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.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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." 

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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!!!"

df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

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."

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."

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."

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.'"