Sport: Gymnastics Age: 22 Accomplishments: 2 Gold Medals (2012 Olympics, Team and Floor exercise)1 Bronze Medal (Beam).Gymnast Since: Age 2 Stay-strong Secret: Dry-needle acupuncture.“It gets deeper into muscles than massage and helps to prevent injuries and heal aches and pains. It’s not relaxing like acupuncture because the needles are moving up and down in your skin and muscles.” Training Time: 3 1⁄2 to seven hours a day.Focal Point: Legs. “Every part of your body has to be strong in gymnastics, but what’s helped me with my tumbling is that my legs are really strong—that helps give you power.”Gym-bag Essential: “My grips for bars—I can’t do it without them.”Clean Food: Sushi.Cheat Food: Pizza.Mental Edge: “I try to remember to take deep breaths—it helps me stay calm. And I try to picture myself doing well and only thinking about the good stuff.”Lesson Learned: “Sometimes I have to remind myself to take a step back and to relax and realize that it’s not always about winning.” Words Of Wisdom: “Gymnastics may look easy when you watch it, but people don’t realize how many years we train just to get to that point. There are more bad days when you train than good.”
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Christian Peterson/Getty Images
ajee’ wilson
Sport: Track & Field, 800 Meters Age: 22Accomplishments: 2014 800M U.S. Outdoor Champion Running Since: Age 9 Stay-strong Secret: Recovery. “You can’t get better unless you give your body time to get better.”Training Time: Up to four hours a day.Focal Point: “In a race, my mind. I want to make sure I’m calm and relaxed and I don’t let my nerves get in the way. In practice, my legs. Those are usually the first things to go.”Gym-bag Essential: Adidas Adizero Boston Boost 5 track shoes. Clean Food: Sweet potatoes. Cheat Food: Jolly Ranchers. “The best flavor is blue.”Mantra: “Run for place and the time will follow.”Why This Sport: “The 800 is the perfect combo of speed and distance.” Words Of Wisdom: “Racing is up and down— You win some; you lose some. I try to take things in stride and stay level, both on the track and in the rest of my life.”
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vaughn ridley/getty images
adeline gray
Sport: Freestyle Wrestling, 75 KGAge: 25Accomplishments: 3-time World Champion and 5-time World Medalist Wrestling Since: Age 6 Stay-strong Secret: “Wrestling’s tough on the body. I’ve had a couple of serious knee injuries and the shoulders constantly get beat up in our sport, so I do a lot of knee and shoulder rehab and preventive maintenance on my neck, lower back, and other common injury areas.”Training Time: Three to six hours per day.Focal Point: “My primary focus is the core—even if you have great strength in your arms and legs, it doesn’t mean that much if you can’t keep your core tight enough to connect it in motion.” Cross Training: “We play soccer for recovery and conditioning—it’s probably closer to rugby in the sense that we hit each other and pick each other up! We definitely throw some of the smaller girls on their backs and dribble down the field.” Gym-bag Essential: “My water bottle. You can’t do anything if you’re not hydrated.”Clean Food: Chicken fajitas. “I could eat them every day—I use plain Greek yogurt and no cheese or tortilla.”Cheat Food: Baileys coffee with chocolate cake and whipped cream on top.Meal Plan: “My nutritionist wants me eating up to 4,000 calories because I’m trying to gain weight [for her weight class]. But it’s hard to eat that much clean food.” Words Of Wisdom: “I think more young girls need to look at combat sports as an option. We’re good at it!”
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anadolu agency/getty images
nzingha prescod
Sport: Fencing, FoilAge: 24Accomplishments: 2015 World Championship (Bronze), 2012 Olympian, 2011 Junior World Champion (Gold)Fencing since: Age 9 Training Time: Twenty to 30 hours a week.Practice Makes Perfect: “It’s important to learn the right biomechanics so I’m moving the most efficiently and powerfully that I can.”Focal Point: “My quads. Fencing is all squatting—to have power and mobility, you need strong quads.”Gym-bag Essential: A change of T-shirts. “I go through up to five of them a day because I’m constantly changing between the gym, lessons, footwork, etc.”Clean Food: Oatmeal.Cheat Meal: Any fresh baked goods.Mental Edge: “For competitions, I’ll visualize how I’m going to start, what I’m going to look like, what the other person might be doing.”No Lightsabers: “People think fencing is like Star Wars. It’s completely different.”Road to Ri-Oh: “I heard people walk around naked in Rio! It’s just different for that to be normal—to be very casually doing something that seems crazy to me.” Words Of Wisdom: “Doing the most uncomfortable thing is often the most rewarding.”
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jeff j. mitchell/getty images
maggie steffens
Sport: Water PoloAge: 23Accomplishments: Gold Medal, 2012 Olympics Tournament MVP, Set women’s Olympic record for most goals (21)Playing Since: age 8 Training Time: 6 1⁄2 hours a day.Crazy-hard Workout Moves: Leg sets in the water. Vertical legs: Holding a medicine ball (or filled water jugs) straight overhead and constantly moving the legs like an egg beater. “We try to get our bodies as high as we can out of the water for a long period of time. Sometimes we may even have a weight belt around our waists and do jumps.” Horizontal legs: Body parallel to the pool floor with a resistance band connecting two people’s hips and trying to pull away from each other. “Our sport involves aerobic and anaerobic strength for speed as well as endurance.”Focal Point: Legs. “You only see above the water in water polo so people often assume it’s whoever has the strongest arms. But really, it’s about your legs because that’s the foundation and they are what allow you to get higher in the water.” Gym-bag Essential: Swimsuit. “That’s a stressful one if it’s not in there!”Clean Food: Avocado toast with a little bit of egg.Cheat Food: Ice cream.Mantra: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.”Key to victory: “Water polo is as much of a mental game as a physical one—it’s almost like chess. You’re reading the players, looking for passing and shooting lanes, and trying to be two or three steps ahead of your opponent. You’re constantly trying to solve the puzzle, and the puzzle is always changing.”Road to Rio: “I’m looking forward to the moment when we’re about to play our first game. We’re in the huddle, looking each other in the eye, saying, ‘We’re here!’ ”Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: Soccer. “I wanted to be the next Mia Hamm. And I fully believed it. Then I changed to the water world and had to pick between soccer and water polo. It was a really hard decision. But water polo’s definitely been the right choice for me.”
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sean m. haffey/getty images
meghan musnicki
Sport: Rowing, Women’s EightAge: 33Accomplishments: 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, 5-Time World ChampionRowing Since: Age 18 Training Time: Six to eight hours a day.Stay-strong Secret: “Being consistent. You have to be able to do it over and over again and not just go through the motions.”Focal Point: “Everyone thinks rowing is about the arms, but you need to have a superstrong core and your legs are driving the boat.”Gym-bag Essentials: Sunglasses and sunscreen. “I’m in the sun all the time. I need to protect my skin!”Mental Edge: “All this past year, I kept pink Post-its on my mirror that said ‘Rio 2016’ and ‘I did not get up today to be mediocre.’ ”Training Days: “The nice thing about training is there’s always another opportunity to come back and do better.” SEE ALSO:Row Your Way to a Leaner Body
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zuma press, INC./Alamay
mikaela mayer
Sport: Boxing, Lightweight (57–60KG) Age: 26Accomplishments: 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials ChamionBoxing Since: Age 17 Training Time: About six hours a day. “In the mornings we do our strength and conditioning; in the evenings, we box.”Winning Strategy: “Right now, the most important part is just fixing the little things and perfecting the combinations that work best for me.”Focal Point: “Boxing is a full-body experience. You need strong legs for movement, a strong upper body for punching power, and a strong core for rotation. Throw athletes from other sports—even runners who are well-conditioned—in the boxing ring for one round and they’re gassed. It’s both aerobic and anaerobic, so your whole body is working.”Gym-bag Essential: “My mouthpiece. I can always borrow someone else’s gloves and hand wraps, but if I forget my mouthpiece, someone’s going to yell at me!” Clean Food: SushiCheat Food: In-N-Out burgerMental Edge: “We start our warmup with visualization. While our strength coach is stretching me out, he’ll go through each round. I have to visualize all four rounds of the entire fight. Then I stand up and start to warm up for my fight. That works really well for me.”Ready For Anything: “You can’t really focus on your opponent, especially in Olympic-style boxing, because you never know who you’re going to fight. It’s more about focusing on what you’re doing versus what they’re doing. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’ll win.”Team Spirit: “Even though boxing’s not a team sport, I get to be with a team. These are my best friends. We get to work out together every day with a common goal.”Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: “Fencing: It’s similar to boxing in that you have the footwork, that in-and- out movement. It’s pretty much like having a really long jab.” Words Of Wisdom: “Boxing gives you the training and discipline to push through anything.” SEE ALSO: The Knock-Out Workout That Burns Fat Fast
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lifting life
Sarah Robles
Sport: Weightlifting, 75+ KGAge: 28Accomplishments: 2012 Olympics (7th place, Super-Heavyweight) | 2015 World Championships (6th place, 75+ KG)Competing Since: Age 19 Training Time: Two to three hours a dayFocal Point: Mental toughness. “The only thing that really holds me back is myself. I’ve been working with a therapist for almost a year now, and it’s producing some pretty great results.”Gym-bag Essential: “My gym shoes. I need them in order to lift well and to lift safely. The entire bottom of the shoe is flat, and they’re made a little bit wider with a wooden or plastic wedge under the heel. This helps create maximum ground contact to lift the bar off the floor and to stabilize the weight. When you have hundreds of pounds over your head, you don’t want your ankles, knees, and hips to be wiggling around.”Clean Food: Greek saladCheat Food: Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready Classic Pepperoni pizzaBest Advice: “My mom has always told me to do my best and have fun. If I’m going to put myself through mental and physical hell and financial stress, I might as well enjoy it.”Mental Edge: “I’m working on trying to mentally reduce the weight on the bar. If you think it’s too heavy, then your mind sends a signal to your body that restricts you. If you think the opposite, it can release you.”A Sport For Everyone: “I’m 5’10” and about 312 pounds right now. People get this idea that you have to be really big and strong to do this sport—but weightlifting really is for every size and age group.”Defying Gravity: “Human bodies are not meant to throw 500 pounds over their heads. You teach your body every single day to do something that it’s not naturally meant to do.”Finding Redemption: “I had a two-year suspension for taking a medication that I needed for my personal health. I lost my coach and funding; I had to return my medals. It looked like the end. But I decided not to quit. I kept training, and when my suspension was over, I was ready to compete and I proved that I was able to lift big. I’m so glad I stuck with it.”
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Joe Scarnic/getty images
kerri walsh jennings
Sport: Beach VolleyballAge: 38 Accomplishments: 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012)Playing Since: Age 10 Training time: About 20 to 30 hours a week, including three hours of beach volleyball daily, strength/cardio at the gym three to four times a week, and Pilates three times a week.Stay-strong Secret: “Pilates helps my form, and it’s made all the difference in getting my strength back in my core and upper back, especially after breastfeeding.” Focal Point: “After injuring my right shoulder last year [she dislocated it twice last summer and had surgery last fall], I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make my left arm more dominant. Plus, moving in sand is a real challenge in order to be fast and really get some height when you jump, you need balance and power, both of which come from a strong core.”Gym-bag Essentials: Sunscreen, water bottle, TRX, KT Tape, Oakley sunglasses, an extra Asics bikini, and snacks.Go-to-training Food: Homemade smoothies. “I usually mix Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze with some oats, fresh fruit, Designer Whey protein powder, spinach, and honey, and I can be out the door with my smoothie in hand.”Mental Edge: “My sports psychologist recommended this routine: Wake up, say at least one thing you’re thankful for, set an intention for the day, then raise your hands to the sky and thank God, or whatever you believe in, for the life you have. It sets a positive tone for the rest of the day.”All-season Sport: “People see beach volleyball as a glamorous sport played in the sun on the beach, but what they don’t know or see is us training when it’s freezing and raining. We work hard no matter the conditions, and we sacrifice a lot to play a sport that we love.”Parting Punt: “When you commit completely to something and persevere, you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible.” SEE ALSO: How Kerri Walsh Jennings Is Training for Rio
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courtesy of speedo
natalie coughlin
Sport: SwimmingAge: 33Accomplishments: 12-Time Olympic Medalist, Record Holder in 100-Yard Freestyle, 100-Yard Backstroke, 100-Yard Fly Swimming Since: Age 6 Training Time: “I’m in the water eight times a week, and the practices last anywhere from one to two hours. Plus, I lift four times a week before my afternoon swim.”Stay-strong Secret: “I’m a lot smaller than other sprinters, so having really good strength is key for explosiveness off the blocks. I do a lot of Olympic lifting—cleans, deadlifts—plus squats, pullups, and a lot of core stability exercises.”Recovery Drink:“Right after practice I have a smoothie with almond milk, almond butter, frozen dark cherries, half a banana, and some chia seeds.”Gym-bag Essentials: “My sunscreen, an extra pair of goggles, and a cap—I have long, thick hair, so I always seem to break my swim caps.”Breakfast of Champions: “The very first thing I do when I wake up is to chug about 20 ounces of water. Then I have my coffee and some steel-cut oats with some flaxseed, crushed almonds, fresh bananas, and a little maple syrup.” Healthy Hair Secrets: “I wash my hair with a gentle shampoo every single time I leave the pool, then I use a leave-in conditioner and some argan oil to detangle and keep it hydrated.”Emergency Travel Aid: “I always have a little packet of almonds and some dark chocolate with me, plus a few herbal teas in my flight bag. It keeps me on track.” SEE ALSO: How Swimming Can Boost Your Recovery
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jordan mansfield/getty
akalaini “bui” baravilala
Sport: Rugby Sevens, Fly HalAge: 25Rugby Player Since: Age 15 Fly Half? “I’m the playmaker. I set up people in the wings.”Training Time: Five hours a day.Stay-strong Secret: “Focusing on the execution of what we are practicing and making sure I’m 100% with everything I do.”Focal Point: “We’re constantly running, so I try to build my cardio endurance.” Going The Distance: Players on the U.S. Rugby team wear GPS units that track heart rate and distance. They’ll average about four to five miles of running during an intense practice—mostly sprinting, with top speeds of almost 19 mph.Gym-bag Essentials: “My shaker bottle and some protein powder.”Clean Food: Chicken breast with a side salad Cheat Food: Hawaiian pizza (without the ham)Mental Edge: “I focus on the little things—passing, catching, staying low in my tackles. And I make sure I have the timing in my head when to release the ball.”Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: “Definitely basketball—it was my first love.” Words Of Wisdom: “Growing up, I just relied on talent, but there came a point where I knew that I had to work hard to achieve what I wanted, whether that’s in rugby or in life-even if no one is watching.”
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anadolu agency/getty images
tina charles
Sport: BasketballAge: 27 | Center, WNBA New York LibertyAccomplishments: 2012 WNBA MVP, Gold Medal 2012 Olympics Plapying Since: Age 8 Training Time: Three to 31⁄2 hours a dayStay-strong Secret: Stretching. “I need to make sure my body is warmed up, my hips are loose, and my quads aren’t too tight.”Traveling Tool: “I’m constantly on the road, so I like to travel with a TRX. I use it for a lot of upper-body moves and also for core work.”Gym-bag Essential: “My travel speakers to play music when I’m working out. But I don’t play too much upbeat stuff. It tends to be a bit more chill.”Key To The Game: “Women’s basketball is a lot more skill-based. It’s all about playing as a team and all the little things that go into scoring.”Mantra: “When you chase perfection, you’ll catch excellence.”Showing heart: “I started a foundation in 2013 called Hopey’s Heart to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. We host a grant program, and to date, we’ve given out 205 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to schools and rec centers internationally.
Accomplishments: 2 Gold Medals (2012 Olympics, Team and Floor exercise)1 Bronze Medal (Beam).
Gymnast Since: Age 2
Stay-strong Secret: Dry-needle acupuncture.“It gets deeper into muscles than massage and helps to prevent injuries and heal aches and pains. It’s not relaxing like acupuncture because the needles are moving up and down in your skin and muscles.”
Training Time: 3 1⁄2 to seven hours a day.
Focal Point:Legs. “Every part of your body has to be strong in gymnastics, but what’s helped me with my tumbling is that my legs are really strong—that helps give you power.”
Gym-bag Essential: “My grips for bars—I can’t do it without them.”
Clean Food: Sushi.
Cheat Food: Pizza.
Mental Edge: “I try to remember to take deep breaths—it helps me stay calm. And I try to picture myself doing well and only thinking about the good stuff.”
Lesson Learned: “Sometimes I have to remind myself to take a step back and to relax and realize that it’s not always about winning.”
Words Of Wisdom: “Gymnastics may look easy when you watch it, but people don’t realize how many years we train just to get to that point. There are more bad days when you train than good.”
ajee’ wilson
Sport: Track & Field, 800 Meters
Age: 22
Accomplishments: 2014 800M U.S. Outdoor Champion
Running Since: Age 9
Stay-strong Secret: Recovery. “You can’t get better unless you give your body time to get better.”
Training Time: Up to four hours a day.
Focal Point: “In a race, my mind. I want to make sure I’m calm and relaxed and I don’t let my nerves get in the way. In practice, my legs. Those are usually the first things to go.”
Gym-bag Essential: Adidas Adizero Boston Boost 5 track shoes.
Clean Food: Sweet potatoes.
Cheat Food: Jolly Ranchers. “The best flavor is blue.”
Mantra: “Run for place and the time will follow.”
Why This Sport: “The 800 is the perfect combo of speed and distance.”
Words Of Wisdom: “Racing is up and down— You win some; you lose some. I try to take things in stride and stay level, both on the track and in the rest of my life.”
adeline gray
Sport: Freestyle Wrestling, 75 KG
Age: 25
Accomplishments: 3-time World Champion and 5-time World Medalist
Wrestling Since: Age 6
Stay-strong Secret: “Wrestling’s tough on the body. I’ve had a couple of serious knee injuries and the shoulders constantly get beat up in our sport, so I do a lot of knee and shoulder rehab and preventive maintenance on my neck, lower back, and other common injury areas.”
Training Time: Three to six hours per day.
Focal Point: “My primary focus is the core—even if you have great strength in your arms and legs, it doesn’t mean that much if you can’t keep your core tight enough to connect it in motion.”
Cross Training: “We play soccer for recovery and conditioning—it’s probably closer to rugby in the sense that we hit each other and pick each other up! We definitely throw some of the smaller girls on their backs and dribble down the field.”
Gym-bag Essential: “My water bottle. You can’t do anything if you’re not hydrated.”
Clean Food: Chicken fajitas. “I could eat them every day—I use plain Greek yogurt and no cheese or tortilla.”
Cheat Food: Baileys coffee with chocolate cake and whipped cream on top.
Meal Plan: “My nutritionist wants me eating up to 4,000 calories because I’m trying to gain weight [for her weight class]. But it’s hard to eat that much clean food.”
Words Of Wisdom: “I think more young girls need to look at combat sports as an option. We’re good at it!”
nzingha prescod
Sport: Fencing, Foil
Age: 24
Accomplishments: 2015 World Championship (Bronze), 2012 Olympian, 2011 Junior World Champion (Gold)
Fencing since: Age 9
Training Time: Twenty to 30 hours a week.
Practice Makes Perfect: “It’s important to learn the right biomechanics so I’m moving the most efficiently and powerfully that I can.”
Focal Point: “My quads. Fencing is all squatting—to have power and mobility, you need strong quads.”
Gym-bag Essential: A change of T-shirts. “I go through up to five of them a day because I’m constantly changing between the gym, lessons, footwork, etc.”
Clean Food: Oatmeal.
Cheat Meal: Any fresh baked goods.
Mental Edge: “For competitions, I’ll visualize how I’m going to start, what I’m going to look like, what the other person might be doing.”
No Lightsabers: “People think fencing is like Star Wars. It’s completely different.”
Road to Ri-Oh: “I heard people walk around naked in Rio! It’s just different for that to be normal—to be very casually doing something that seems crazy to me.”
Words Of Wisdom: “Doing the most uncomfortable thing is often the most rewarding.”
maggie steffens
Sport: Water Polo
Age: 23
Accomplishments: Gold Medal, 2012 Olympics Tournament MVP, Set women’s Olympic record for most goals (21)
Playing Since: age 8
Training Time: 6 1⁄2 hours a day.
Crazy-hard Workout Moves: Leg sets in the water. Vertical legs: Holding a medicine ball (or filled water jugs) straight overhead and constantly moving the legs like an egg beater. “We try to get our bodies as high as we can out of the water for a long period of time. Sometimes we may even have a weight belt around our waists and do jumps.” Horizontal legs: Body parallel to the pool floor with a resistance band connecting two people’s hips and trying to pull away from each other. “Our sport involves aerobic and anaerobic strength for speed as well as endurance.”
Focal Point: Legs. “You only see above the water in water polo so people often assume it’s whoever has the strongest arms. But really, it’s about your legs because that’s the foundation and they are what allow you to get higher in the water.”
Gym-bag Essential: Swimsuit. “That’s a stressful one if it’s not in there!”
Clean Food: Avocado toast with a little bit of egg.
Cheat Food: Ice cream.
Mantra: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.”
Key to victory: “Water polo is as much of a mental game as a physical one—it’s almost like chess. You’re reading the players, looking for passing and shooting lanes, and trying to be two or three steps ahead of your opponent. You’re constantly trying to solve the puzzle, and the puzzle is always changing.”
Road to Rio: “I’m looking forward to the moment when we’re about to play our first game. We’re in the huddle, looking each other in the eye, saying, ‘We’re here!’ ”
Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: Soccer. “I wanted to be the next Mia Hamm. And I fully believed it. Then I changed to the water world and had to pick between soccer and water polo. It was a really hard decision. But water polo’s definitely been the right choice for me.”
meghan musnicki
Sport: Rowing, Women’s Eight
Age: 33
Accomplishments: 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, 5-Time World Champion
Rowing Since: Age 18
Training Time: Six to eight hours a day.
Stay-strong Secret: “Being consistent. You have to be able to do it over and over again and not just go through the motions.”
Focal Point: “Everyone thinks rowing is about the arms, but you need to have a superstrong core and your legs are driving the boat.”
Gym-bag Essentials: Sunglasses and sunscreen. “I’m in the sun all the time. I need to protect my skin!”
Mental Edge: “All this past year, I kept pink Post-its on my mirror that said ‘Rio 2016’ and ‘I did not get up today to be mediocre.’ ”
Training Days:“The nice thing about training is there’s always another opportunity to come back and do better.”
Training Time: About six hours a day. “In the mornings we do our strength and conditioning; in the evenings, we box.”
Winning Strategy: “Right now, the most important part is just fixing the little things and perfecting the combinations that work best for me.”
Focal Point: “Boxing is a full-body experience. You need strong legs for movement, a strong upper body for punching power, and a strong core for rotation. Throw athletes from other sports—even runners who are well-conditioned—in the boxing ring for one round and they’re gassed. It’s both aerobic and anaerobic, so your whole body is working.”
Gym-bag Essential: “My mouthpiece. I can always borrow someone else’s gloves and hand wraps, but if I forget my mouthpiece, someone’s going to yell at me!”
Clean Food: Sushi
Cheat Food: In-N-Out burger
Mental Edge: “We start our warmup with visualization. While our strength coach is stretching me out, he’ll go through each round. I have to visualize all four rounds of the entire fight. Then I stand up and start to warm up for my fight. That works really well for me.”
Ready For Anything: “You can’t really focus on your opponent, especially in Olympic-style boxing, because you never know who you’re going to fight. It’s more about focusing on what you’re doing versus what they’re doing. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’ll win.”
Team Spirit: “Even though boxing’s not a team sport, I get to be with a team. These are my best friends. We get to work out together every day with a common goal.”
Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: “Fencing: It’s similar to boxing in that you have the footwork, that in-and- out movement. It’s pretty much like having a really long jab.”
Words Of Wisdom: “Boxing gives you the training and discipline to push through anything.”
Accomplishments: 2012 Olympics (7th place, Super-Heavyweight) | 2015 World Championships (6th place, 75+ KG)
Competing Since: Age 19
Training Time: Two to three hours a day
Focal Point: Mental toughness. “The only thing that really holds me back is myself. I’ve been working with a therapist for almost a year now, and it’s producing some pretty great results.”
Gym-bag Essential: “My gym shoes. I need them in order to lift well and to lift safely. The entire bottom of the shoe is flat, and they’re made a little bit wider with a wooden or plastic wedge under the heel. This helps create maximum ground contact to lift the bar off the floor and to stabilize the weight. When you have hundreds of pounds over your head, you don’t want your ankles, knees, and hips to be wiggling around.”
Clean Food: Greek salad
Cheat Food: Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready Classic Pepperoni pizza
Best Advice: “My mom has always told me to do my best and have fun. If I’m going to put myself through mental and physical hell and financial stress, I might as well enjoy it.”
Mental Edge:“I’m working on trying to mentally reduce the weight on the bar. If you think it’s too heavy, then your mind sends a signal to your body that restricts you. If you think the opposite, it can release you.”
A Sport For Everyone: “I’m 5’10” and about 312 pounds right now. People get this idea that you have to be really big and strong to do this sport—but weightlifting really is for every size and age group.”
Defying Gravity: “Human bodies are not meant to throw 500 pounds over their heads. You teach your body every single day to do something that it’s not naturally meant to do.”
Finding Redemption: “I had a two-year suspension for taking a medication that I needed for my personal health. I lost my coach and funding; I had to return my medals. It looked like the end. But I decided not to quit. I kept training, and when my suspension was over, I was ready to compete and I proved that I was able to lift big. I’m so glad I stuck with it.”
Training time: About 20 to 30 hours a week, including three hours of beach volleyball daily, strength/cardio at the gym three to four times a week, and Pilates three times a week.
Stay-strong Secret: “Pilates helps my form, and it’s made all the difference in getting my strength back in my core and upper back, especially after breastfeeding.”
Focal Point: “After injuring my right shoulder last year [she dislocated it twice last summer and had surgery last fall], I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make my left arm more dominant. Plus, moving in sand is a real challenge in order to be fast and really get some height when you jump, you need balance and power, both of which come from a strong core.”
Gym-bag Essentials: Sunscreen, water bottle, TRX, KT Tape, Oakley sunglasses, an extra Asics bikini, and snacks.
Go-to-training Food: Homemade smoothies. “I usually mix Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze with some oats, fresh fruit, Designer Whey protein powder, spinach, and honey, and I can be out the door with my smoothie in hand.”
Mental Edge: “My sports psychologist recommended this routine: Wake up, say at least one thing you’re thankful for, set an intention for the day, then raise your hands to the sky and thank God, or whatever you believe in, for the life you have. It sets a positive tone for the rest of the day.”
All-season Sport: “People see beach volleyball as a glamorous sport played in the sun on the beach, but what they don’t know or see is us training when it’s freezing and raining. We work hard no matter the conditions, and we sacrifice a lot to play a sport that we love.”
Parting Punt: “When you commit completely to something and persevere, you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible.”
Accomplishments: 12-Time Olympic Medalist, Record Holder in 100-Yard Freestyle, 100-Yard Backstroke, 100-Yard Fly
Swimming Since: Age 6
Training Time: “I’m in the water eight times a week, and the practices last anywhere from one to two hours. Plus, I lift four times a week before my afternoon swim.”
Stay-strong Secret: “I’m a lot smaller than other sprinters, so having really good strength is key for explosiveness off the blocks. I do a lot of Olympic lifting—cleans, deadlifts—plus squats, pullups, and a lot of core stability exercises.”
Recovery Drink:“Right after practice I have a smoothie with almond milk, almond butter, frozen dark cherries, half a banana, and some chia seeds.”
Gym-bag Essentials: “My sunscreen, an extra pair of goggles, and a cap—I have long, thick hair, so I always seem to break my swim caps.”
Breakfast of Champions: “The very first thing I do when I wake up is to chug about 20 ounces of water. Then I have my coffee and some steel-cut oats with some flaxseed, crushed almonds, fresh bananas, and a little maple syrup.”
Healthy Hair Secrets: “I wash my hair with a gentle shampoo every single time I leave the pool, then I use a leave-in conditioner and some argan oil to detangle and keep it hydrated.”
Emergency Travel Aid:“I always have a little packet of almonds and some dark chocolate with me, plus a few herbal teas in my flight bag. It keeps me on track.”
Fly Half? “I’m the playmaker. I set up people in the wings.”
Training Time: Five hours a day.
Stay-strong Secret: “Focusing on the execution of what we are practicing and making sure I’m 100% with everything I do.”
Focal Point: “We’re constantly running, so I try to build my cardio endurance.”
Going The Distance: Players on the U.S. Rugby team wear GPS units that track heart rate and distance. They’ll average about four to five miles of running during an intense practice—mostly sprinting, with top speeds of almost 19 mph.
Gym-bag Essentials: “My shaker bottle and some protein powder.”
Clean Food: Chicken breast with a side salad
Cheat Food: Hawaiian pizza (without the ham)
Mental Edge: “I focus on the little things—passing, catching, staying low in my tackles. And I make sure I have the timing in my head when to release the ball.”
Alternative Olympic Dream Sport: “Definitely basketball—it was my first love.”
Words Of Wisdom: “Growing up, I just relied on talent, but there came a point where I knew that I had to work hard to achieve what I wanted, whether that’s in rugby or in life-even if no one is watching.”
tina charles
Sport: Basketball
Age: 27 | Center, WNBA New York Liberty
Accomplishments: 2012 WNBA MVP, Gold Medal 2012 Olympics
Plapying Since: Age 8
Training Time:Three to 31⁄2 hours a day
Stay-strong Secret: Stretching. “I need to make sure my body is warmed up, my hips are loose, and my quads aren’t too tight.”
Traveling Tool: “I’m constantly on the road, so I like to travel with a TRX. I use it for a lot of upper-body moves and also for core work.”
Gym-bag Essential: “My travel speakers to play music when I’m working out. But I don’t play too much upbeat stuff. It tends to be a bit more chill.”
Key To The Game: “Women’s basketball is a lot more skill-based. It’s all about playing as a team and all the little things that go into scoring.”
Mantra: “When you chase perfection, you’ll catch excellence.”
Showing heart: “I started a foundation in 2013 called Hopey’s Heart to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. We host a grant program, and to date, we’ve given out 205 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to schools and rec centers internationally.
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