20 Amazing Bodies of Female Track and Field Stars

Discover the inspiring stories of 20 remarkable female track and field athletes whose dedication and hard work have propelled them to the top of their sport. From Jemma Reekie's mindset of self-belief to Jasmine Camacho-Quinn's fearless competition mentality, these athletes offer insights into their training regimens, nutrition choices, and the mindset that drives their success. Dina Asher-Smith's sleep-focused preparation, Kelsey Lee-Barber's holistic approach to wellness, and Allyson Felix's balanced diet are just a few examples of the diverse strategies employed by these athletes. Join us in celebrating their achievements and learning from their extraordinary journeys.

1. Jemma Reekie

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In an interview with Scottish Athletics, Jemma Reekie talked about how she preps for competitions. “I knew there would be a process, making the step-up, but felt with hard work I could get there. The athletes at the top of the sport are working so hard to be there. I just felt I had to have a mindset that I could join them. I always feel that telling yourself you can do it is one the main things that helps you make the leaps forward.”

2. Dina Asher-Smith

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In an interview with The Guardian, Dina Asher-Smith talked about how she preps for competitions like the Olympics. “Sleep and training are my highest priorities and I need a minimum of eight hours’ sleep. You can train yourself to be better at it; I won’t lie on my bed unless I’m going to sleep. If I’m travelling to a different time zone, I’ll start adjusting before I leave. I’ll get up at 4am, even if I’m a zombie.”

3. Kelsey Lee-Barber

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Kelsey Lee-Barber shared her approach to health and wellness with Coles.com. “Healthier living means taking a wholistic approach. It includes being physically fit and full of energy, investment in my mental health and well-being and it’s fueling by body with fresh and wholesome foods.”

4. Ajee Wilson

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Ajee Wilson shared some of her wellness secrets in an interview with Byrdie. “A healthy and balanced diet has been the core of my regimen. And you can try your best with that, but there are always deficiencies that arise. So, I'm super excited to partner with Thorne and their Better Health campaign to fill in those gaps and make sure that I'm coming to the line as healthy as possible.”

5. Keely Hodgkinson

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Keely Hodgkinson talked about her training regime to Runnersworld.com. “A lot of people find my training quite weird, because I don’t really do slow stuff. Long runs are not really a thing in my training plan except in the summer, because that’s when the track sessions get more intense, so that’s when you need the slower recovery days. In winter, I do a lot of cross-training to try to keep off my feet. Too much time on my feet and I end up getting loads of stress responses. So it’s cross-training on Mondays. On Tuesdays, I’ll do a session on the cross trainer and then I’ll do a track session. Wednesdays are a 30-minute run and 40 minutes on the cross trainer, plus some gym work. Thursdays are similar to Tuesdays, but with maybe more of a tempo-type session. I always have Fridays off, then Saturdays in the winter will be a longer session and in the summer a track session. Sundays in the winter will be hills, and in the summer I’ll do a 15-minute run.”

6. Allyson Felix

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In an interview, Allyson Felix talked about her favorite healthy meals. “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.”

7. Elaine Thompson-Herah

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Elaine Thompson-Herah talked about the successes she’s had and how she pushes herself to WorldAthletics.org. "It means a lot to me as a Jamaican because we are such a strong sprinting nation. The 100m and 200m are such special events and we (Jamaicans) like to put our marker on that podium…The record(s) are not really in range and will be a stretch for me, although I hope to break one. All I’m doing is taking my training step by step."

8. Eleanor Patterson

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In an interview with NSWIS, Eleanor Patterson talked about finding her identity. “One thing I’m hellbent on proving to myself is I’m a person outside of being an athlete; having that balance in life is huge,” she says. “Even after becoming the world champion, I was really determined not to let that change me. I like to be a humble person . . . a hard worker . . . And keep things simple. I’m someone who doesn’t like to draw a lot of attention to myself.”

9. Zoe Buckman

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Prior to the 2016 Olympics, Zoe Buckman talked about her mindset in an interview with Runners Tribe. “This season I’ve just been focused on one race at a time. You have to focus on being calm throughout the process and what you have to do in the race, and I try to stop short of thinking of the outcome. There are many steps to take before Rio- race, train in Laguna, go to the holding camp…so plenty to think about in the meantime.”

10. Jana Pittman

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In an interview with Marie Claire, Jana Pittman talked about how she handles criticism and life in the spotlight. “I had a lot of negative media as a young person and it really hurt, because I'm someone who is just very keen to be liked,” she said. “Nowadays, I accept that everyone isn’t going to like me, and I feel like I'm making such a difference by having these conversations that I put my own personality aside in that respect.”

11. Michelle Jenneke

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Michelle Jenneke shared her exercise routine and training process to Body & Soul. “I do three track sessions a week, and they can be from 2-3 hours each, which can be full on. You do some warm up, a hurdle session, and then a sprint session after that.”

12. Caitlin Sargent-Jones

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Caitlin Sargent-Jones likes to run anytime and anyplace. She shares a bunch of running videos on Instagram. In this video, she is seen hiking and crossing stones in a river. Sargent-Jones captioned the post, “Wet weather adventures on Yugambeh county.”

13. Nicola Olyslagers

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Prior to the 2021 Olympic Games, Nicola Olyslagers talked about how she’s approaching her career to The Guardian. “I don’t take it for granted – I know it could be cancelled – but if it goes ahead I will be enjoying it and taking it all in. It will be a miracle. But I am going there with a mission to get a medal – I will enjoy it, but I have a game plan.”

14. Asha Philip

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In an interview, Asha Philip talked about how she stayed motivated to recover from an injury. “It was just the fact that I saw the small steps I was taking – so being able to move my leg without assistance from crutches or my other leg. Learning how to jog without a brace, that’s what made me think ‘okay yeah I can do this.’”

15. Katarina Johnson-Thompson

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After a nearly career-ending injury, Katarina Johnson-Thompson is working on getting to the Olympics, and getting her first medal. “I've never won an Olympic medal,” she told BBC Sport. “That's something that is in the back of my mind for next year, for sure, looking at the bigger picture. Obviously, I want a world medal - but everything I'm doing this year, even the World Championships, is for Paris."

16. Ashleigh Nelson

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Ashleigh Nelson shares a lot of her favorite workouts on Instagram. She makes sure to do a variety of different things. In this video, Nelson does crunches while throwing a ball at a wall. She captioned the post, “Be mindful of the language you used to talk to yourself, IT’S POWERFUL!!!”

17. Morgan Lake

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Morgan Lake opened up about her diet in an interview on Redbull.com. “The week before a big competition it’s really important to get enough protein to refuel after your training sessions and enough carbohydrates, normally 48 hours before the competition to ensure you’ve got enough energy. Obviously, a competition can last up to two hours, or even more, so that’s probably the most important thing. For breakfast I usually have avocado on toast, with either smoked salmon or egg, so I’ve always got carbs, fat and protein first thing in the morning. Lunchtime kind of depends on what day it is, so if I’m training again that afternoon I’ll probably have something a bit higher in carbohydrates, like a chicken pesto wrap or tabbouleh and falafel. Dinner is where I try and get protein in, so I have something like salmon or a tuna steak with sweet potato and veg.”

18. Emma Coburn

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Emma Coburn broke down a typical training day with EatingWell. “In a usual week, I'll have three ‘ workouts,’ which are more-intense sessions. Sometimes those workouts are on the track, sometimes they are just a long 15-mile run with a faster finish. So, every day is a little bit different. On non-workout days, I run 8 to 12 miles. Sometimes 8 miles easy in the morning, then 4 miles easy in the evening. If it is a workout day, we meet for practice, then conduct our workout. The workout usually adds up to 12 miles. Then, we head to our gym and lift weights for an hour.”

19. Gabby Thomas

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In an interview with The Healthy, Gabby Thomas revealed some of her wellness secrets, including her workout routine. “A typical workout routine for me is about three hours of running, believe it or not, and then a lift. So we do a lot of sprinting, a lot of running around in circles on the track, and then we like to do some explosive things in the weight room.”

20. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

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Jasmine Camacho-Quinn talked about the mindset she has when competing to Olympics.com. “I'm trying not to stress myself out…And there's nothing for me to be afraid of because (I tell myself) ‘everybody you're lining up against, you already raced. You know these girls, you are always competing against them.’”

From gymnastics to swimming, track and field to boxing, these athletes have honed their bodies to perfection. Discover their secrets, from unique training routines and dietary preferences to mental resilience and recovery strategies. Each champion, like Simone Biles challenging societal beauty norms or Sue Bird's dedication to an anti-inflammatory diet, offers a unique perspective on what it takes to reach the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Join us on this journey into the exceptional lives of these remarkable athletes.

1. Simone Biles

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While Simone Biles may compete in gymnastics, she doesn’t believe in competing with other women in society. She talked about this on Instagram. "Let’s talk about competition," she shared. "Specifically the competition I didn’t sign up for and feel like has become almost a daily challenge for me. And I don’t think I’m the only one. In gymnastics, as in many other professions, there is a growing competition that has nothing to do with performance itself. I’m talking about beauty.”

2. Katie Ledecky

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Swimmer Katie Ledecky tells Shape that she does a full-body strength training workout three times a week. "It's pretty full-body because that's what swimming is," explains Ledecky. "I think core strength is incredibly important in swimming — it's that connecting piece between your arms and legs. So we work on strength and we work on power because you have to have that power coming out of the starting blocks and on all of the turns, as well as a good jump."

3. Allyson Felix

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Track and field star Allyson Felix tells Women’s Day that she’s changed her approach to training as she’s gotten older. “I think when I was younger I always felt like I wanted to do as much as I could — quantity was everything — and now that I’m older, and as a mom, it’s really quality over quantity. It’s about training smarter. For me, being able to focus on recovery allows me to come back and get quality work the next day as well.”

4. Mikaela Shifrin

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Skier Mikaela Shifrin talked about her training process to Sports Illustrated. She says that before a competition, she likes to eat pasta. “I feel a lot more energy in every way for the race,” she explains. “That’s a theory I believe in.”

5. Claressa Shields

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Boxer Claressa Shields shares her fitness secrets with Muscle and Fitness. “My boxing routine requires strength and conditioning workouts in the morning. Then I’ll train again with another two- to three-hour boxing session. I’ll hit the bag or pads with my coach and work on certain combinations. Then it’s working on the game plan and watching film. All that is about three hours. At the end of the day, there may even be a nighttime session or just an early morning session the following day.”

6. Sakshi Malik

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Wrestler Sakshi Malik shared her workout and training secrets with GQ. “Fitness is the most important thing – it is impossible to perform if you’re not fit,” she says. “This sport is so tough that you require each part of your body to be strong. While power and strength need to be constantly worked on, I like to work on my techniques quite a bit. In addition, it is also important to work on your mental strength and discipline. In a sport like wrestling, you need to make split decisions to go into attack or defense, and without the right focus, you can’t achieve this.”

7. Elaine Thompson-Herah

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Track and field star Elaine Thompson-Herah works with trainer, Stephen Francis, to keep her in Olympic shape. She says that Francis has really helped with her career. "I don’t know what it was but Stephen saw something in me that I did not see,” Thompson-Herah told World Athletics. “He told me I could do better in training and that I was not producing the times on the track that I should be. He told me not to be scared of people, be less serious, smile more and shake it up."

8. Dina Asher-Smith

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Track and field athlete Dina Asher-Smith shared her training secrets with Runner’s World. She says that there’s one type of workout she avoids. “I don’t lift weights. There are lots of other ways to get power. It’s not about how much weight you can throw around, but how well you use the power that you have.”

9. Erin Jackson

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Speed skater, Erin Jackson, shared her mindset when she trains with Shape. “My inline coach from back in Florida, Renee Hildebrand…used to always say, 'Perfect practice makes perfect,'" says Jackson. "It's not just 'Practice makes perfect' — if you practice something the wrong way, then you're just going to reinforce the wrong way. That's something I've held onto over the years, to make every practice count."

10. Brittany Bowe

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Recovery is important to speed skater, Brittany Bowe. She shared her favorite ways to do so with SELF. “After a tough day, I’ll get into an epsom salt bath. I put some lavender oil in there. I typically use Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt in a few different combinations, and especially enjoy the lavender. I’m definitely a bath person—I take a couple baths a week to wind down.”

11. Naomi Osaka

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Tennis star, Naomi Osaka, likes to make smoothies before and after she works out. She shared some of her go-to ingredients with Us Weekly. ​​“My favorite fruits to add in are strawberries, blueberries, and a frozen banana – sometimes I add mangoes,” she said. “My go-to trick is, if fruits are starting to go bad, rather than waste them I cut them up and place them in portion-sized baggies and freeze them so they are ready to go for my shakes. In addition to some ice, I add in BODYARMOR LYTE Coconut for some extra vitamins and antioxidants.”

12. Jade Jones

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Taekwondo athlete, Jade Jones shared her post-lockdown training process with Women’s Fitness. “I’m making sure that everything I do is so I’m in the best possible shape for when it’s my time to fight in July. I train Monday to Friday, usually twice a day. I put in as much as I can into each session, and then try to recover corr,ectly, get the right amount of sleep, eat the right things, and take my Bioglan supplements to keep myself healthy. Knowing I’m doing all I can to be at my best gives me confidence and is part of my mental preparation.”

13. Rose Lavelle

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Soccer player Rose Lavelle opened up about her training process to Well + Good. She says that she values her recovery time. “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.”

14. Kelsey Mitchell

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Kelsey Mitchell tells the National Post that she eats a lot of protein to help with her cycling. “Protein is obviously super important. But I think that’s the one thing that’s ingrained in us in society. It’s like, if you’re working out and you’re lifting, you’re tearing those muscle fibres — you need protein to build it back up. I kind of struggled with figuring out that I needed carbs for energy.”

15. Ginny Thrasher

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Gold medal rifle shooter, Ginny Thrasher, talked about her wellness routine in the caption of this Instagram post. She says that she doesn’t like to take supplements. “Regarding supplementation, I personally take a minimalist approach. I try to get my nutrients from my diet and whole foods, only using supplements as needed to help boost anything I need. People often ask what specific supplements rifle shooters should take, but I think it’s more about what’s PROVEN, NECESSARY, and SAFE rather than looking for a performance benefit that pills just won’t give you unless you need it.”

16. Marianne Vos

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Cyclist Marianne Vos talked about her approach to the Olympics in an interview with Soigneur. “I lost myself in my preparation for the Olympic Games. The satisfaction is temporary— I know that. When you wake up the day after winning the world championships, you are still Marianne. Winning a race does not necessarily make you happier. It is the road to it that counts.”

17. Emma McKeon

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Swimmer Emma McKeon talked about her diet and how it evolved to Rescue. “At times, I used to just eat whatever I wanted, even when training, and I would end up being exhausted and not have enough energy to get through training sessions. So I have learnt what foods I need to eat and how much I need to eat to fuel my body, and learnt which foods to choose instead of filling up on things that aren’t going to fuel me for intense training.”

18. Cate Campbell

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Swimmer Cate Campbell shared some of her healthy habits with Body + Soul. She says that sleep is important to her. “Having a good sleeping routine is really important for me. I make sure the TV is off at 9pm, then I listen to music while I clean the kitchen and get ready for bed. I try and make my bedtimes as consistent as possible during the week – especially if I have training the next morning.”

19. Dana Vollmer

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In an interview with ESPN, Dana Vollmer talked about how she manages pain while swimming. “That's something over the course of my career I've had to learn: what is good pain and what is bad pain? 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.”

20. Sue Bird

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Basketball star, Sue Bird, shared her wellness secrets with GQ. She says that while she believes in the 80/20 rule with her diet, she cuts out and limits some things. “I don't eat dairy, and I've been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then. There’s very little sugar, if any, because I save that for my cheat days. I like rice bowls a lot. That's been my new thing this year—I’ll have some brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and mixed veggies.”

The Summer Olympics are coming! The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (aka Paris 2024) run from from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11, 2024. So we're getting hyped for one of our favorite events: Swimming. Several women have made their mark on the swimming world. From Katie Ledecky, to Janet Evans, to Simone Manuel, these women have won medals, broke world records, and made history. How do they stay so fit? Read on for their wellness tips.

1. Katie Ledecky

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Katie Ledecky has won multiple medals in the Olympics. She shared her training secrets in an interview with E! News. Ledecky opened up about her diet in it. “I keep it pretty consistent. The only day that I don't train is Sundays, so even right now when I'm taking a little bit of time off, I'm trying to stick to a pretty regular routine. So oatmeal for breakfast, some sort of egg sandwich for lunch, or eggs with toast and then dinner is what varies the most but it is either carbs or some sort of protein: chicken, steak, salmon, something along those lines.”

2. Missy Franklin

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Missy Franklin has won multiple gold medals. She shared her favorite breakfast options with People. "Nutrition is a big part of my training. If I'm not fueling my body with the right things then I'm not going to perform the way I need to. "I'm very proud of myself because I've mastered the omelet flip in the pan. I almost always make omelets just so I can flip them—that's the most exciting part for me.”

3. Dara Torres

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Dara Torres is the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic medal. She opened up about her diet in an interview with Parade. “I had an eating disorder in college and it took me a while to get over it and I really developed 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.”

4. Natalie Coughlin

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Olympic athlete Natalie Coughlin opened up about the importance of recovery in an interview with Kinetic Fix. “Recovery and rest is becoming much more important as I get older, but on the flip side there are some benefits to getting older: I’m much stronger, and I maintain that strength better than before. But as you age you tend to break down faster, so it’s really important for me to keep my strength and ease back when I swim, focusing more on race relevance.”

5. Emma McKeon

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Emma McKeon is an Olympic medalist, known for her butterfly and freestyle strokes. She shared her wellness secrets and her daily routine with Women’s Health. “Depending on what day it is, I’ll also have a physio appointment. They will focus on my shoulders because I use them so much, then just any other little niggly or tight things that need maintenance. So far I’ve been pretty lucky not to have any proper injuries, just little niggly things that will go away after some regular physio treatment.”

6. Lilly King

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Lilly King is an Olympic athlete. She shared how she prepares for meets in an interview with Swimming World. “It’s a little weird because I am always preparing for the race. I am constantly thinking about the outcome I want to achieve. I also only think about the best-case scenario, which I find not a lot of others do. I really try to only think about the positives.”

7. Sarah Sjöström

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Sarah Sjöström has multiple world records for swimming. She shared her typical diet in an interview with Irmas World. “During my hard training periods I try to make sure I eat enough protein and carbs to recover better. I don’t count calories, I have just learned how much I need. I also try to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between meals at the same time every day. During competitions, I have protein/energy bars and after competitions and trainings protein and carb shakes or bars help me regain my energy.”

8. Rebecca Adlington

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Rebecca Adlington is a gold medalist in the distance freestyle. She revealed to Hello! Magazine that she loves avocado. "For me, I love avocados and stuff like that. Obviously they are high in fat - it is one of those difficult things - but I'm not going to tell you to eat four avocados, and certainly, be careful what you're eating it with. For me, it's great to just have a bit of avocado with some eggs or something like that, because it does fill you. I think a lot of things, when you're eating fruit and vegetables, you're kind of hungry an hour after, whereas things that last and can help you survive the whole day are obviously better. I love avocado and eggs, simple things."

9. Summer Sanders

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Summer Sanders is a gold medalist and a sports commentator. She shared her diet secrets in an interview with SELF. “My healthiest habit is eating a healthy breakfast every morning. 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.”

10. Janet Evans

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Janet Evans is one of the most successful female swimmers. She opened up about her diet in an interview with Mom.com. “I eat a banana prior to my morning workout. I think protein is very important when you are training as hard, as you’re breaking your muscles down. So I usually have a protein shake or some eggs or something that gives me a little protein after my workout. I also have a scoop of my Metamucil to keep my cholesterol down–I have a history of heart disease in my family. Then, for lunch, I usually have something that’s going to sit well in my stomach because I have to go back to training. So I usually have a turkey sandwich or something of that nature. And dinner, I come home and make something healthy for my kids and husband. Once again, kind of protein-based, but basically trying to get enough fuel to get back up and do it all again the next day.”

11. Leisel Jones

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Leisel Jones is a world champion in breaststroke. She shared her morning workout in an interview with Women’s Health. “It’s time for a full-body workout at Perform 360 at Enogerra, Brisbane. It’s an intense fitness session and it really works my whole body – it’s a strength session with some conditioning at the end. Strength and conditioning training is a great combo for improving speed and power and also mobility, mind and stability. I love it.”

12. Haley Anderson

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Haley Anderson is an open water swimmer in the Olympics. She tells Cosmopolitan that she likes to weightlift. “My lifting workout started with a 15- to 30-minute dynamic warm-up for mobility and muscle activation. Then I moved into some power-lifting moves (mainly medicine ball throws) and transitioned into a mix of lower and upper body exercises. I worked in some extra exercises with my weight-lifting coach to strengthen my shoulder blades and shoulders, areas that can get torn down when you swim as much as me.”

13. Simone Manuel

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Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win gold for an individual event. She revealed that she suffered from overtraining syndrome in 2021. Manuel talked about this to Sports Illustrated. “I think especially as athletes, we sometimes think that taking rest is a sign of weakness, but with the grueling and daunting schedules that we have, it’s really important to listen to your body, but also your mind when you need to take some time for yourself.”

14. Allison Schmidtt

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Allison Schmidtt talked about how her diet changes due to her cycle to Orreco. “I didn’t realise how important carbohydrates were and the need to eat more carbohydrates around certain periods of training. So many coaches throughout my career told us that carbs are bad for you and make you fat. I didn’t learn that training the female body is different to training the male body. We have to train differently and eat differently to men, and that knowledge has given me such a big advantage to help understand my body and reach the highest peak.”

15. Olivia Smoliga

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Olympian Olivia Smoliga shares her secrets for building confidence with Jolyn. “Don’t let the fear of failing stop you from doing what you want. Every time I stepped up on the blocks at Olympic Trials, the first time being when I was 17, I was so nervous! And that’s an understatement. At that time, there were no backstroke wedges so you just had to do a start on touchpads that had no gripping on them. So there was a huge chance I could slip. I practiced and practiced to make sure I wouldn’t, and yet I still thought about it as I walked out for the final. But I knew I wanted to be there! I knew I could do something special! No matter what my fears were telling me. And at those trials, I made it to the final of the 100 back. How will you know what you can do, if you never try? No one cares if you fall on your face. They will admire that you even had the courage to even go after your goals in the first place. You shouldn’t care what others think anyway, but let that give you some solace next time you wanna try something out of the ordinary.”

16. Cate Campbell

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Cate Campbell is a world champion and holds a medal for the Olympic sprint freestyle. She tells Body & Soul that sleep is a big part of her wellness routine. “Having a good sleeping routine is really important for me. I make sure the TV is off at 9pm, then I listen to music while I clean the kitchen and get ready for bed. I try and make my bedtimes as consistent as possible during the week – especially if I have training the next morning.”

17. Stephanie Rice

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Stephanie Rice won three gold medals at the 2008 Olympics. She shared how she trained for the Olympics with Body & Soul. “When I was training, everything was extreme and the focus was not on looking a certain way – it was on the actual performance element of looking like that, so food was fuel; it wasn’t an enjoyment thing. I needed X amount of calories, or X amount of protein for muscle recovery so it was very science based.”

18. Kathleen Baker

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Kathleen Baker is a champion in backstroke. She also has Crohn’s Disease. Baker tells Olympics.com that this has made her appreciate swimming a lot more. “Crohn's disease has given me an immense love and appreciation for my sport that I feel like you can really only have when you've had something taken away from you, or feel like it could be taken away from you. So when I compete, I compete for such a love of what I do and the process to get there, not only just the success or the racing, but truly just a love for my sport.”

19. Abbey Weitzeil

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Abbey Weitzeil won silver in the 2021 Olympics. She talked about how she overcomes challenges in an interview on Speedo’s website. “I train and do what I can control, and I tell myself that whenever I’m having a tough time… You’re going to have some good days and some bad days, and sometimes you’ll have bad weeks or months too. As long as you enjoy the ride and love what you do then these challenges are easier to face.”

20. Penny Oleksiak

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Penny Oleksiak was the youngest Canadian to win at the Olympics. In an interview with Narcity, she revealed how she is recovering from knee surgery. “My focus kind of shifted. Right now I'm strengthening my knee still and still kind of working on that and trying to make sure it's always healthy. But right now my shoulders are kind of my biggest rehab thing that I'm getting over.”

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.”

In the world of sports, the dedication, perseverance, and tenacity of female athletes often shine brilliantly. From tennis courts to gymnastics mats, from racetracks to swimming pools, these women defy norms, push boundaries, and set remarkable standards. Here we delve deep into the lives, routines, and mindsets of extraordinary sportswomen like Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Lindsey Vonn, to name a few. Each athlete offers a unique perspective on training, diet, mental well-being, and the challenges they've faced. This compilation is not just about physical prowess but also about the spirit and resilience of these incredible women. Dive in to get inspired.

1. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams leads a busy life. For this reason, making time to herself is important. “Something I do every day is [to] completely turn my brain off,” she told CNBC’s Make It. “Which sounds weird but because I work so much between tennis and running my other properties—Serena Ventures and Serena Clothing. But it’s a lot so I just need to turn my brain off and not think about anything.”

2. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles opened up about her journey with therapy to Glamour. She says that she was resistant at first, but has found the sessions extremely helpful. “I thought I could figure it out on my own, but that’s sometimes not the case. And that’s not something you should feel guilty or ashamed of. Once I got over that fact, I actually enjoyed it and looked forward to going to therapy. It’s a safe space.”

3. Ronda Rousey

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MMA Fighter Ronda Rousey broke down her training routine to StyleCaster. She says that it consists of, “Usually judo, striking, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, conditioning, and swimming six to 12 times a week, depending on where I am in my training cycle. The boxing workout consists of sparring, back work, mitt work, and shadow boxing. My strength workout is a lot of core-work exercises, and judo, wrestling, and jiu jitsu is drilling and open sparring.”

4. Allyson Felix

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Allyson Felix opened up about the diet she eats during competitions and training in an interview. “I love food,” she said. “I can eat quite a bit. I try and keep it really high-protein and eat things like grilled chicken and fish with the right amount of vegetables and fruits. I also keep a bunch of snacks around, healthy things that I can snack on throughout the day.”

5. Misty Copeland

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Misty Copeland broke down her diet in a 2015 interview with Glamour. “I'll eat fruit right after class. Then throughout the day I'll eat nuts and dried fruit—lots and lots of nuts for energy. I'll also eat light stuff during the day—maybe salad or sushi. I'm a pescatarian, so I don't eat red meat or pork. So my dinners usually consist of seafood in some way. And maybe cookies after!”

6. Lindsey Vonn

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Lindsey Vonn opened up about her struggles with body image and body positivity on Instagram. "I've posted quite a few swimsuit pics lately, which is scarier than it seems,” she wrote. “Even as an athlete there are ruthless comments and media stories that tear apart my body and I admit it sometimes hurts me. I'm a normal person and sometimes I slouch, my stomach folds over, my cellulite shows on my butt, or I don't fill out my swimsuit top just right. I always remember how my body has helped me achieve amazing things in my life and I am proud of how strong I am. I'm not a size zero and that's perfectly fine with me.”

7. Lolo Jones

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In an interview with Stack, Lolo Jones talked about her workouts and how she lost weight. “You can’t do the same workout every day and expect results,” she explained. “Our method is based on cycles. We build up to hard workouts within three weeks and then take a rest week. Also, if you increase your volume, you need to decrease your rest. For example, if I’m running for longer and slower, then I get less rest time. But if my run time is faster and shorter, I get a longer time to recover so that I can run at a higher velocity next round. Rest is really important.”

8. Alex Morgan

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Prior to the 2021 Olympic, Alex Morgan shared her mindset with The Beet. “Going through these big moments, the World Cup, and the Olympics, and I try to live in the now. I will have so many intense moments coming up in these next two weeks, I try to remember to take a breath and tell myself to just ‘Live in the now.’ I have found over the past ten years on the national team, I know that there is more to it than just the journey. Live in the now and remembering to breathe. And enjoy the moment.”

9. Kayla Harrison

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Kayla Harrison is open about being a survivor of abuse. She told Muscle and Fitness that she has learned to keep going forward when she feels down. “I think, because of my life story, and because of the ups and downs, I’ve learned that life is a rollercoaster,” she said. “And, I think that this helps with the bad times and the down times, and the times where I want to quit, or when I feel like I suck, or the times when I just don’t know how I’m gonna get through this. The bad times don’t last forever. The good times don’t either, but it gives me courage to know that nothing I go through now will ever be harder than what I went through when I was 16 or 17. That mental toughness carries me through.”

10. Maria Sharapova

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Maria Sharapova talked about her diet in an interview. “I start my day healthy, drink lots of lemon water, have done this my entire career, then green smoothie with kale, lemon, spinach and sometimes a small apple or an avocado. I usually pair that with rye toast. These days I'm not too fussy about food and I have to say I'm a lot less fussy than when I was playing."

11. Mikaela Shifrin

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Mikaela Shifrin shared her training secrets with Sports Illustrated. She says that she and her team look for external factors that could be affecting her performance. “We can objectively rate what my energy levels should be, across a period of time, given this data,” Shiffrin says. “There’s a graph showing the peaks and valleys of my training, and the highest intensity blocks versus the lowest intensity blocks. The last couple of years we’ve collected enough data to see when I get tired in a really intense training block.”

12. Lisa Carrington

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Lisa Carrington shared her fitness secrets in an interview with NowToLove. “I do lots of strength work," she says. "Pretty much all my cardio is done on the water, although we do mix in a little cycling or running to give my body a rest from it. And then I'll also fit in some Pilates – a one-on-one session with some really challenging core and stability exercises."

13. Tianna Bartoletta

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Tianna Bartoletta opened up about her decision to use InsideTracker to help track her wellbeing to Sports Business Journal. “I really committed to my InsideTracker journey around that point because so many things converged at the same time. I learned I had the tumor that was hemorrhaging and causing the blood loss that was causing the anemia. COVID happened. The Olympics, at that time, were still meant to go on as planned. And I was barely holding on to life at that point, as the reigning Olympic champion. There was no way I could think about defending the title until I actually got baseline healthy. You can't skip steps. I cannot become the Olympic champion, and then I'll revisit and circle back to surviving. So yeah, I buckled down on InsideTracker. I was like, 'Oh, I really have to take care of this. I have to give myself a fighting chance.’ All of these places where it says ‘need to be optimized,’ I need to kill it. I need to maximize, optimize and that is the thing that flipped the switch for me.”

14. Katie Ledecky

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Katie Ledecky opened up about her training process to E! News. “On a hard day, I'll have two swim practices and a weight session. I swim twice a day, four times a week and once a day, twice a week and then I have Sundays off. I swim nine to ten times a week and then three weight sessions per week.”

15. Maya Moore

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Maya Moore shared some of her diet secrets with Stack. She says that she has learned to limit the amount of sugar in her diet, and reads labels on food. “You start to realize just how much sugar is out there,” she says. “A lot of times, it’s just empty calories. I started to find different recipes and learned to cook for myself.”

16. Megan Rapinoe

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Megan Rapinoe talked about her workout secrets to 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."

17. Ashlyn Harris

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Ashlyn Harris talked about her plant-based diet to Green Matters. “I think people can feel intimidated by plant-based foods and the idea of completely changing their diet. But making small changes like avoiding animal products even just a couple of days a week can have positive effects on your health and the environment. So if you’re nervous, start with something small and easy and go from there. In my house, we really love JUST Egg Folded, which you pop in the toaster to make a quick sandwich. It's delicious and so easy, and you’ll totally forget you’re eating an egg from a plant.”

18. Holly Holm

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In a 2015 interview, Holly Holm talked about how she approaches fights. “The whole plan is to not get hit. That’s what I’m focused on. I spend a lot of time in the gym. The more I fear my opponent, the more time I spend in the gym. The more I learn the more confident I feel, which helps me feel more comfortable and not be overly anxious or be too nervous where I can’t focus and perform. Hard work helps me to get through that.”

19. Dame Valerie Adams

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Dame Valerie Adams might no longer be competing, but she’s still working out. "It's not my job to perform physically any more, but it is my job to perform emotionally and mentally,” she said in an interview. "Exercise is how I fill my cup and it's how I get what I need to release my stress. But other people have their own ways of thriving. It could be as simple as going outside for a 30-minute walk or putting on your favourite playlist and having a boogie in your lounge. It really gives you a boost."

20. Jessica Ennis-Hill

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When it comes to wellness, Jessica Ennis-Hill is all about variety. “I think it is important to enjoy food and not just see it as sustenance,” she told BBC Good Food. “I love to cook and am always trying out new recipes.” She also says that her biggest wellness advice is, “To try and keep both your diet and the exercise you do varied and interesting. You’re more likely to keep it up if you don’t get bored with it.”

21. Claressa Shields

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When it comes to her diet, Claressa Shields makes sure to eat healthy, but also doesn’t like to deny herself. “I have a cheat day every week in camp at least once,” she said in an interview. “I don’t care if I have some Doritos, if it’s a donut, if it was a cream cheese filled pretzel. I have my cheat days, but for my [main] diet it’s very, very strict.”

22. Michelle Waterson-Gomez

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Michelle Waterson-Gomez shared her secrets for MMA fighting to Women Fitness. “I think it is important to drill over and over again until you are sick of drilling, then drill some more. I also like to shadow boxing which is like fighting an imagery opponent. Shadow boxing allows you to fix your mistakes and make your movement smooth so that it becomes second nature. Doing bag work is also a good workout routine. It allows me to work on my power and footwork.”

23. Lisa Leslie

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In an interview with Stack, Lisa Leslie shared her secrets for success. “Be hungry about your sport or whatever it is you are passionate about,” she says. “You can’t reach perfection—that’s what drives me. I am a perfectionist, but you can’t reach perfection, so I am always looking for ways to get better.”

24. Dafne Schippers

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During the pandemic, Dafne Schippers made sure to stay in shape. She did a lot of at-home workouts. NBC Sports shared this video of her working out in her yard. In it, Schippers is seen doing box jumps onto a table with her dog.

25. Misty May-Treanor

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Gold medalist Misty May-Treanor shared her diet secrets with Women Fitness. “I like to listen to my body, but I do watch what I eat,” she says. “I try to eat whole nutritious foods because that is what is going to fuel my body and it is especially important that I eat enough calories with the amount of training that I did. I would work with my trainers too in order to make sure I came in at my playing weight that I feel the strongest at. Drinking plenty of water even throughout the night is important. Carrying small snacks helps to keep energy up.”

26. Elana Meyers Taylor

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Elana Meyers Taylor shared her workout secrets in an interview with NBCOlympics.com. “On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do double days of running in the morning and lifting in the afternoon. Tuesdays and Saturdays, I do a running workout or recovery workout. Thursdays are off. My schedule changes every day based off of what other duties I have with Nico -- he has multiple therapies a week.”

27. Kerri Walsh-Jennings

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Kerri Walsh-Jennings shared how she stays in Olympic shape to Muscle and Fitness. “Staying strong and flexible is how I stay healthy. I’m a big fan of weightlifting to make me strong and prevent injury. It’s also great for metabolism, confidence, posture, and bone density. Pilates has helped me so much in my career as well. I worked hard to get my strength back in my core and strengthen my upper back, especially after breastfeeding.”

28. Michelle Kwan

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Michelle Kwan broke down her daily routine to Repeller.com. In it, she shared her go-to workouts. “Yoga helps clear my mind. It helps me maintain a sense of mental ease throughout the day, so when I’m stuck in traffic, or I get in an argument, or something chaotic happens at work, I’m able to take a step back to pause and reflect before I react. That’s why I practice so much: for the safety of others [laughs].”

29. Paige VanZant

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In an interview with Women Fitness, Paige VanZant talked about how she approaches recovering from injuries. “My husband kept me training and pushing very hard through every injury I encounter.” VanZant also shared some advice for other fighters. “For young fighters who experience injuries my advice would be to keep your mind busy and heart focused on why you started. And remember fighting is not who you are it is what you do. The light always comes after the darkness.”

30. Tara Lipinski

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Tara Lipinski broke down her typical diet to People. She says that she believes in moderation when it comes to food. “Since exercise and diet have been a part of my life since I was young, I know balance and moderation are key. 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.”