20 Amazing Bodies of Female Extreme Sports Stars

Extreme sports are not just about adrenaline-pumping stunts; they're also a testament to the remarkable physical and mental strength of the athletes who conquer them. In this article, we'll introduce you to 20 extraordinary female athletes who have pushed the boundaries of human capability in their respective sports. From skateboarders to surfers, climbers to snowboarders, these women share their secrets to maintaining peak physical condition, their approaches to nutrition, and their unique journeys in the world of extreme sports. Join us as we celebrate their dedication, determination, and the amazing bodies that enable them to achieve greatness in their chosen disciplines.

1. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana

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Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana talked about motherhood in an interview with Cooler Lifestyle. She says that she doesn’t want to lose herself in being a mother, and is finding a balance. “A lot of people seem to think or act like their entire world has to now spin on the axis of their child, and that their lives have to completely change, but that’s never the way I’ve looked at it,” she said. “To me, it’s just another little buddy along for the ride. I bring Addy everywhere, she does everything with us, and I haven’t let having a child hold me back from anything. You can be a great parent and continue your life almost exactly as it was before (in my opinion anyway). Parenting can be challenging, and travelling with a child can be more tiring than before, but it’s worth it to have your sweet little buddy with you and continue what you love to do!”

2. Kelly Clark

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Kelly Clark shared some of her favorite workouts with Sports Illustrated. In it, she talked about how she works out when she travels. “I’m looking for parks to put my feet on swings and do TRX,” she says. “You can do full body weight circuits on a jungle gym and run cones in the park. I have to get creative and adjust.”

3. Steph Davis

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Steph Davis shared her secrets to staying in shape for rock climbing with ForksOverKnives.com. “It helps to have strong tendons, a good strength-to-weight ratio, and good flexibility. And if you’re interested in long routes and climbing in the mountains, you have to have a lot of endurance to hike uphill with a pack on for hours just to get to the climb. [You can train] by climbing outside, climbing in a gym, doing finger-specific training, bodyweight calisthenics, weight training, or gymnastics training. I also like to trail run a lot.”

4. Maya Gabeira

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Maya Gabeira makes sure to eat healthy. “Each surfer eats in a different way,” she tells Women Fitness. “I see people who do not want to eat a specific kind of food and some with intolerance. I eat in a natural way, removing industrials or un-naturals products. But what is always present in my diet is a well-prepared broccoli, with a lot of proteins, vegetables and asparagus. I also have many kinds of fruits and nuts in my diet.”

5. Lizzie Armanto

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During the pandemic, Lizzie Armanto kept in shape by doing yoga at home. She shared this video of herself doing poses with her loved ones on Instagram. She captioned the post, “In all the mess of things happening, one constant is finding new ways to challenge myself. Using the living room to practice yoga, definitely fits that bill. There's so many house things to be distracted by. Luckily I have @axelcrusher & @mami_tezuka to be quarantined w/ and theyre game for most activities. & thanks to @dollieduke83 for the daily classes.”

6. Sasha DiGuilian

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Sasha DiGuilian talked about her diet in an interview with Men’s Journal. “I believe in everything in moderation,” she says. “I focus on fueling my body with a high-fiber, vegetable diet and lean protein - chicken and salmon, mainly. Though, I do enjoy red wine and cookies. I am not very strict with myself, especially when I am training hard. I follow a more encompassing - rather than eliminating - diet; making sure I have enough protein and greens throughout the day, more than anything else.”

7. Jamie Anderson

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Jamie Anderson loves to cook healthy foods. She shared some of her favorite recipes with Us Weekly. “I make my own gee, I’ll do like a lot of golden milk in the evening,” she says. “You use like turmeric and ginger and gee with organic milk and it’s a really healing erratic Ayurvedic supplement. And yeah, I like all kinds of random food. I love cooking so when I’m home, I’m into like stir-fries, and like today I learned all different types of Korean recipes, so I’m actually stoked to go make some more delicious food.”

8. Angel Collinson

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Angel Collinson talked about her wellness routine with SGB Media. She says that balance is something that is important. “Balance offers more energy to do what you want to do and is motivating. It’s different for all of us. We all have a fire that burns inside of us—our fuel source if you will—wanting to accomplish things and do things. Sometimes the fire rages and sometimes it flickers. For me, it’s figuring out how to nurture the fire best because when you are feeling ‘fired up,’ you have the energy to do whatever you want, and inspiration comes naturally. When my fire is running low, I find that I have to do other things to get motivated.”

9. Chloe Kim

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Chloe Kim shared some of her favorite exercises with Bustle. “I do a lot of strength training. My trainer, Roy, is incredible, and I feel much stronger than I ever have. I’ve also been working on my cardio a bit because I’m sick of being out of breath after a run. To recover, I get physical therapy. When I’m in Los Angeles, my physical therapist, Vinh, takes care of me. When I’m in the snow, my physical therapist is Emilie. I always need someone with me on the road to ensure I’m good and ready to go.”

10. Rachel Atherton

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Rachel Atherton talked about the evolution of her workouts with Muscle & Fitness. She says that her coach, Dan Robert, helped change her outlook with fitness. “We started focusing on quality over quantity and training very specifically to our sport. It was so exciting to be in the gym, and all that time training really makes you believe in yourself. That was the pinnacle.”

11. Isabelle Hanssen

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In a post on her website, Isabelle Hanssen talked about her approach to being an athlete. “Being an elite athlete encompasses far more than mere training and competition,” she writes. “It is a way of life. Every choice you make, from your attire and personal presentation to how you invest your time and who you spend it with, contributes to shaping your unique individuality and character.”

12. Mimi Knoop

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Mimi Knoop notably tore the ligament in her ankle in 2018. She talked about how she recovered from it in an interview with Men’s Journal. “Injuries will happen; it's the reality of being an athlete,” she says. “It's important to approach injuries with patience and figure out what your treatment options are. You don't want to rush it because it's easier to heal right the first time than to deal with a chronic injury that never goes away.”

13. Paige Alms

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Paige Alms makes sure to eat healthy. She tells Men’s Journal that she likes to make salads. “My go-to meal is a big, lush garden salad with kale, arugula, lettuce, cilantro, mint, parsley, tomato, cucumber, daikon, carrot, blueberries, apple – whatever is in the garden or in the fridge ... Add some BBQ chicken breast or venison, or some fresh fish from a friend. That’s pretty much my favorite meal - light, fulfilling and it makes me feel good!”

14. Amelia Brodka

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A skateboard isn’t the only thing Amelia Brodka likes to ride. She also loves to surf and snowboard. She is seen doing all three in this Instagram video. Brodka captioned the post, “Christmas boarding trifecta with @alec_beck & @sierranevada 🏂🛹🌊 I’ve wanted to skate, surf and snowboard in the same day for as long as I’ve lived in California but ironically the opportunity presented itself while in NJ for the holidays!”

15. Aimee Fuller

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Aimee Fuller broke down her fitness routine in an interview with Women Fitness. “I work in the gym 3x a week in the offseason,” she said. “As well as 1 or 2 jogs and a bike ride per week! That way I am keeping my explosive strength firing in the gym and working up a good base fitness through cardio.”

16. Laura Enever

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In an interview with The Sunday Morning Herald, Laura Enever shared her day on a plate. She says that she loves coffee and a smoothie first thing in the morning. “My daily morning routine is coffee and a green smoothie at home before I head out for my first surf. It consists of banana, kale, plant-based protein powder, greens powder, essential oils, honey, ice and water.”

17. Ingrid Backstrom

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In an interview with Ski Magazine, Ingrid Backstrom talked about her skiing career, specifically when she skied in Denali. “I got the opportunity to ski Denali and it was super tough mentally. My brother died the year before, but I thought it was important to take the opportunity when it came. It was a huge learning experience for me and really hard, mentally, but I’m glad I did it.”

18. Janina Kuzma

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Janina Kuzma talked about how she prepares for competitions with Stuff.co.nz. "I've been competing a long time. Experience prepares me for these events. I know I'm a great competitor ... I know how to keep my cool and even if I'm having a bad day I know I can throw it down when it comes to my competition run."

19. Shauna Coxsey

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Shauna Coxsey talked about her diet in an interview with Women Fitness. “I definitely think about what I eat, but I don’t actually follow a specific diet. I have tried a few different diets in the past, but I don’t enjoy being strict with food. I think that I’m lucky because I really enjoy good food, I like to feel healthy and I love cooking. However, I also enjoy dessert and I love baking too. I am conscious about getting a balanced diet and having a good relationship with food. I don have to ensure that I have enough protein when I am training a lot and I’ll have smaller pieces of cake if I want to lean up for a competition.”

20. Anouck Jaubert

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In an interview with Planet Grimpe, Anouck Jaubert talks about how she approaches climbing. “It's difficult to describe the run, because when I'm at full speed I don't have time to know what's happening! I felt like I was going fast and my only intention was to speed up! I obviously knew that we were side by side... On the last movement, I had to quickly let go of my left hand to go to the buzzer and unfortunately I didn't have time to grab the grip correctly to trigger the movement.”

In the world of figure skating, these remarkable women not only astound us with their grace on the ice but also inspire us with their dedication, resilience, and unique stories. From Olympic champions to rising stars, each skater possesses a captivating narrative that goes beyond the rink. Join us as we delve into the lives and experiences of these extraordinary athletes, discovering their training routines, personal struggles, and insights into maintaining their well-being. These are the incredible women who embody the spirit of figure skating, captivating audiences worldwide with their artistry and athleticism.

1. Evgenia Medvedeva

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Evgenia Medvedeva talked about the support she’s had in her career to Olympics.com. “Everybody in this life has to believe in themselves, [but] we’re not always in the power to do this,” she said. “So we have to have people around us who will believe in us even more than we are believing in ourselves. Sometimes you are in situations [where], I mean, really hands down, you don't know what to do. You just have to have at least one person who will sit in front of you and say, 'Look, you're loved; you're great. Yeah, it's hard time, but we will go through this and you will be amazing.’ So that's it.”

2. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

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Elizaveta Tuktamysheva talked about her training process in an interview with RSport. “Skaters usually have a break for two or three weeks. Therefore, if it is possible to somehow train your vestibular apparatus on a spinner, for example, or to somehow spin at home, there will not be such a problem when an athlete will be back on the ice. At least, there will be some muscle memory left. It's not the same as if you are back on the ice after an illness or after 6 months long recovery from a surgery. During this period we all train at homes and understand that will be back on the ice pretty soon, our brain is already focusing on the fact that we can’t relax, we will need to return to a competitive shape rather soon. We already haven’t practiced for a very long time, and the brain understands that you can’t completely relax - you watch performances, watch figure skating - and it works. Well, of course, there will be a new season, everything will start from scratch.”

3. Mariah BellMariah Bell shared her workout secrets in and interview with NBC Olympics. “I train from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with several breaks throughout. I wake up at 7:30 a.m. I am training on ice until 3 and then off ice until 4 or 5. Besides being on the ice, I enjoy either riding bikes or just going for walks.”Gracie GoldGracie Gold notably spoke out about her mental health struggles. She talked about this decision at the International Athlete Forum. “At first I didn’t want to come out about (mental health) because of the stigma, which made me feel like I was the only one who wasn’t strong enough. But I got hundreds and hundreds of responses from athletes at all levels and in all sports, saying ‘me too.’”Karen ChenKaren Chen shared her go-to workouts with Women Fitness. “My strength and conditioning coach is in charge of giving me a workout card to follow and allowing me to make tweaks that I feel like would benefit me more. Most of the exercises involve just body weight or bands and usually target the core. As for my day off, I like to do some fun dance workouts and blogilates (Cassey Ho) videos on YouTube.”Mai MiharaMai Mihara notably did not qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, she said in an interview that she’s not letting it get her down. “This was a big blow for me. Perhaps I wanted to go there too much and could not cope with my nerves. Of course, now my main goal is to get to the next Olympics; my dream is Milan 2026. But I try not to make that mistake again and not to think much about it. Now I go slowly, step by step, year after year.”Bradie TennellBradie Tennell shared her skincare secrets with Women Fitness. “I have super sensitive skin, so I have to be really careful with what I put on it. I really love Shaklee’s acne clarifying complex for stubborn breakouts. I just dab a bit of it on the blemish, and by the next morning it’s usually gone. As for my hair, I always have it in a bun for training because it is very thick. I try to find hair products that are paraben free and my absolute favourite ones are from Shaklee. It leaves my hair feeling so soft and shiny.”Mirai NagasuIn an essay for TODAY, Mirai Nagasu talked about her approach to wellness. “I’ve found that healthy route. I know I have to go to the gym a couple times a week to stay fit and be healthy so that I feel good about myself. I do have to watch what I eat because of my sport but also because of my health. But everybody's different. Everybody deserves a cheat day and sometimes I take that more often than necessary! At the end of the day, it’s all about loving who you are and our message to young people out there is: The sooner you learn to love yourself and the skin you’ve been given, the better life will become.”Tara LipinskiTara Lipinski shared her diet secrets in an interview with People. ​​“Since exercise and diet have been a part of my life since I was young, I know balance and moderation are key,” she said. “One of the biggest lessons I learned from my athletic career is that I must listen to my body to stay at peak performance levels. But when I need to splurge, I splurge. And then when I need to bring it back to greens and fruit, I do.”Michelle KwanMichelle Kwan shared her fitness secrets in an interview with Repeller. “I exercise in the morning at least five or six days a week, sometimes seven. It’s instilled in me and I love it. It makes me feel energized. I can’t wait until the evening to exercise or I get too tired, plus I don’t like having it hang over me throughout day. I usually rotate between pilates on the reformer or hot yoga or core power. When I’m traveling, I do my own routine — a combination of yoga, skating moves I can do on the floor, plyometrics, planks and stretching.”Kristi YamaguchiKristi Yamaguchi shared her workout secrets in an interview with Women Fitness. “I like to do 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week. Either the elliptical or walking or riding stationary bike. Then some exercises that incorporate my own body weight or very light free weights, as well as some pilates inspired moves.”Amber GlennIn 2019, Amber Glenn came out as bisexual, and talked about this in an interview with D Magazine. “It was a world of difference,” Glenn says. “I no longer felt like I was trying to convey myself as something I wasn’t. I felt like people were finally seeing me for who I was, both off the ice and on.” Nancy KerriganIn an interview with Yahoo Life, Nancy Kerrigan says that she makes sure to exercise on a regular basis. "It's definitely a challenge for me to face reality that I'm not 25 and I can't stretch as far as I used to and I can't move as easily," she says. "But if I stop moving, which I've done — I take time off and I don't do anything — I feel worse. I feel it's harder to move. Everything's a little more challenging. So it's important to keep going."Nica DigernessNica Digerness doesn’t just like to figure skate in the winter. She also likes to ski. Digerness shared this photo on Instagram of herself and her friends on a ski trip together. She captioned the post, “Fun ski day celebrating Mark's birthday!”Ashley WagnerAshley Wagner shared one of her favorite recipes with Us Weekly. She says that she likes to make quinoa bowls with broccoli and chicken. “It’s really customizable. That makes it fun for me. I can mix it up without getting bored of the recipe. You can trade out the quinoa for rice, or the broccoli for kale. It has all the nutrients I need as an athlete.”Danielle HarrisonIn addition to skating, Danielle Harrison likes to swim to stay in shape. She shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself in the water. Harrison posted this photo of herself wading in a pool, captioning it, “Pool days & good vibes yes pls.” She also shared this photo of herself swimming in Mexico. Brooklee HanIn an interview with Edges of Glory, Brooklee Han shared how she recovered from her achilles surgery. “My recovery from my Achilles tendon rupture is still ongoing. I have more or less recovered my range of motion and stability, but I am still working on regaining my strength in that ankle. That being said, I am so shocked at how quickly I have recovered from this and am so grateful for everyone’s support during this incredibly challenging time.”Kaori SakomotoIn an interview, Kaori Sakomoto talked about her hopes for the figure skating community. "I think figure skating can be perceived differently by each viewer," Sakamoto stated. "So, I would be happy if each person who watches my performances can feel something in their own way. Whether it's positive or negative feedback, how they interpret it is up to them. In the midst of that, I believe it would be wonderful if the audience could empathize with and understand the feelings and messages I wanted to convey through my performances and programs."Rachael FlattIn an interview with Figure Skaters Online, Rachael Flatt talked about her decision to step away from the sport. “I left skating when I was emotionally ready and injury-free for the first time in almost eight years. Even though it wasn’t anywhere near my best, it was the right time for me. That made the transition to focus solely on my last year at school more manageable, and I am still proud of the decision I made.”Loena HendrickxIn an interview with Figure Skaters Online, Loena Hendrickx talked about how she prepared for the competitive season. “I really felt that the post-Olympic season training was much harder than training the year before, where everything was like easy. Last season, I struggled a lot mentally. I really had to train harder and it was harder for my body as well. So that’s also the thing that I’m most proud of because at Worlds, the mental part was there again. But it was there [at Worlds] that I enjoyed skating again. Before Worlds, it was just like, ‘I have to compete, I have to train’, and the love of the sport was disappearing a bit. And then I was talking with my mental coach [Eline Berings], and she said, like, ‘Why are you doing this? Because you love this, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. I do love this.’ But I lost the feeling of it. And because of her [Eline], I got the feeling back. And at Worlds, that was the first competition that I really enjoyed because I was there and I was proud of myself. I didn’t want to have any pressure on me. There were a lot of expectations (on me) and that was just something different that I had to learn to adjust to.”

For most professional athletes, diet, and exercise are part of the job. Performing well on the court, course, field, or in the gym, poo, or ring, requires a dedication to healthy living, discipline, and nutrition. Even after their professional careers are over, female athletes keep doing the things they love to stay in shape. Here are 20 amazing bodies of female athletes over 40 and all of their top health, wellness, and diet secrets.

1. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is one of the most body-confident athletes. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena William revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. Venus Williams

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Venus Williams is all about a plant-based lifestyle and even launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

3. Danica Patrick

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Danica, 41, doesn’t pick and choose when she is going to be healthy. "What I'm hoping is that people realize that this is a lifestyle," she said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I want them to develop a good relationship with food and exercise to not be a reward or punishment but a way of life and something that makes you feel good and something that makes you a better you every single day." One of her health habits is eating paleo, she revealed on her website. "Paleo is based on the idea that you only eat foods that were available to ancient man before the invention of agriculture. So no grains, no dairy, no beans or legumes, no added sugars or preservatives. Instead, you focus on naturally raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts," she said. "My intention was to only do it for a week or two to reset my body with less sugar and more veggies. Well . . . I felt so good, and saw such amazing results, that I never quit."

4. Torrie Wilson

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Former WWE star Torrie Wilson is all about the 80/20 method of eating. “I go for the 80% rule of healthy. I’m now more focused on eating whole, natural foods that have a lot of nutrients to help me feel good from the inside out. I’m anti-strict eating because of competing and being anorexic,” she said.

5. Gabrielle Reece

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Gabrielle Reece revealed to Parade that she bounces between high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) and underwater circuits. “I try to create a little bit of structure. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I typically will do some kind of HIIT, high intensity mixed bag of exercises that I change each time. It's about 60 minutes of work, a little bit less. I write the workouts, a mix of resistance, strength and dumbbells,” she said. “After I workout, I try to do a breathing routine that's about 15 to 20 minutes, to start the recovery process and down-regulating. It’s really important that even if we're sitting at our desk or driving in our car, that we're nose breathing as often as we possibly can. That's a really important health idea. So my routine involves a lot of nose breathing and oxygenating the tissues and the cells. That’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday if the schedule permits in a perfect world.”

6. Dara Torres

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Dara Torres suffered from an eating disorder in college that left her with a “fear” of foods. “And so my philosophy is to eat healthy, but if you have a craving for something, don't deprive yourself; just have a little bit of it to help with the craving that you have. My philosophy is that if you are keeping yourself from eating certain things and not having what you want, you're gonna want it more than you should. So that's the biggest thing with me with diet. I try to eat my proteins every day and my fruits and vegetables. But I do have a sweet tooth. I can't deny that. For some reason it gets worse when I travel. I'm out to dinner and I see someone having chocolate cake, I’ll ask for a piece, take a couple of bites, and then let everyone else have it. I just can't cut out certain foods completely and be that restrictive after what I went through in college. I try to eat little meals throughout the entire day. So I always make sure that if I get hungry or need snacks, I will have macadamia nuts or avocados. I just try to eat healthy stuff but I’m not a saint. That's for sure!” she told Parade.

7. Summer Sanders

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Summer Sanders maintains that eating a healthy breakfast every morning is her healthiest habit “I never miss breakfast. As a busy mom, there will be days when I'm cruisin' along and I'll look at the clock and I haven't eaten lunch. And I'll run downstairs and I'll start shovelin' stuff down the pie hole, and I'll think, "That was no lunch at all." But breakfast has sort of turned into the new dinner, where you can sit down with your family and have a conversation. And my kids talk at breakfast. We talk about our dreams, talk about our nights' sleep, talk about what we wanna do today and be positive,” she told Self.

8. Kristin Armstrong

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Kristin Armstrong is still a runner. “I probably run five days a week; I go to the gym for strength training twice a week; and I try to do yoga twice a week. How far I run depends on what I'm training for. If I'm doing marathon training, then my long runs on Saturdays will escalate depending on what part of my program I'm at. During a regular week, I run 3 to 10 miles per day, and I bump it up on the weekends,” she told Self.

9. Jo Pavey

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Jo Pavey fuels her body with food. "When you're running you need to make sure you are getting a decent amount of carbohydrate in order to fuel yourself. I do give myself a cheat day - I mean pizza is a great carbohydrate and you can always put healthy toppings on it. It's all about balance and just generally I've found having that balance in life does me a lot of good,” she told The Sun.

10. Zara Phillips

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Zara Phillips avoids two things. “I don’t diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast," she told the Sunday Times Magazine.

11. Oksana Chusovitina

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At 41, Oksana Chusovitina was the oldest gymnast to compete at the Olympics. When asked what motivated her to return to elite competition after having a child, she didn’t hesitate to respond. "There was no motivation. I stepped into the gym to work out a little bit, to get my body back in shape."

12. Lisa Leslie

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Lisa Leslie revealed to ESPNW that hse has a daily toothbrush workout routine which includes squats and leg lifts. “My favorite workout involves an electric toothbrush and whole lot of squats. If you get an electric toothbrush it usually runs for two minutes [and] you do four quadrants of your mouth. While at the same time, you can do your squats. So I do my squats probably for a minute, which gets me about 50 squats in a minute and then I do leg lifts and raises for the other minute. That pretty much gets my teeth cleaned and my butt toned,” she said.

13. Chemmy Alcott

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In an interview with Hello! magazine, former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott was inspired to lose weigh after having children. "I looked in the mirror and I wasn’t comfortable with who I was," she said. "I didn’t know who was looking back at me. I had been a professional athlete for 20 years, then I became a mum and I lost who I was. I wanted to find myself again and be confident in myself as a woman and mother." She added that she hired a personal trainer, her friend Sarah Lindsay and embarked on a 12-week body program.

14. Annika Sorenstam

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Annika Sorenstam maintains a health diet. She drinks water and tea, stays away from fried food, and rarely has juice. “We eat three meals a day, in reasonable portions, and we live active lifestyles. In the evening, we’ll grill a simple chicken or fish, steam broccoli to go with it, maybe sauté some mushrooms. We don’t buy any of it ready-made because you don’t know what salt and preservatives are in those foods,” she told Edible Orlando. “I don’t believe in light diet foods,” she says. “My husband and I enjoy food very much. Often he’ll hang out while I cook, we’ll share a bottle of wine and dine at home. It’s more comfortable than going to a restaurant.”

15. Anna Kournikova

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Anna Kournikova has a no-frills approach to exercise. "I grew up in the Soviet Union in the eighties and nineties. We didn't have gyms, let alone a treadmill. We worked with what we had; you can too. All you need are sneakers and a sports bra to go running. Or try jumping rope for 10 minutes—it's a great workout!" she told Glamour. "Exercise gives us energy and confidence, so why cut corners? It's easier to incorporate it into your life and feel good now, rather than put it off and feel guilty about it a year from now."

16. Steffi Graff

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Steffi Graff stays active. “I am generally a very energetic person. I like to be in motion, I like to act. I still try to start the day with a 45-minute workout – running, yoga, exercise – because after it my head seems to clear up, I feel not only physical vigor, but also amazing mental clarity. I’m ready for a new day. Daily challenges are very important. And not only in terms of sports,” she said in an interview.

17. Lindsay Davenport

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Lindsay Davenport has spent up to 10 to 15 hours doing hitting and stroke drills, plus three hours of free weights, the occasional Pilates class ("depending on how stiff I am"), and two sessions of footwork and plyometrics (high-impact drills), she revealed to Marie Claire.

18. Natalya Neidhart

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Natalya is all about workout buddies. “I’m guilty as anyone of procrastinating when I don’t have a set schedule to follow. For me, I need accountability, which is why I grab a partner. My mom, sister, friends, my husband, heck even my cat have all joined me for some pretty awesome workouts! When you have a partner and your sweat session is like an appointment you have to ‘show up for,’ you won’t miss a workout! These are tools I use to keep me on track, when life sometimes life feels ‘out of our hands,’” she told Calgary Sun.

19. Marion Reneau

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UFC fighter Marion Reneau wakes up early, eats breakfast and does a morning one-on-one session with her coach. Then she spends an hour with her strength and conditioning coach, and drives home for lunch and takes a two hour break. Then, she goes on a three-mile run, followed by Jiu-Jitsu, grappling and wrestling, with her husband. "I'm still active," she told Visalia Times Delta.

20. Natalie Gulbis

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Natalie Gulbis consumes a high protein diet. “My diet six days a week consists of protein shakes with whey protein, healthy fats, greens and probiotics for breakfast and lunch. I have protein bars as snacks in between. For dinner I usually have fish or steak with steamed veggies. When I am home and not on tour I sit down for lunch. Usually chicken with salad dressing on the side. I allow myself 200-300 calories of a treat a day. A Michelob ultra, glass of wine, chocolate etc. On Sundays after the tournament I have a cheat meal and eat whatever I may have been craving. I like consistency and protein keeps my energy up and my body feeling good,” she told Women Fitness.

The world of elite athleticism is a realm of dedication, discipline, and determination, and the female Team USA Olympians exemplify these qualities like no other. From sprinting sensation Allyson Felix to swimming prodigy Katie Ledecky, these remarkable athletes not only achieve greatness on the world stage but also offer insights into their rigorous training regimens, dietary choices, and personal philosophies. Dive into the stories behind their enviable physiques as we explore the training secrets, workout routines, and nutrition strategies that power these phenomenal women in their pursuit of Olympic glory.

1. Allyson Felix

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Sprinting legend Allyson Felix revealed her diet in an interview. “I usually keep breakfast light: yogurt and granola. In transit to the gym, I’ll have an acai bowl or some type of smoothie. Lunch is a salad with protein and fruit. And then for dinner (that’s my biggest meal) I eat a lot of fish, brown rice or sweet potatoes and veggies. Asparagus is one of my favorites. And zucchini.”

2. Katie Ledecky

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Swimmer Katie Ledecky revealed her training regime to Prevention. “I swim 10 times a week,” she says. “It’s quite a bit of training. It doesn’t really change in an Olympic year. We have other big meets throughout the four-year, in this case five-year, cycle.”

3. Gabby Douglas

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Gabby Douglas shared her training secrets with HollywoodLife. “Honestly and here’s my secret — I don’t workout my arms as much as I workout my legs or as much as my body. I love a long, toned arm and not too masculine, but that’s just my body. You love what you love and so I just do stretches with my arms to try to elongate everything.”

4. Megan Rapinoe

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Megan Rapinoe broke down her workout routine in an interview. “My workout is a combination between cardio, strength training, and on-field work. It’s a balance of all of those three. When I’m in my club team environment, it’s more soccer. When I’m away from that, I focus more in the gym on strength work. I try to build that base. A lot of Pilates, interval cardio work when I’m in the gym, too.”

5. Alex Morgan

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Alex Morgan shared some of her diet and workout secrets with The Beet. She says that she believes in moderation when it comes to food. “There are times when I may find myself eating something that has eggs in it or dairy. Sometimes that slips into my diet and I am trying to eat healthy and plant-based but when that happens I tell myself to give myself some grace. So if you are trying to live healthily and vegan, you can forgive yourself. That's what I mean by giving yourself grace.”

6. Mikaela Shifrin

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In addition to skiing, Mikaela Shifrin likes to windsurf to stay in shape. She shared this post on Instagram of herself windsurfing. Shifrin captioned the post, “Windsurf & Training Camp on Maui ended a few days ago! Gonna miss getting catapulted off my rig on the daily and accidentally drinking the entire ocean in a session only for it to pour out my nose later in the day, but duty calls! Now it’s time to do more training in other parts of the world! Like… home… hahah.”

7. Simone Manuel

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Simone Manuel didn’t let the pandemic stop her from training hard. She told Yahoo in 2020, “I have been training in a backyard pool, so I'm still getting nine practices a week in. I have been doing weightlifting training at home. It's not my favorite because I don't have all the equipment that I'm used to. I'm kind of like putting books in a backpack and just adapting to the circumstance and just doing the best that I can with the situation.”

8. Aly Raisman

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Even though she’s no longer a gymnast, Aly Raisman is still working out regularly. "I actually feel like I've been able to work out a little bit more than I was before the pandemic," Raisman tells Shape. "It doesn't mean I'm working out for hours every day, but sometimes I'll do a little bit of a workout in the morning, and then even do a little bit more in the afternoon. I break it up throughout the day because that's what's working for me right now."

9. Carli Lloyd

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Carli Lloyd opened up about the changes she’s made to her workouts with Insider. "I do use weights now, but if the weights are used in the actual movements that you do on a normal basis and on your field and in your respective sport, then I think it's fine. But you're never in a squat position on the field with 300 pounds of a bar on you and doing that motion, you know, you're always on the move."

10. Gabby Thomas

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Gabby Thomas shared some of her health and wellness secrets with The Healthy. “As an Olympic medalist and a student, sleep is really important for me so I can ensure that I’m going to be my best self every day. I train at such a high level, every time I do something, it is 100%. Making sure that I am mentally and physically ready to take on the day is really crucial for me.”

11. Nastia Liukin

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Nastia Liukin shares a lot of her wellness secrets on her website. In this post, she talked about her typical morning routine. “I love the predictability of a routine. Maybe it’s because I spent the better part of my life in a strict routine training for the Olympics—it’s what I know, it’s what brings me comfort. My morning routine is ever-evolving. As I learn new things, speak to other entrepreneurs, and adapt with the changes my mind and body go through over the years, I incorporate, remove, and refine elements. Right now, I love my morning routine. It suits my current needs of setting the tone of my day, calming anxiety, and allows me to practice all of the self-care I need in order to move on to serving others.”

12. Dana Vollmer

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In an interview with ESPN, Dana Vollmer talked about how she avoids injury when swimming. “The pain in burning from using your muscles is different than the pain of hurting something. The 50 free is short, that's why I'm doing it. And my doctor said there is really no risk at all. I made a joke about doing a belly flop and [the doctor] said even that would be fine. As long as I'm cautious with the warm-up and keep some space between myself and the other swimmers, that's really the only issue at all.”

13. Jenny Thompson

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In an interview with The Daniel Island News, Jenny Thompson revealed why she decided to take up swimming again. “I started swimming again for mental health,” she said. “It was a growing up experience to not only start medical school, but also help my mom who was sick with cancer. It made swimming a lot lighter and put in perspective that there’s a lot more to life than sports. It was interesting to compete with that kind of wisdom.”

14. Maya Moore

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In this post on her website, Maya Moore talked about the impact basketball and playing in the WNBA has had on her. “I think being a part of the WNBA, whether that’s as a fan or a player, it’s a better time than ever just because of how good the players have gotten,” Moore said. “We’ve grown in athleticism and the speed of the game – the versatility of the players on the court. The games have really been fun to compete in, so I’m excited about the direction that we’re moving in. I’ve been a fan of the WNBA since I was eight, and I still am to this day.”

15. Missy Franklin

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Missy Franklin does a lot of weight training to stay in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself working out in the gym. Franklin captioned it, “Getting creative in weights yesterday! Shout out to @auphillips14 for coming up with such an awesome exercise! Love working with people who are willing to try new things and push boundaries💪🏻 Thanks @lorenlandow for being the best!”

16. Venus Williams

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Venus Williams makes sure to not only workout, but also recover. She shared her tips with CNBC’s Make It. “I do a lot of recovery, as well. Physiotherapy and massage. I like to take a lot of time to stretch … It feels amazing [and] I actually think it produces really great endorphins.”

17. Kerri Walsh-Jennings

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Prior to the 2016 Olympics, Kerri Walsh-Jennings talked about her training process with GQ. In it, she talked about the attitude she has when it comes to the sport. “I do have to keep reminding myself that it’s okay to be a work in progress. If I have a bad game it crushes me, but you can learn and grow a lot as long as you don’t stay in that place of devastation.”

18. Shawn Johnson

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In an interview with Morning Brew, Shawn Johnson talked about how she manages life in the public eye. “It's a challenge every single day. And my husband and I are very, very vocal about it with each other. And we've now hired an incredible team of people that work with us. But we do silly things every single day to protect ourselves from it. For many, many years, I wasn't allowed to read comments until I was able to get to a place where I was strong enough to digest them. Now we always say, ‘If you read something that doesn't sit well, you have to read it aloud,’ and you have to have the group validate or invalidate whatever it is.”

19. Lisa Leslie

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Lisa Leslie tells People that she is all about positivity. "Take three deep breaths. Let's find a positive affirmation that can you help you every single day, something that you can really settle into that makes you smile. Because for me, positive energy is so contagious and I think starting our days off with some sort of mantra or quote that really is inspiring, can really help you get through the moment."

20. Cat Osterman

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Cat Osterman broke down her typical meals to Us Weekly. “Breakfast can range anywhere from a smoothie to a yogurt parfait, which is yogurt, berries and granola,” she said. “This morning, I had a sweet potato hash that includes sweet potatoes, turkey sausage, peppers onions, and then I put an egg over top of it. Lunch can be anything from a salad to sandwich, occasionally maybe some chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A. I try to do grilled chicken as much as possible. For dinner, we eat pretty well. We cook for the most part. I will substitute zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti noodles or have potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of bread and rice. I’ll put quinoa in there sometimes, I’m pretty conscious about what I eat.”