from her friend Oprah Winfrey because she felt it had a “Star Trek vibe.”
While with Elle in Los Angeles, the women spoke about their inspiration for going on the trip, their preperations, and what they plan to bring along.
Gayle said she’s “starting to meditate” to calm herself down for the journey.
“I tried it years ago, but one of these women said, ‘I have the perfect person for you.’ So he’s coming to my house. I have some sessions planned before we go up just to help me with [my anxiety],” she shared.
To Shatner’s credit, the legendary Star Trek actor said during his interview that Gayle should use meditation and mantras to prepare herself for the trip. However, his other jokes may have riled up Gayle’s nerves too much.
Despite her fear, she said she is strongly motivated to participate in the trip for others.
“At the beginning of the year, I said, ‘I’m open to new adventures.’ And once I do it, then the doors will open for so many other people,” Gayle said in Elle’s story.
Here’s what Gayle is bringing with her to space
Gayle and her crewmates will likely make memories in space but take particular items on the trip.
According to the CBS Mornings star, she plans to bring memories with her through pictures and another unique item.
“I’m going to bring pictures, for sure. But then I want to bring something of my grandson’s that means something to him. There’s also music that I want—I don’t even know if we could listen to music, but I like the idea of that,” Gayle said.
At that point, Lauren suggested that their crewmate Katy could sing, and Kerianne joked she’d become the first music artist to sing in space.
Each woman said she wanted to inspire others, whether it’s family, friends, or individuals they have never met.
“I want people to know that you are far more capable of things than you realize. And I am a living example of that,” Gayle told Elle.
Good Luck Gayle. Praying for you. This flight is a wonderful experience and very exiting. Take pictures.