Track and Field Stunner Charli Hawkins in Swimwear Enjoys "Off Season"

Charli Hawkins is a track and field athlete who has competed in the Olympics, specializing in the Heptathlon. Recently, she took a break from her intense training routine to relax in Maui, sharing stunning beach photos on Instagram with the caption, “Off-Season at the Four Seasons🌴🌺☀️ @fsmaui.” Despite the fun, Hawkins still prioritizes her wellness and training mindset. In an interview with the NCAA, she emphasized the importance of mental preparation in her sport, stating, “There’s nothing special I need to do to train for the Olympics because I’ve been doing it every day for the last 20 years.” Hawkins also shares tips on Instagram, like slowing down gradually during running intervals to avoid injury. Supported by family and friends, and driven by her dedication to drills and safety, Hawkins continues to sharpen her skills and stay focused on her goals.

1. She Focuses Her Mind

In an interview with NCAA, Hawkins talked about the importance of a strong mind. "It's been 20 years since I officially started track & field and so I've been working out for decades for this," Hawkins said. "There's nothing special or nothing different that I need to do to train for the Olympics because I've been doing it every day for the last 20 years. What we need to do is get our mind ready and get everything sharpened so we can go in and just execute. We don't have to worry and hope on this miracle thing that happens. We can look at what we know we can do, and we can execute on it. We're just trying to be really intentional, so we go and have the best Olympic Games possible."

2. She Stops Slowly

Hawkins shares a lot of her tips for running on Instagram. In this post, she talked about the importance of stopping slowly. “When doing running intervals, stop S L O W L Y. ✨Stopping as fast as possible can cause a lot of issues: shin splints, knee pain, muscle strain, accidents, and body breakdown. Instead, stop with good form, just as you run with good form, slowly decreasing your pace. It might seem simple, but it will make a huge difference in the long run!”

3. She Has Support

Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Hawkins is lucky to have a lot of supportive people in her life. "I have a huge group of friends and family that are coming to support me, and I cannot wait to see all of them," Hawkins said to NCAA. "Honestly, they've got my back. Whether the outcome is good or the outcome is bad, they're just there with me and at the end of the day I'm just proud of that. No amount of medals could top it and no amount of disappointment could take it away. I'm grateful for the people that are in my corner and the relationships that I have, the community I've built. I'm so excited. I've gotten a lot of direct messages of people saying they're coming to see me. A lot of Aggies actually are excited to come and watch. I can't wait to share all of that with everybody and I'm really excited just take it all in."

4. She Does Drills

Hawkins makes sure to do drills. She talked about the importance of them in the caption of this Instagram post. “Drills are such a huge part of my life, because they changed my life. They made me an Olympian. ✨Every day I studied and practiced good positions and mechanics, I got one day better. I was able to stack those days together long enough to make the team. That’s all that our goals are about. Stacking the work, and seeing the results! Go get it! ❤️Do you agree?”

5. She’s Safe

Hawkins talked about her practice routine for the Olympics to NCAA. She says that she makes sure to do exercises that are safe. "We've been working hard in the weight room and on our physical fitness, but we haven't been doing a ton of technical stuff because as a heptathlete, we do so many things that are quite dangerous. You also have to make sure that you're listening to your body. I never want to do a hurdles practice when my mental faculties are not the sharpest they could be."

Track and Field Star Clara Fernández, master of the pole vault, shared some amazing swimsuit images over the past few days. “Mi isla favorita con @calallongahotel tenéis un código de descuento con mi código CLARACLL23 🫶🏻,” she captioned one video montage. She also shared a gorgeous photo of herself on a scenic rock from Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. The athlete, who is also a skilled triathlon participant who cycles swims, and runs long distances, knows exactly how to stay fit. Here's what she does to maintain her figure and how she shows it off.

1. She Pole Vaults

“Even if you’re unlikely to start flinging your body to amazing heights anytime soon, there’s plenty to learn from watching Olympic pole-vaulters,” says Adventist Health, which interviewed Dr. Gail Jones, a cardiologist at Northwest Regional Heart & Vascular and former pole vaulter. “Dr. Jones suggests watching the incredible core and upper body strength of vaulters, as well as their unique running style and power,” says the website. “This is very different from distance runners or sprinters, but no less athletic,” she told Adventist Health.

2. She Had Paddled

“Kayaking’s fluid paddling motion also provides a low-impact form of aerobic exercise improving strength and flexibility without the wear-and-tear on your joints like many other exercises. While you’ll quickly notice the workout on your upper body, proper paddling technique will tone and strengthen your back and chest as well. Like any aerobic exercise, kayaking can improve lung strength, while lowering blood pressure and a regulating of cholesterol, and Men’s Journal has even heralded kayaking one of the best workouts for a healthy heart,” says Visit NH.

3. She Stretches

“Research has shown that stretching can help improve flexibility, and, as a result, the range of motion of your joints,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Better flexibility may:

• Improve your performance in physical activities
• Decrease your risk of injuries
• Help your joints move through their full range of motion
• Increase muscle blood flow
• Enable your muscles to work most effectively
• Improve your ability to do daily activities

You may learn to enjoy the ritual of stretching before or after hitting the trail, ballet floor or soccer field.”

4. She Gets Vitamin D

“Vitamin D plays a big role in bone health and low Vitamin D levels have been linked to rickets in children and bone diseases like osteoporosis. So how much sun do you need to get enough Vitamin D? It only takes 5-15 minutes of sunlight exposure on your arms, hands and face to get your daily value,” says SCL Health. “The darker your complexion, the more time in the sun. Forget choking down a chalky vitamin every morning, just get outside for a bit and let the sun do its thing.”

5. She Swims

“The enjoyment in activity is extremely important in terms of continuing to engage in those activities,” says Hirofumi Tanaka, a professor in the University of Texas’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, told US Masters Swimming. “Tanaka points to a study of minimally to moderately obese young women done by Grant Gwinup and published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 1987. Participants reported that they enjoyed swimming much more than running and cycling,” says US Masters Swimming. “Swimming is also the third-most popular exercise, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning you’ll have someone to work out with.”

Maureen Blanquisco is modeling workout clothes. In a new social media post the IFBB contestant shows off her incredible body in a blue exercise set, driving her followers wild. “To all my baddies out there! This color makes your tan complexion POP,” she captioned the series of Instagram snaps. “So gorgeous 🩷🥰” commented one. “OKKKAAAY SLAAY SLAAY,” added another. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Swimming

When Maureen was younger she was a swimmer. “I always loved competing and performing. I usually call it “performing” instead of competing. Swimming was an individual sport. If I wanted to win, it all depended on me. I never liked depending on a team. If we lost because of them, I would get very frustrated,” she told Muscular Development.

2. Gymnastics and Cheerleading

Shutterstock

She then moved on to gymnastics and cheerleading. “Cheerleading was fine until one time we fell during a stunt, and it wasn’t my fault. I said, I think I work better alone,” this is when she discovered weights. “I started lifting weights at age 18. That’s around the time you want to look and feel good, putting on makeup. I was doing fitness training anyway, so I started to look for something I could do competitively that fit that. I had always wanted to compete in beauty pageants, but at 5 feet tall I was too short. Then I saw the Bikini Olympia on YouTube, and the woman who stuck out to me the most was India Paulino. She was my first idol! I thought it looked so cool. The women looked amazing, and this was the closest thing to a beauty pageant I could do. I thought I could just go compete in the Olympia. I had no idea you have to turn pro first, then qualify, the whole long process. But in my head, I only had one goal, to go to the Olympia.”

3. Here Is How She Preps for Shows

“I started prepping for the Olympia right after the Boston Pro in March, so that was seven months. It was a very chill prep because I was eating clean, but I was eating more than ever in a prep. I was still dieting, but it was more calories, and I did have one cheat meal a week. Now I see this is the best approach for me: a longer prep but with more food,” Maureen said.

4. Her “Breaks” Involve Cardio

When she does go on vacation, she still exercises. “I did go on vacation to Hawaii with my partner the week after the Olympia. That was on my bucket list. I did cardio every day, but I took five days off from weights. I had a couple of treats, but nothing crazy,” she says.

5. She Doesn’t “Gain Too Much” During the Offseason

Marueen avoids overindulging in the off season. “I have a very clear mindset that if I gain too much, it will be a lot harder for me,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “In Bikini, it’s all about condition, and while you could be ‘too’ hard, you certainly can’t be soft, either.”

Lacrosse champion Alex Aust is sharing throwback summer bikini pictures to herald the approach of the colder months. Aust, who is a Team USA gold medalist, posted a snap of herself wearing a tiny bikini while posing in the surf at the beach, looking fit and sunkissed. “When AA reminds you she creates magic,” Aust commented about famed photographer Alex Ashman. So how does she do it? Here are 5 ways Aust stays fit, strong, and happy.

1. HIIT Workouts

Aust is a big fan of HIIT workouts, and shares her routines online. “HIIT can help to decrease body fat, increase strength and endurance, and improve health outcomes, but it is not necessarily better than other exercise formats,” say the experts at Harvard Health. “Its main appeal is that it can achieve similar fitness and health benefits in a shorter duration, and that it includes periods of rest.”

2. Say No To the Scales

Shutterstock

Aust refuses to weigh herself, instead focusing on her strength and energy. “As athletes, we don’t have that stick-thin body type, but at the end of the day, our bodies are our vehicles,” says Nicole Aust, Alex’s sister and former Maryland Lacrosse teammate. “If Alex’s body is skinny and small, it’s not going to perform the way she wants it to on the field and she’s learned to cherish that.”

3. Professional Trainer

Aust developed at-home workout The Sweaat Life to continue working out during the pandemic lockdowns. “All of the things that I am involved with, I think back to my training at Maryland, hearing Cathy’s [Reese] voice in the back of my head, telling me to believe in myself,” she says. “That definitely is something that I constantly reflect back on when I do something or I put myself out there for another goal I am trying to reach.”

4. Sports Illustrated Model

Aust was emotional about her photoshoot for Sports Illustrated, as she worked incredibly hard to make it happen. “I felt every emotion I had in the past eight months,” she says about seeing the pictures for the first time. “Working my butt off to be the best version of myself. I saw that in a moment. I never realized a photo of yourself could be that powerful.”

5. She’s a Role Model

Being a role model for young female athletes is something Aust takes seriously and is proud of. “What’s more important than actually playing, though, is being able to reach these young female lacrosse fans,” she says. “That’s my biggest thing. To me, it’s super important that we have the visibility of the WPLL and have it on ESPN3, so that the girls on my club team can watch us play and see these high level athletes and hopefully in 15 years see them on these teams, which would be really, really cool.”

WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark isn’t content with just being a basketball legend—she’s adding golf to the list of skills. Clark, 22, shared pictures of herself wearing black pants and a blue sweatshirt, hitting the green with golf pros Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam. “Fun day surrounded by two of the best to ever do it ⛳️📍The ANNIKA driven by @gainbridgesport,” she captioned the post. “What can’t you do?” commented teammate Aliyah A. Boston. Here’s how the Indiana Fever star stays fit, strong, and focused.

1. Strength Training

Clark put on eight pounds of muscle after working with strength and conditioning coach Lindsay Alexander in 2022/23. "Obviously she's a one-of-a-kind basketball player, but the thing is, she's not a one-of-a-kind person in the weight room," Alexander previously told Business Insider. "She has this very high skill set in basketball, but her physical development could really be improved."

2. Holistic Health and Wellness

Shutterstock

Alexander made sure Clark employed a holistic approach to her training and wellness. "You can have the best training and the best basketball coach and all these things, but if you're not sleeping and taking care of your body appropriately, then it doesn't really matter," Alexander said. "[Clark] takes ownership of her sleep… and pretty good on the nutrition front. I think that has helped her really get to see the success from her training, because she's doing the other things as well."

3. Comfy Style

Clark has a specific style she feels comfortable in. “Usually I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts all the time,” she told Women’s Wear Daily. “I’m busy, I play basketball. But other than that, I feel like I’m very simple. I like simple things. I feel like I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone a little bit [now]. I mean, I’m definitely gonna show up in a Nike Tech fleece here and there.”

4. Record-Breaking Season

Clark had a record-breaking rookie season with the WNBA, and is still amazed at how far she’s come. "I think it's something that I'll always remember, like, coming into this league," she told CBS News. “A lot of these players are who I grew up watching on TV and wanting to be like, and now I get to play against them.”

5. Big City Dreams

Clark grew up in Des Moines, so Indianapolis feels like a big city to her. “I feel like Indianapolis is like such a good spot for myself,” she told Women’s Wear Daily. “It’s a basketball state — they love basketball through and through, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, but also I think the Fever is a first-class organization that is really trying to get back to their championship ways, and they’re gonna invest. So for myself, I can’t imagine a more perfect place to start my career. And obviously in the Midwest, I have a lot of fans. I can’t really script it any better.”