piano for ten years and did sports and
dance all through high school. When I
got to college I became a Saintsation for
the New Orleans Saints Dance Team
and did that through college.”
April received her bachelor’s degree in
Human Performance Health Promotion
(Exercise Physiology) from the
University of New Orleans, then went on
to teach Health and Physical Education
in several New Orleans schools for
ten years. During that time she also
became a certified fitness instructor,
personal trainer and CPR instructor. In
2014 she started her own health and
wellness company, Footprints to Fitness,
bringing programs to the city’s schools,
playgrounds, private businesses, and
visiting conventioneers and tourists.
The high-profile visibility April gained
through her widespread fitness work
in New Orleans brought her to the
attention of Tod Smith, president, and
general manager at WWL/WUPL-TV.
As she recalled, “I won an award last
COVER STORY
summer (2017) and Tod saw what I was
doing in the community with my fitness
company. He thought I would be a good
fit for them and he reached out to me.
And so it basically developed from there.”
As the morning traffic reporter, April
enjoys the satisfaction she receives from
giving updates on highway conditions
and helping people get to work on
time by suggesting alternate routes
that bypass congested areas. Reporting
from the station’s news desk, she relies
on reports that stream in continuously
from the station’s service provider, Total
Traffic Network, plus the Louisiana
Department of Transportation and
individual motorists phoning in with upto
date information.
“If there is an accident or a breakdown
or other problem (on a roadway) we
pretty much know right away and we’re
able to share that with our listeners
quickly, which is great,” she said.
At the close of her shift that runs
from 4:30 to 9:00 a.m., April goes home
for a mid-morning
nap, then gets up
to attend to her
fitness business. As
a freelance service
provider, no two
days are ever the
same for her. She
goes out to whatever
location she has on
her schedule for
that day.
“My business
concept is really
unique,” April said
proudly. “We don’t
have a brick and
mortar facility. I
purposely created
the company that
way so we could
have the flexibility
to move around
and present our
programming all
PHOTO BY XO QUINNTOGRAPHER
PHOTOS BY APRIL DUPRE
Mackie Shilstone,
April Dupre
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 17
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