Ellie Carpenter In Soccer Gear Says “I Gave It My All”

Australian soccer star Ellie Carpenter is down, but never out. Carpenter, 24, shared a picture of herself wearing her kit on the pitch after the Matildas lost to the U.S. Women’s National Team. “I gave it my all but it wasn’t enough. Still on a roller coaster with all the emotions I’ve been feeling and trying to process. So grateful for all the support we’ve received, thank you 🙏🏼 All the best for the remaining teams and let’s go for all my fellow Aussies in these Olympics 💛💚 Proud to be an Aussie,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the athlete stays fit and healthy.

1. Sydney Breakfasts

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Carpenter always visits The Boathouse Balmoral when she’s home in Sydney. “Whenever I get back to Sydney I’m always jet-lagged, so I’m awake and about at five or six in the morning, and I love that coffee shops are open,” she told The Australian. “In France they don’t open until about 11… Whenever I come home from overseas which is about twice a year I go there. Their avocado toast and poached eggs are my go-to for breakfast; it’s so big but so good, and for lunch I always get the classic fish and chips.”

2. She’s a Runner

Carpenter loves to run. “I couldn’t even imagine my life without doing some sort of running,” she told whimn.com.au. “If I’m in a bad mood, I just go for a run and feel instantly better. Running speed and endurance is such a huge part of my game. Football is explosive – we cover a lot of distance, then we sprint to get to the ball first. We run a lot in pre-season, which can be super tough, and in-season we are running more than 12 km per game.”

3. Family Support

Carpenter says her parents have always supported her soccer dreams unconditionally. “No reservations at all,” she told Women’s Health Australia. “We have always been a ‘Give it 100 per cent or not at all’ family. It is just the way we do things and it’s not for everyone. My close friends have been super supportive of me and have actually been there the whole time. I don’t see them as often as I would like to. However, the friendship is still the same, if not stronger.”

4. Morning Routine

Carpenter has the same routine pretty much every day during the week. "I wake up at 7:30 every morning before training," she told 9Honey. "I set one alarm but snooze about three times, haha. I have to shower every morning as soon as I wake up. I always have a coffee when I wake up before training. [Breakfast is] poached eggs on avocado toast, or raisin toast."

5. Ignoring the Haters

Carpenter doesn’t let criticism get to her. “Others think because I’ve had a good run with my career and nothing has really gone wrong yet (that they can see) and I’ve managed to pick up a few endorsements, it’s all been handed to me on a plate,” she told AthletesVoice. “It hasn’t. I know what I’ve done and how I got here, everything that happened behind the scenes. Critics can say whatever they want, but they don’t know the back story. I do."

To reach the pinnacle of FIFA Women's World Cup soccer, you have to be physically fit, mentally strong and dangerously determined. The women here are all of those things and more. How do they stay so in shape? Alex Morgan hydrates her skin. Megan Rapinoe is really into weight training. And Ashlyn Harris treats her body as a temple, eating plant-based 80% of the time. Inside you'll find these health tips and more from winners of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

1. Alex Morgan

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Alex Morgan has amazing skin, and shared her tips with Buzzfeed. “I think all my toiletries are a big thing. I always make sure to bring enough lotion for my face and body, because we go to a lot of dry places, like Salt Lake City, St. Louis, and Arizona. Combine that with being in the sun all the time, and keeping my skin hydrated is essential. It’s important to find the right moisturizer, serums, and, of course, sunscreen to moisturize and protect my skin.”

2. Carli Lloyd

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Carli Lloyd likes to cook, and shared some of her favorite meals with NJM. “I love cooking! It's hard because I'm not home very often. But when I am, it's fun to cook different recipes. I make some good baby back ribs and stuffed peppers! And we always grill fish, chicken and steak on the charcoal grill.”

3. Megan Rapinoe

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Megan Rapinoe shared her fitness secrets with Bustle. “Weight training is really big for me. Obviously, I run a lot playing soccer, but I also make sure that I strength train and pay attention to how everything’s working in my body, especially as I get older. I love Pilates, which is amazing for that. I feel like it strengthens you from the inside out. Rest is also really important. It’s how I get the maximum out of my workouts and how I make sure my body's recovering.”

4. Julie Ertz

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Julie Ertz tells Forbes that she now understands the importance of self-care, and wished she realized this earlier. “I would have loved to realize how important my alone time is for me to make sure I am in a good place. Sometimes just being able to reflect on my goals and relax helps me have a better plan or perspective going forward. It's all about finding what works for you. I've also become more comfortable talking to my support group to help me with those goals.”

5. Alyssa Naeher

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Alyssa Naeher told The Los Angeles Times that she has a lot of supportive people in her life. “Lean on your teammates. Lean on your family. Just focus on what you want. For me it was showing up every day and controlling all the things that I could control. And that was being a good teammate.”

6. Kelley O’Hara

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Kelley O’Hara likes to run to stay in shape. She talked about this in an interview with Women’s Running. “I love the way I feel when I’m done running. Nothing is better than the feeling after a grueling workout. And if I’m fit, I love the feeling of pushing beyond what you think you can do during a run.”

7. Rose Lavelle

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Rose Lavelle shared her wellness secrets in an interview with Well + Good. She says that rest days are very important to her. “Today, rest is vital and I can’t play as much as I did as the load is so much more,” she says. “Now it’s a balance, and I have to prioritize the off-field piece and everything that I’m doing to help best prepare my body to be able to perform on the field.”

8. Ali Krieger

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Ali Krieger shared her wellness secrets in an interview with Muscle & Fitness. She says that one workout she enjoys doing is using battle ropes. “Being explosive and power­ful, hav­ing good footwork and quality speed are es­sen­tial for me. Battle rope drills are one of the toughest yet most rewarding exercises I do at the gym. They are a full-body workout, making me feel every muscle!”

9. Crystal Dunn

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Crystal Dunn shared her skincare secrets in an interview with Cup of Jo. “After breakfast, I wash my face, mostly to make sure I’m nice and awake. I wait until training to apply lotion or sunscreen. Lately, I’ve been really into It Cosmetics tinted moisturizer. It’s really light for daily use and provides a lot of things besides moisturizer — like coverage, a hydrating serum and SPF. So, I feel like I’m getting sunscreen protection and I also get to look cute. If I go out at night, I’m usually wearing Bobbi Brown’s line.”

10. Ashlyn Harris

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Ashlyn Harris talked about her diet in an interview with Green Matters. “Having been a professional athlete for many years, my body is a temple; my body is an engine. It’s something I have to treat extremely well if I want it to function at the highest level. I’ve always been very thoughtful about what goes into my body, and over time that has evolved to where I am now, which is eating plant-based about 80 percent of the time.”

11. Christen Press

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Christen Press talked about how she approaches a soccer game to ESPN. “I find the ball and I think, Where's the ball going, and where do I need to go? It just puts me back in the game, and it's the simplest thing, but it's become sort of like my soccer mantra. I simply use the ball as my focus point and move back into position and the distracting thoughts disappear, and I'm right back in the game."

12. Mallory Swanson

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Mallory Swanson opened up about having young people look up to her in an interview with People. "I always try and take the time with fans because you never really know what that moment can do for someone, and how that moment can change the trajectory of their career or their school life or whatever it is. There have been some times where people have definitely cried and I've been like, 'It's okay. It's like me, I'm literally you.' So connecting with those girls and those fans is super for sure."

13. Tobin Heath

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Tobin Heath talked about the importance of highlighting women’s sports to E! News. "Women's sports has been put through such a narrow lens," Heath explained. "Our sports structures were created by men and for men because, at that time, men's sports was kind of the only thing that existed. We were completely being missed. So those lenses were very much through the lens of, like, what the patriarchy would want to see in women's sports, not what women's sports actually are and certainly not the fullness of it."

14. Allie Long

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Allie Long shared how she prepares for soccer season in an interview with Oxygen Magazine. “Every off season, I make specific goals and go to training with a purpose. There’s always something that I want to work on and I leverage the off season to work on my long-term goals by setting and achieving the short-term goals to get me there.”

15. Sam Mewis

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Sam Mewis opened up about her recovery process in an interview with Outside Online. In it, she talked about how she eats healthy. “As women, we’re trained so much by society to watch what we eat. But as an athlete and as someone who is trying to heal, recover, and be strong, I need to eat a lot.”

16. Emily Sonnett

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Emily Sonnett shared her training routine in an interview 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 we want to do everything that can help us win, always.”

17. Jessica McDonald

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Jessica McDonald likes to strength train to stay in shape. “Strength training has definitely helped improve my game,” McDonald told BarBend. “Since I’m older, I have to up keep my body in a different way than a younger player. Strength training has helped me with longevity. I feel quicker and stronger than I have before.”

18. Lindsey Horan

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Lindsey Horan talked about the importance fitness has on her life to Tonal. “Fitness was never the main component in my game when I was younger,” she says. “I wish it was. I wish I knew what I know now. I wish I knew everything that goes into fitness because it’s not just running. It’s not just kicking the ball and chasing it.”

19. Becky Sauerbrunn

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Becky Sauerbrunn is always trying to improve herself. She talked about this in an interview with Soccer.com. “For someone that’s just trying to find their stride in their game, that’s kind of harsh criticism to get, but I took it to heart,” Sauerbrunn said. “I did everything I could to try to counteract that…Don’t be afraid to push your boundaries. I think you need to discover more about yourself, and you need to do that by making mistakes.”

20. Abby Dahlkemper

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During the pandemic, Abby Dahlkemper made sure to stay fit. She talked about her goals with Yahoo Sports. “My goal during the quarantine is to maintain as much muscle mass and I can,” Dahlkemper explained. “I don’t want my body to go into shock after months away from the pitch and risk some sort of injury. These workouts are slightly simpler versions of what my teammates and I do during normal training sessions.”

Lauren Sesselmann, an accomplished soccer player and Olympic bronze medalist, continues to inspire with her positive outlook and dedication to wellness. Currently playing for the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Sesselmann’s fitness routine revolves around her passion for sports, particularly soccer and tennis. Recently, she shared a video by the pool on Instagram, quoting Marilyn Monroe: “Keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling.” Beyond the physical benefits of her athletic lifestyle, Sesselmann emphasizes mental wellness, taking time daily to count her blessings and stay grounded. She’s also focused on self-care, sharing how small rituals and supplements have become essential in maintaining her health and happiness.

1. She Plays Soccer

Soccer is the main way Sesselmann stays in shape. Better Health states that the sport has a lot of health benefits. “Soccer can be a great workout and lots of fun. The health benefits include that it: increases aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health, lowers body fat and improves muscle tone, builds strength, flexibility and endurance, increases muscle and bone strength, improves health due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting.”

2. She Counts Her Blessings

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In her recent post’s caption, Sesselmann revealed that she makes sure to count all the blessings in her life. “Taking time every day to appreciate the beautiful blessings I’m surrounded with. Things might not always turn out the way I want but learning to embrace what’s not meant for me & realizing bigger & better things are right around the corner. Never lose faith that you are worthy of it all & in time it will all come together beautifully🌸☀️🌊”

3. She Takes Time For Herself

Sesselmann also makes sure to take time for herself. She talked about this in the caption of her recent Instagram video. “Take a minute today to stop, take a breath & take it all in. Each day is a gift…you’re alive, people love you & you bring so much light into this world..believe that!!! Have a blessed day everyone💞💞”

4. She Prioritizes Wellness

Sesselmann is making her wellness a priority in her life. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post from last year. Sesselmann wrote, “This past year I made a New Years resolution to prioritize my own health and wellness. After learning about my concussions and depression I’ve been slowly working my way back to a routine and instilling habits that help me start my day the best I can on a positive note. Enter...my personalized multivitamin with Rootine which has been instrumental in making me feel better❤️”

5. She Plays Tennis

Soccer isn’t the only sport that Sesselmann likes to play. She also enjoys playing tennis. Sesselmann shared this video on Instagram of herself on the court. Tennis has a lot of health benefits. The Columbia Association states, “Whatever your age or level of athleticism, tennis is an excellent full-body workout that releases feel-good endorphins to help you relax and relieve tension. Its low-impact nature also means your joints and bones will thank you. Because tennis includes short bursts of activity, it offers the same conditioning benefits of interval training, which has an unparalleled positive effect on the heart and lungs, slashing your risk of heart disease by 56% (!). Just an hour of play burns between 400 to 600 calories.”

Alisha Lehmann, one of the most recognizable names in professional soccer, continues to make waves both on and off the field. Now playing for Juventus, the Swiss athlete has also shined in roles with Aston Villa, West Ham United, and the Switzerland national team. Known for her bold style—including playing soccer with a full face of makeup—Lehmann blends athletic excellence with her charismatic presence. Last week, she shared an Instagram post featuring photos of her and her Juventus teammates in action, captioned, “The most important thing is, to always work hard for each other 🤍🖤.” Lehmann exemplifies determination and confidence, making her a standout in the world of soccer and beyond. Here’s how she prioritizes health, fitness, and standing her ground.

1. She Plays Soccer

Soccer is one of the main ways that Lehmann stays in shape. According to Better Health, the sport has a lot of benefits. “As play during soccer is continuous, soccer is great for fitness and cardiovascular health. People of various ages and skill levels can participate in soccer, with those of various sizes being able to do equally well.”

2. She Does Push-Ups

Lehmann is seen doing push-ups with a soccer ball on her back in this Instagram video. According to NASM, push-ups have a lot of health benefits. “Incredibly, this ONE exercise can help you torch calories, build and tone muscle, gain strength, and positively impact your overall fitness, function, and performance. Due to its versatility, mastering this exercise can be vital to unlocking your true fitness potential…Push-ups focus primarily on the following muscle groups: • Pectorals (chest muscles). • Deltoids (shoulder muscles). • Serratus anterior, trapezius, and rotator cuff (posture and shoulder support muscles). • Triceps (backside of the arm muscles). • Core stabilizers (abdominals and spinal support muscles). • Gluteals (hip muscles).”

3. She Hikes

Lehmann likes to go hiking to keep herself in shape. She shared this post on Instagram of herself on a hike to the Hollywood Sign. Lehmann captioned the post, “If you wanna know, it took me 2 hours to get there🧘🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️” Piedmont states that hiking has a lot of benefits. “Hiking is a weight-bearing exercise that builds muscle mass and helps prevent osteoporosis. Hiking can help you manage your weight. It is a joint-friendly form of exercise that can keep arthritis sufferers more limber and mobile. Being outside in the sunshine provides the body with vitamin D.”

4. She Swims

Lehmann likes to swim to keep herself in shape. She shared these photos of herself swimming at the beach in Miami on Instagram. Lehmann captioned the post, “Lish at the beach at 8 am.” Swimming has a lot of health benefits. The Cleveland Clinic states, “Want to keep your ticker at peak function? Cardio activity is one of the keys to a healthy heart, and swimming’s cardiovascular benefits are clear. It’s been shown to: Improve cholesterol levels. Reduce blood pressure. Lower your risk of heart disease.”

5. She Stands Up For Herself

Lehmann has had to deal with a lot of criticism for her play style. However, she makes sure to defend herself. She talked about this with The Times, “A lot of people only see the social side [of my life, via Instagram] and not actually how I play football. About this, I’m sometimes disappointed, because I work hard every day. I train every day and I want to be the best player I can be. They don’t really know how I play. I’m always saying, ‘Watch a game please’ — and then they’re surprised.”

As the Women's World Cup continues, get ready to be inspired by the incredible dedication and determination of female soccer stars. These 20 amazing athletes have not only mastered their craft on the field but have also embraced various fitness routines and dietary choices to maintain peak performance. From Alex Morgan's energy-boosting vegan diet to Megan Rapinoe's focus on strength training, these women are breaking barriers and redefining what it means to be a true champion. Join us as we delve into the unique fitness journeys and mindsets of these soccer icons, showcasing how their extraordinary bodies are a testament to their unwavering passion for the game.

1. Alex Morgan

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Alex Morgan makes sure to eat healthy. One thing she does is follow a vegan diet. She shared some of her favorite foods with The Beet. “I love an energy ball, so that's nut butter, oats, some chocolate chips and coconut flakes. All rolled into a ball so it's a lot of healthy energy.”

2. Megan Rapinoe

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Megan Rapinoe shares some of her favorite workouts in an interview with Bustle. “Weight training is really big for me. Obviously, I run a lot playing soccer, but I also make sure that I strength train and pay attention to how everything’s working in my body, especially as I get older. I love Pilates, which is amazing for that. I feel like it strengthens you from the inside out.”

3. Sam Kerr

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Sam Kerr broke down her exercise routine to AModrn.com. “My training regimen really depends on whether it’s a game week or not. If it’s a game week we’ll have four field sessions in a week and a gym session. My own gym sessions focus mostly on leg workouts, relying on resistant exercises using my body weight and bridges! On the field, we’ll have different tactical drills, whether it’s a defensive play or counterattack. It’s pretty stock standard. I’m lucky that we have an awesome national team conditioning coach that makes us work hard.”

4. Ada Hegerberg

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Ada Hegerberg opened up about her career in an interview with The Guardian. She says how she stays motivated. “My biggest ambition is to maximise the potential in me. To see how far I can push it as a player at the highest level; that’s something that motivates me.”

5. Wendie Renard

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Wendie Renard notably announced that she would not be playing in the World Cup to help her mental health. She announced this on social media. "I love France more than anything, I am not perfect, far from it, but I can no longer support the current system, which is far from the requirements of the highest level. It is a sad day but necessary to preserve my mental health. It is with a heavy heart that I come to inform you of my decision to step back from the French team. Unfortunately, I will not be playing in this World Cup under such conditions. My face may hide the pain but my heart is suffering... and I don't want to suffer anymore."

6. Tobin Heath

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Tobin Heath isn’t just a soccer player. She’s a role model. She opened up about this in and how she approaches it in an interview. “I’m aware that I’m now a role model for younger players,” she says. “I bring more maturity to practice—it’s more of a work environment to me, where I consciously work to get better each day.”

7. Toni Pressley

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Toni Pressley is open about being a vegan. She even has a vegan cooking show with Ali Riley, called Girls Gone Veg. In one episode, she talked about how being vegan has affected her. “I just noticed right away that like I just felt better," Pressley said. "I don't ever remember a period of time where I felt like my body was going through a drastic change, like negatively, because of the diet switch.”

8. Lucy Bronze

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Lucy Bronze opened up about her typical workout weeks in an interview with Strength and Conditioning Education. “For a normal week of training during the season, I’d get two days off, usually Monday and Thursday, where I’m free to chill and do whatever I want. On Tuesdays, I have to be at the training ground for 8:30am, we have breakfast with the team, see the physio, foam roll, stretch etc, then preactivation session for 15 minutes before we go out for training. I train for 1-2hours, then back in for lunch, then a weights session in the afternoon. Wednesday we do the same but finish at lunch, no weights session. Thursday is the same as Tuesday, Friday is the same at Wednesday. Saturday in for 10:30, train for an hour, lunch and home. Sunday is game day.

9. Carli Lloyd

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Carli Lloyd opened up about her favorite workouts to Insider. She says that she decided to step away from weight training for bodyweight exercises. "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," she said. "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. Christine Sinclair

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Christine Sinclair shared her workout routine with ELLE Canada. She says that she does a lot of cardio, specifically running, and intervals. “We never really do a long, slow jog; everything is run as far as you can for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break and when you’re done, do it again. Then, we do a lot of interval training [bursts of speed]. Anywhere from an eight-minute interval to a 10-minute intervals. For soccer, you need a good aerobic base, but you’re not jogging around the soccer field at one pace. It’s all about sprint, rest and how quickly can you recover. In the gym, we’ll usually have a base period where we’re working on just general strength, injury prevention, that type of thing and then as competition gets closer, we focus on speed and power and explosiveness.”

11. Marcus Rashford

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Marcus Rashford opened up about how reading has helped him in an interview with The Guardian. “Reading triggered something in me. I read a lot of books about mentality, because I wanted to play in Manchester United’s first team and I knew that to get there and to stay there I’d have to be mentally as tough as I can be. I learned about myself from books.”

12. Aaron Long

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Aaron Long opened up about recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture to The Los Angeles Times. “Everything starts flashing through your head, all the things you’re going to miss. They’re telling me it’s a nine-to-12-month injury. You really just don’t know how it’s going to go down. It was a tough break. I just had to kind of switch my mindset into rehab mode so I could miss as little as possible.”

13. Sean Johnson

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Sean Johnson plays goalkeeper on the field. He shared what exercises he has to do to stay in shape with Men’s Fitness. “As a goalkeeper, I do a lot of plyometric work, a lot of explosive work, and single-leg workouts in my training. In this position, it’s crucial to have strong legs and a powerful lower body, because when you're making saves, you're diving off one foot or jumping off one foot. I make sure to focus a lot on my lower body and explosive power.”

14. Ethan Horvath

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In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Ethan Horvath opened up about how he approaches games. “In those difficult periods, I learned that you have to take a step back and breathe,” he said. “You can’t look too far in the future, even a couple of days. You have to go back to basics. These last two weeks, I told myself that I don’t have to do anything spectacular, I don’t need to be Superman. I’ve learned to be patient and be ready, because you never know when your next chance is going to come.”

15. Matt Turner

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During one of his games, Matt Turner wrote the words “R.I.P. Malia” on his jersey. He explained that this was for one of his fans that passed from cancer. Turner explained why he did this in an interview. “As professional athletes, you have a platform. For me, I used to use that platform a lot more frequently, dealing with kids with cancer. There was one I met named Malia, and it just came to my attention recently that she passed away. Honestly I felt terrible because I hadn’t been there as much for her really after seeing her at Gillette Stadium. God rest her soul, may she rest in peace and much love to her family, and know that every day me and my family are thinking of her.”

16. Harry Kane

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Nutrition is important to Harry Kane. He explained how he eats healthy in an interview with The Independent. “I had a guy come round and explained what you could do, eating the right food at the right times,” Kane said. “It blew me away a bit. I'd never looked too much into it, but he explained what the body does and how he could help me recover. He helped me in the recovery from the injury, with foods I was eating.”

17. Jordan Morris

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Jordan Morris is open about having Type 1 Diabetes. He talked about managing it in an interview with MLSSoccer.com. “It is tougher – if your blood sugar is not in the right range, it can be tough to play. But I think getting it at such a young age, I had to learn how to work hard and take care of something…That was the first question my mom asked [Morris’ doctor] – ‘can he still play sports?’ And he said the more, the better. At a young age, having to get out and exercise a lot and really watch what you eat, it’s stuff that you have to do to become a professional athlete. And I think being able to start that at a young age maybe helped me get to where I am.”

18. DeJuan Jones

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DeJuan Jones opened up about his mindset during games in a press conference. “I feel like my confidence has grown as well just playing in bigger games, so it’s been it’s been great, and I’m continuing to grind, and do whatever I can in training to put my best foot forward.”

19. Sergio Ramos

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In an interview with UEFA, Sergio Ramos talked about how he approaches playing and his motivations. "I get up every day with the same desire to keep improving,” he said. “Which I've had since I was a kid. I'm not looking for recognition. All I want to do every year is do even better, forget what we've won and set new challenges. I'll keep going as long as the body allows it.”

20. Julian Gressel

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In an interview with 90 Min, Julian Gressel talked about his career, and how he feels. "I was always just trying to give back to the community for what they gave us in the locker room and I certainly look back to all of it with nothing but a smile on my face. I'm excited to go back there every year and play there. It's special. It'll be a special place in my heart for me and my family forever.”