19 Amazing Bodies of Female Lacrosse Stars

Discover the incredible fitness and lifestyle insights of 19 female lacrosse stars in this exciting compilation. From Taylor Cummings' balanced approach to diet to Kylie Ohlmiller's fearless recovery journey after an ACL tear, each athlete offers a unique perspective on fitness, nutrition,and perseverance. Dive into their stories, as they share their pre-game rituals, workout routines, and life beyond the field. Learn from champions like Megan Douty, who emphasizes the importance of protein and carbohydrates, and Charlotte North, who unveils her secrets for better shooting. Explore the diverse paths and strategies that these remarkable lacrosse stars employ to stay at the top of their game.

1. Taylor Cummings

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Taylor Cummings tells What’s Up Mag that she believes in balance when it comes to her diet. “There are also times where if I want a piece of pizza, I’m going to have a piece of pizza. I kind of live under the motto of you really do only live once, and I’m not going to keep myself from eating things that I want to eat. It’s all about balance and making sure that you don’t punish yourself for eating the bad things.”

2. Kylie Ohlmiller

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Kylie Ohlmiller notably dealt with a torn ACL, and talked about her recovery to USA Lacrosse Magazine. “There is a competitive edge when it comes to the ACL process,” Ohlmiller said. “I’m going to extend my knee a little farther today. I am going to test this out without fear. I am going to use my left leg or good leg first. I want to bring the competitive edge within myself and ultimately just enjoy the little moments with people around me being back on the field.”

3. Alice Mercer

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Alice Mercer wrote about her experience playing on the US National Team to USA Lacrosse Magazine. In it, she talked about her pre-game diet. “It’s apparent that I’m the only fan of the scrambled eggs with ham and cheese on top that the dining hall serves. Most people on our team prefer toast with peanut butter and honey or a banana for breakfast. There’s a Starbucks in the same building, so I obviously have to get my gameday caramel iced latte – I never go a gameday without my pregame coffee! Most of us grabbed coffee on our way over to our pregame meeting.”

4. Liz Hogan

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Liz Hogan opened up about her career in an interview with USA Lacrosse Magazine. “I don’t really care what other people think,” she says. “I’m just motivated to play my own style of lacrosse. I’m more dedicated to making sure I’m enjoying the ride rather than trying to please everyone along the way.”

5. Becca Block

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Becca Block shared some of her workout advice to USA Lacrosse Magazine. She says that she does weight training exercises for different parts of her body. “We do a lot of single-leg Romanian deadlifts, rear-foot elevated squats, deadlifts, calf raises and lunges,” she said. “We are doing bird dogs, rows, pull-ups, push-ups and bench presses.”

6. Megan Douty

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Protein is the building block of muscles and will help rebuild muscle tissue,” Douty said. “The carbohydrates will help restore my glycogen levels…I like to think of my body like I think of a car. If you fuel your car with bad oil, it will not run as efficiently."

7. Kayla Treanor

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Kayla Treanor shared her workout secrets with Times Of The Union. “I go to Mike Boyle, who is one of the best strength coaches in all of athletics. He’s based in Boston and I’ve been really lucky to work with him. It’s hard to train on your own, it’s a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of sacrificing things, but it’s worth it.”

8. Caylee Waters

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Caylee Waters talked about what advice she would give others who are going through the sports recruiting process to USA Lacrosse Magazine. “For me, I was just there with my friends. It was never too intense. We knew what goals we had, but we made sure to have fun with it. Also, don’t be too hard on yourself. Things will work out. You do have to make sacrifices, pave your own path and be committed to that. But certainly, have fun.”

9. Sam Apuzzo

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Sam Apuzzo tells Lacrosse Playground that she wants to always push herself to do better. “Whenever you have an opportunity to get better, get out there and go. There’s always people working hard, just as hard as you, so no matter whether you’re just going out and shooting or doing wall ball, or even just watching a game or some film, make sure you’re using that time and that energy to get better. And focus on making yourself an elite athlete because there are so many players out there now, especially at a younger age. So, be able to really push yourself and get to that next level.”

10. Marie McCool

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Marie McCool talked about her approach to the game in an interview with USA Lacrosse Magazine. “The way I play lacrosse, I am pretty laser focused on the field,” she said. “I don’t come off as a super emotional person with my facial expressions. I think because I play with such a high level of intensity, people actually don’t know that about me.”

11. Molly Hendrick

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Molly Hendrick doesn’t just play lacrosse to stay in shape. She also likes to go on walks and hikes. Hendrick has a dog, and she naturally will take her dog with her on walks. Hendrick shared this set of photos of some of her summer activities. In them, she is seen on a hike and at the beach with her dog. Hendrick captioned it, “Just a bit of travel to end the summer.”

12. Ally Mastroianni

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Ally Mastroianni spends a lot of time outside. She likes to do outdoor activities to stay in shape. Mastroianni shared this set of photos on Instagram of herself and a friend on different trips together. In them, they are seen hiking and swimming. She captioned the post, “Somewhere exploring out west and growing the game with my best friend.”

13. Dempsey Arsenault

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Dempsey Arsenault also shared some of her workout tips with USA Lacrosse Magazine. She says that she makes sure to avoid working out when she’s sore or not feeling well. “If you aren’t feeling great, you probably aren’t going to have a great workout,” Arsenault said. “You have to learn the difference between 30 minutes of an intense workout versus a dragged-on one that you are not into. If you are so tired or not feeling it, it’s OK to take a day off and go harder the next day.”

14. Taylor Moreno

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Taylor Moreno talked about what her approach to lacrosse is to USA Lacrosse Magazine. “It’s about trying to get people on the offensive end first, at least in my strategy,” Moreno said. “I know Kady would probably agree with me on that. It’s really, really hard as a goalkeeper to draft because you’re having to build every side of the field with a group of girls you’re hoping can work well together. Once the game starts rolling and we’re in the cage, there’s really not much that we can do. We don’t have that opportunity to really talk through everything with everybody.”

15. Charlotte North

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Charlotte North shared her tips for better shooting with USA Lacrosse Magazine. “It’s natural to do a three-step shuffle instead of a three-step crow-hop,” North said. “That second step is key to rotating your hips so that they can rotate a full 180 degrees toward your target on the third step instead of 90 degrees. It sets you up for the third step that generates more power from the quads and hips.”

16. Lizzie Colson

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Lizzie Colson opened up about recovering from an ACL tear with USA Lacrosse Magazine. She says that she decided to use this time to find a life outside of lacrosse. “There’s a bunch that I learned about myself, but outside of the hobbies, I just learned how to be a more well-rounded person,” she said. “Checking in on all the people around and just finding like the silver lining of any situation.”

17. Lindsey McKone

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Lindsey McKone shared her tips and secrets on the field with USA Lacrosse Magazine. Specifically, she broke down her evading Dempsey Arsenault. “I was an attacker and this is almost like someone’s riding you, I know what it feels like to be in Dempsey’s position. I know that she’s waiting for me to pull my stick back to shoot and that’s when she’s going to go for the check.”

18. Michelle Tumolo

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During her retirement interview with USA Lacrosse Magazine, Michelle Tumolo talked about an injury she received at Syracuse. “I always think about my injury and how it showed a resilience that I probably hadn't really had in my life,” she said. “I didn't have injuries before and I hadn’t had anything crazy happen to me. An injury, as an athlete, takes some identity away from you and I had never had that. I was really proud of myself, how I battled back but I wouldn't have been able to do it without my teammates and my coaches and my training staff that created that positive environment for me.”

19. Ally Kennedy

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Ally Kennedy does other things than lacrosse to keep herself in shape. She spends a lot of time outside doing activities. One thing Kennedy likes to do is go on walks. She shared this photo on Instagram of herself walking a dog. She poked fun at herself in the caption, writing, “Here’s a picture of me doing something other than lacrosse.”

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.”

The buzz has started, John Williams' fanfare has begin and soon you'll be tuning in: The 2024 Summer Olympics are right around the corner, running from July 26 through August 11th. The breadth is impressive. Archery, badminton, basketball, fencing, golf, even table tennis are among the dozens of sports represented. And within each are some of the most impressive women ever to grace the field. How do they stay so fit? Simone Biles, Valarie Allman, Regan Smith and more have shared their tips in the past and here we've collected them for you.

1. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles is making her return to the Olympics this summer. She shared some of her training secrets with Women’s Health. “I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I’m always at the gym. For gymnasts, in particular, [tracking] can lead to health problems and eating issues, so I just eat what I know I can and should.”

2. Alex Morgan

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Soccer star, Alex Morgan, shared her wellness secrets in an interview with Buzzfeed. She says that she makes sure to eat a healthy diet. “I also make sure that nutrition is a part of my daily routine. A morning protein smoothie sets the right tone for the rest of the day by providing me with the sustained energy I need to conquer whatever comes my way.”

3. Carissa Moore

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Surfer Carissa Moore shared her training routine with Red Bull. “It’s important to find the best waves to train in. My schedule always flows from trying to find good surf. If the waves aren’t good, I’ll probably go for an hour, but if it’s good, I’ll surf more like three to four hours. I usually spend 40 minutes every morning warming up, especially when I’m on the road, doing moves that activate me and make me feel good. I use a band to activate my glutes, and I do dead bugs for my core. I also do a couple sun salutations to get the blood flowing.”

4. Valarie Allman

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Discus thrower, Valarie Allman, shared some of her favorite workouts in this video on Instagram. She captioned the post, “Day 2, Week 1 of a new cycle and getting closer to COMPETING 🥳Power Snatch • 5 X 5 @ 60kg. Trap Bar Dead Lift • 4 X 5 @ 165, 180, 195, 210kg. Chin-Ups • 3 X 10. Goblet Lateral Lunge • 3 X 10e.”

5. Regan Smith

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Swimmer Regan Smith talked about handling pressure with Swimming World Magazine. “Nerves and pressure before meets is something that I’ve struggled with for most of my swimming career. I think what gives me a lot of confidence is just believing in the work that I’ve put in all season. Being with a coach and a program that I believe in and that I know I’m getting work done in helps me feel the most confident. This past year, I’ve never felt better in practice. I know I’ve never worked harder in my life and I just feel like I’ve done a complete 180 from where I was at this time a year ago.”

6. Andi Sullivan

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Soccer player, Andi Sullivan, shared her love of journaling in an interview with The Player’s Tribune. “I like to make lists, a list of things that I could do, or need to do, and even just spewing out my thoughts. Sometimes my teammates laugh at me on our Zoom calls because I have a piece of paper, and I’m always scribbling down things that people say, or thoughts that I have in the moment. I think now is the time for me to experiment with things like journaling.”

7. Naomi Osaka

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Tennis player, Naomi Osaka, shared some of her favorite products with CNN. She says that applying sunscreen is an important part of her routine. “Putting on sunscreen every morning is the most important step in my skin care routine,” she says. “Despite being a mineral-based sunscreen, it doesn’t leave a harsh white cast and instead leaves me moisturized and glowing, thanks to its sheer, caramel tint.”

8. Leah Smith

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Swimmer Leah Smith opened up about overcoming setbacks with USA Swimming. “What I learned through my heartbreak of missing the Olympic Team in 2021 and my comeback to make the World Championship Team in 2022 was invaluable, and my journey taught me so much about my team, my coaches and myself. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for when I decided to keep swimming after 2021, but this past year of swimming has invigorated me, and I am excited to attack my journey to 2024 with passion and energy and a new level of gratitude for my surroundings.”

9. Rose Lavelle

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Soccer player Rose Lavelle opened up about building confidence, especially after an injury to Well + Good. “My confidence comes in ebbs and flows, so having a sports psych has been a huge part of my professional career. Anybody that goes through a long-term injury or just any injury in general, it's hard physically. However, it felt 10 times harder mentally coming back from it. My psychologist helps me keep my head above water.”

10. Alyssa Naeher

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For soccer player, Alyssa Naeher, having a morning routine is important. “Something that I found that was helpful in all the chaos of being on the move was if I could at least start my day the same way, then it would give me some semblance of normalcy,” Naeher said to Graham Hays. “For me that became waking up, having some quiet time, grabbing a coffee, doing a crossword, reading a book — just having that quiet time to myself in the morning, I can do that anywhere and that starts my day.”

11. Emily Sonnet

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Soccer player, Emily Sonnet shared her team’s typical training routine with US Soccer. “We don't often lift heavy weight, but we do get a lot of reps in. We've also did a lot of testing at the beginning of camp to measure our range of motion, agility, flexibility, etc. We really appreciate having that kind of feedback because of course want to do everything that can help us win, always.”

12. Mallory Swanson

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Soccer player, Mallory Swanson, shared her advice for young girls in an interview. “I think having that mindset of, ‘If you want to be something in life and you want something in life, just go do it.’ Push forward and push the boundaries. If you want to be something in life, go do it.”

13. Stephanie Gilmore

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Surfer, Stephanie Gilmore, shared her training routine with Vogue. “I wake up and I go through a 15-minute activation routine to wake up my body. A little yoga mixed with some breathing, just kind of waking up so that I’m not just looking into my phone for an hour, trying to get the body to know it’s daytime and let’s go—and that’s before I’m eating anything. Then we’ll go surfing. It depends what the surf’s like, but the surfing will be a good hour and a half, at least where I’m paddling heaps, catching as many waves as I can, and it’s actually a great workout. I think that the best training for surfing is just to go surfing.”

14. Lynn Williams

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Soccer player, Lynn Williams, makes sure to eat a healthy diet, and that means eating enough carbs. She shared a favorite post-game snack with Women’s Health. "I feel like we're losing so many carbs when we're running. [I] also want them to hit at the right times because the games are so long, and I found that pancakes just do the trick for me.”

To play in the big leagues of women's hockey, you have to be skilled, fearless and strong. Some have represented their country in the Olympics, winning medals. Others play in the National Women’s Hockey League. All have one thing in common: a grit and determination to win, and to not be afraid of a smash to the face. They are also all incredibly fit. (You try ice skating at whooshing speeds while people chase you with a big stick.) How do the premier women at the top of their game stay in shape? Here's how.

1. Hilary Knight

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Hilary Knight is the youngest person to play for Team USA. She shared her training secrets in an interview with ESPN. “Our training program is split into different phases through the summer, usually comprised of upper and lower body as well as conditioning, plyometrics, and core work everyday. For us, anything with core strength or legs is huge.”

2. Hayley Wickenheiser

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Hayley Wickenheiser is a former hockey player for the Canadian National Team. She shared some of her workout secrets with The Globe and Mail. “Staying limber when it’s cold out is really important,” Wickenheiser said. “You want to get your core body temperature high enough that you’re not going to pull your muscles or hurt yourself. You need to make sure the joints are oiled up and mobile.”

3. Marie-Philip Poulin

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Marie-Philip Poulin has won two gold medals at the Olympics. She shared how she trained for the Olympics with Best Health Magazine. “To prepare for the Olympic Winter Games, my routine included working out up to three times a day. We train extremely hard, year round in order to be the best country on the ice. Our training methods as a team have evolved, we work with the best trainers and incorporate new technology in the gym. We monitor things like nutrition, body composition and raise our mental focus to new heights.”

4. Amanda Kessel

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Amanda Kessel wants to share women’s hockey with the world. "We've come a long way with women's hockey, but still, I think a lot of people [in America] don't realize that there's a women's league," she told ESPN. "I also don't think a lot of people realize most of the players are also working normal jobs. Probably 99 percent are playing hockey and have a full-time job. My roommate was a recruiter. Another [teammate] worked in the fashion industry, one was studying to be a lawyer and worked at a law firm, a few others teach hockey."

5. Kendall Coyne Schofield

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Kendall Coyne Schofield shared how she and her husband stayed active during the pandemic to ESPN. The other thing we've been doing is committing to biking around the town to local business and ordering takeout food to support them. It promotes exercising, and it promotes supporting local businesses during challenging times. [This weekend] we had a 7-mile ride. I have to say I'm a little more optimistic about biking than my husband is, being a 300-pound man, but he's been a trouper. We go on a bike ride, and then stay inside the rest of the day to follow guidelines with social distancing."

6. Meghan Duggan

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Meghan Duggan shared how she eats healthy with USADA. “Just like everyone else, I also enjoy a meal out every now and then! When I’m somewhere new, I look for restaurants that prepare foods in a healthy way, so that means minimizing the deep-fried foods or added sauces. Again, it’s all about choosing things from a menu that are fresh instead of processed. Freshii is one of my favorite places to grab a meal that is energizing and quick. I’m a sucker for any restaurant that has some version of a power bowl!”

7. Brianna Decker

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Brianna Decker shared her approach to training with Cosmopolitan. "I'm 5-foot-4, and as a forward there are a lot of the defenders that I'm going up against who have a lot of size to them so I have to muscle through a lot of people. The stronger you are the better, but you have to be careful about how much muscle you put on so you can keep your speed up. I play a more physical game, and I have tested my game out at different weights. I didn't like how I played when I was seven pounds lighter because even though I felt a little faster, I felt I was being pushed around. I don't let ‘ideal image’ affect me. Plus, some guys are really into athletic girls and some guys aren't! I'm surrounded by such a mixed group of people — to us the ideal body type is being athletic and being fit.”

8. Shannon Szabados

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Shannon Szabados was the first woman to play in the Southern Professional Hockey League. "I'm just a hockey player that loves to play hockey," she said to AL.com. "If (pioneer) is the word people want to attach with it, it seems weird to me to have that kind of title. But if that's what comes along with it and maybe it opens up some doors for future generations, that's good."

9. Natalie Spooner

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Natalie Spooner opened up about her diet in an interview with Olympic Canada. “In January 2014, when we traveled across Alberta playing exhibition games against boys, we’d often have a pre-game meal as a team. It’s standard to eat about three hours before a game, with maybe a small snack a little bit closer to the whistle. By this time, we had tapered down our training hours, but the scheduling was just as exhausting given all the travel we were doing.”

10. Megan Agosta

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JANUARY 24: Meghan Agosta #2 of the Canadian All-Stars poses for a photo ahead of Elite Women's practice during the 2020 NHL All-Star weekend at Enterprise Center on January 24, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)

Megan Agosta talked about returning to hockey after having her daughter to CBC. “It's not only going back to working shift work, sleeping, eating and training at different times, but I do have Chance and I have my two stepsons," she said. "That's our family. On top of that, training to try to be the best I can be every single time I put on that Canadian jersey, it hasn't been easy. Knowing myself, I've done everything I could to be at the top of my game."

11. Meaghan Mikkelson

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In the same CBC interview, Meaghan Mikkelson talked about playing hockey after having her kids. "I think I said to [teammate Natalie] Spooner a couple of weeks ago 'I'm 34 years old. I've been on the team for 12 years and I've had two babies and I think I'm the strongest and fittest I've ever been in my life.’ I don't know if it's the mom strength kicking in. Physically, mentally I think I'm the strongest I've ever been in my career."

12. Rebecca Johnston

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Rebecca Johnston talked about how she got interested in hockey to The Calgary Journal. “I would say my inspiration for getting into hockey would be my dad and my siblings. I have five brothers and sisters and we all play hockey. So, it was instilled in us when we were born as a big part of our family, as we all love it. So, it’s something I wanted to do.”

13. Jennifer Wakefield

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Jennifer Wakefield shares some of her favorite workouts on Instagram. One thing she likes to do is strength train. She shared these photos of herself doing a lunge with a dumbbell and doing a twist with a band. Wakefield captioned the post, “@aycane.circle gear is 🔥”

14. Kacey Bellamy

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Kacey Bellamy opened up about dealing with failure in a letter to her younger self on The Players Tribune. “You’re going to get your heart broken. You’re going to have sleepless nights filled with tears and emotion. You’re going to think about quitting hockey for good. But you’re not a quitter. You’re going to use the adversity as motivation. You are going to stitch up every interior wound through work and sweat. Every 5 a.m. wake-up. Every sled push. Every shuttle run. They’ll all be worth it — eventually.”

15. Lara Stalder

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After the 2022 Olympics, Lara Stalder called for her native Switzerland to support women’s hockey. "My message is to build a league in Switzerland. Make the best league in Europe. Obviously, there should be one league, like the NHL, for all of us to compete against the best players. But I think we're far away from that in Switzerland, and that needs to change.”

16. Sarah Nurse

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Sarah Nurse opened up about not wanting to pressure herself to Fashion Magazine. “During these times I’m very careful to not pressure myself into productivity or comparing what I’m doing to what anyone else is doing. We have to respect that we all handle this changed way of living differently. Some days I may work out, clean the house, go for a walk and cook dinner while other days I may sit and watch TV all day and that is OKAY. I try to filter my news and information to stay informed and not consume an amount that will leave me with anxiety. It’s important to surround myself with positivity and stay connected to the people in my life that matter the most. We’re all on the same team and with some patience, discipline and love, we’re going to come out of this together.”

17. Julie Chu

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Julie Chu talked about her approach to dieting with The Huffington Post. “Nutrition is huge for us. We work with a nutritionist who is part of the U.S. Olympic Committee. She does amazing things for us, like teaching us how we can better fuel our bodies immediately before and after a workout. What we do in those time frames really makes a difference in both quick recovery or to keep our energy up. Of course, it's also about balance and moderation: I like a burger and fries like everyone else. But having a balance diet helps us perform our best.”

18. Melodie Daoust

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Melodie Daoust opened up about being an openly queer athlete to Mombian. “We know that Hockey Canada is behind us and also is behind every player, whether they’re from different nationalities or have different skin colour or who you’re with in your personal life. And that makes it way easier to be who you are and open about it all.”

19. Cassie Campbell-Pascall

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Cassie Campbell-Pascall opened up about her workout secrets with Health Insight. “I still exercise a lot but I’ve learned to exercise properly according to my age and my body. I have a mindset where I can always try and push myself through things, but as I mature, I also understand I have to be smarter with how I work out and make sure that I’m eating healthy and taking care of aches and pains more and more. It’s taken time for me to fully understand that, as far as the way I can train, I’m not an Olympian anymore. It’s been a challenge to figure that out, but I feel that I’m in my best place ever as far as fitness in the post-athletic career stage of my life.”

20. Caroline Ouellette

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Caroline Ouellette was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 2023. She talked about being a female hockey player in her speech. “I played with boys from 9-17 years old and all those years I was the only girl on my team. I heard about every possible name-calling. These challenges helped me develop a deeper appreciation of how lucky I was to play hockey when so many women around my age couldn’t have this same opportunity.”

Get into the training, mindset, and lifestyle choices of twenty remarkable athletes. From Simone Biles to Carli Lloyd, who believes in balance and occasional indulgence, each athlete brings their unique approach to their respective sports. Misty May-Treanor's rigorous exercises, Kerri Walsh-Jennings' focus on recovery, and Serena Williams' varied workouts all demonstrate the dedication required to reach the pinnacle of their fields. As they share their secrets to success, it becomes clear that physical fitness, mental strength, and self-care are essential components of their journeys.

1. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles isn’t just a great athlete, she’s also an advocate for survivors. She opened up about testifying against Larry Nassar on Today. “For so many years to go through everything that I’ve gone through, put on a front, I’m proud of myself, and I’m happy that I can be a leader for the survivors and bring courage to everybody speaking up, so I’m happy to be a voice for them.”

2. Misty May-Treanor

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Gold medalist beach volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor shared some of her favorite exercises in an interview with Women Fitness. “I love olympic lifting (cleans, jerks, snatches), squatting and explosive jump drills. I also implement track and hill workouts with a running instructor. Pilates helps me maintain a strong and healthy core since that is important in our sport. Since I am not the tallest player out there at times, my jump has to be strong from the very match to the very last match. Recovery is equally as important to the lifting as well and that comprises of massage, ice baths, and stretching.”

3. Kerri Walsh-Jennings

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Olympic gold medalist, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, opened up about her approach to training in an interview with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “When at home, we will have double and triple days all the time. When I get into competition, I want to be fresh and play good volleyball. It is like a mental game. For me, I am going to try something new, add another workout and see how I feel. You need to be humble enough to keep it and push through, or if to much, adjust. It is so important to listen to your body and sometimes the hardest work you have to do is chill out and recover and fine tune.”

4. April Ross

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Bronze-medal winning beach volleyball player, April Ross, opened up about her diet to Today. She says that there’s one thing she makes sure to cut out of her diet. "Sugar is so bad for your body. If you drink soda, the sugar causes inflammation. And it's bad for your joints, so, as an athlete, your joints are going to be more inflamed and you're going to be more prone to injury.”

5. Gabby Douglas

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Gabby Douglas tells HollywoodLife that she does a variety of things to keep herself in shape. “I’m used to doing the same thing every single day, whereas now I get to switch it up. Like, today we’ll do HIIT. Today we’ll do trampoline. Today we’ll do a dance workout. Today we’ll just dive in and it’s been fun even to be creative with myself, coming up with workouts that I find enjoyable because I believe you should be having fun when you workout. I love hard work and I love to sweat but at the same time though, you should love what you do.”

6. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. One of her secrets for staying fit is doing a variety of workouts. “For me, it's so important to mix it up,” she told Fitness Magazine. “I ran, and then I biked. Then I did elliptical. That didn't work out so well, because it was boring, so I tried yoga. I started dancing because I couldn't train when I was sick. We started making up moves, and it was fun. Now I run for 10 minutes, and then I dance.”

7. Venus Williams

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Tennis legend Venus Williams opened up about her decision to go on a plant-based diet with The Beet. “When I was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome back in 2011, I had to make some major lifestyle changes in order to put my health first. After trying everything the doctor suggested, I continued to experience muscle and joint pain, and constant fatigue. But when I started exploring a plant-based diet to help reduce my inflammation and support my immune system, I loved the way it made me feel, so I kept going.”

8. Julie Johnston ErtzUS Women’s Soccer Team star, Julie Johnston Ertz opened up about her exercise routine with Prevention. “I think core is really important,” she says. “Cause it’s the center of your body. C​​ore machines are great but I do everything on the floor. If I’m doing a plank, I like to do step outs with my feet. I like to elevate even a little more."Alex MorganIn addition to taking care of her body, Alex Morgan also takes care of her mind. She shared how she manages any anxiousness with The Beet. “I tell myself: ‘Take a breath and enjoy the journey I'm going on now.’ It's overwhelming to think about going somewhere in the future, so I am living in the now and remembering to breathe.Candace ParkerWNBA champion Candace Parker talked about how she approaches basketball with SBNation.com. “I think simplicity has always been difficult for me. I think physically because you know, I’ve been versatile and have played multiple positions. I think simplicity was always, you know, me dribbling and me doing this and whatever. And now I’ve just learned that simplicity is key, doing things with the least amount of motion is going to benefit me greatly. So I think that is the biggest thing to me is just yes, I can dribble and do that, but it’s more beneficial for me to be able to do it with less motion.”Nastia LiukinOlympic gymnast, Nastia Liukin, shared some of her wellness tips with Today. "I think the most important thing to know is, you'll never regret a workout when it's over. And it's just hard to tell yourself that before you've done it. But just try to remember how you feel after your workout, and know that when you feel good, you look good, and you have more confidence, and so I think that that's really important."Shawn JohnsonWhile expecting her first child, Shawn Johnson and her husband Andrew East did a lot of workouts together. She told Us Weekly, “We always thought [when we were] dating that we were going to be that couple that works out together, but we really can’t work out together because he says I’m too intense. And then I got pregnant, and then we’re matched now, my intensity. So we work out now that I’m pregnant, which is funny.” Adds the gold medalist, “Hey, gymnasts are intense.”Jordyn WieberGymnast Jordyn Wieber told StyleCaster that she struggled with insecurities growing up.“The older I got, the more I realized my body can do amazing things that not a lot of other kids at my school could do,” Wieber says. “So I tried my best to embrace that, and once I made the Olympics team, I was like, ‘Woah! OK. Now I know where you are all the time.’ I started to appreciate my muscles a lot more rather than thinking my body was not as good as the other girls in my school because I looked different than them.”Carli LloydCarli Lloyd opened up about her diet to NJ.com. She says that while she eats healthy, she also believes in indulging once in a while. “Well, I rarely eat carbs, like pasta, pizza or bread, or fried, greasy foods. They just don't make me feel good. But I do enjoy stopping at my favorite pizza place in Philly!...Only every now and then, and only in moderation.”Lindsey VonnLindsey Vonn tells Women’s Health that when she was competing in skiing, she wanted to break the mold. "I was always just myself,” she says. “You can be strong and feminine and opinionated and wear makeup and do all those things at the same time. You don't have to be the stereotypical athlete. You can be different. There's no limit to what opportunities are out there [for you], you just have to go get them."Lindsey JacobellisLindsey Jacobellis opened up about what exercises she likes to do on the road in an interview with Women Fitness. “On the road workouts can be challenging when gyms are hard to find, but not impossible. 1. Walking lunges with dumbbells 2. Single leg RDL (Russian dead lifts) 3. Hanging leg raises 4.Traditional or wide leg back squats 5. Bent over single arm rows (These exercises can be done when there are limited weights to work with in a hotel gym.)”Mirai NagasuFigure skater Mirai Nagasu opened up about her mindset for competitions in an interview with TeamUSA.com. “I just want to believe in myself, and, I know it’s the cheesiest thing to say, but believe in that 5-year-old girl who started this dream,” she said. “I know I’m mentally strong. I went to the Olympics when I was 16 and ended up in fourth place, beating all these people who were beating me consistently. I know it’s within me. I just have to pull it out at the right moment.”Carissa MooreCarissa Moore shared some of her favorite workouts in an interview with Balance The Grind. “I work out with my trainer three times each week, and we do a lot of circuit training. I don’t actually use too many weights; it’s mostly body weight. I train to make sure I can get in the water and do what I love every day. I love burpees, skaters and mountain climbers. I do intervals, like 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off. My regimen is always changing, because I get bored if it’s the same workout. Each week I go to Pilates once and I usually go for a run twice.”Tia BlancoTia Blanco shared some of her favorite wellness products with POPSugar. She says that she owns a juicer, and puts it to good use. “I love to go to the farmers' market and load up on a bunch of local produce in season that is great for juicing," she says. "I always find myself juicing celery, lemon, apples, and parsley. Sometimes I will do shots of turmeric and ginger to spice things up."Louise HazelLouise Hazel opened up about her diet in an interview with WhoWhatWear. "I grab a banana and a bottle of water and a bowl of gluten-free muesli with almond milk. I recently found out that I am lactose intolerant using a DNAFit test, and I would recommend this to anyone who is taking their health and fitness seriously. It will give you a blueprint from which to make informed decisions about your diet and fitness regimen."