Track Athlete Marileidy Paulino in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Stronger Than Ever"

Marileidy Paulino is playing with her dog – in her two-piece workout gear. In a new social media post the track star shows off her strong body in an exercise set. "We start next to my 🐕 Gold 🥇 which is named after all the gold medals that I have obtained in the Olympic cycle ♥️ soon we will have Los Angeles 🐕," she captioned the Instagram snaps, adding the hashtag "stronger than ever." How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

Marileidy has put a lot of work into her sport. "This is something very big, since I come from a poor, humble family. I have been working hard for a long time, working hard to achieve this goal. The gold medal was my dream, and I had the talent to turn this dream into reality," she told Olympics shortly after winning the gold medal.

Paulino played volleyball when she was a kid, and then her PE teacher encouraged her to try track and field after topping a jumping test. "They told me to switch to athletics, but I didn't want to know about athletics. I told them, 'No, no and no'. Finally, I did it. At first, it became something that I did it for the money, then it became love," she revealed in another interview.

"I came to athletics because they started paying me, and I said, 'Well, they're giving me something here.' I had to stay here even if it was hard," she added. "I started running barefoot, then I did it with a sock. Afterwards, I think they gave me some sneakers, then I was able to buy some. Everything was a process. I remember that when they took me to my first coach, the first day I ran away because I couldn't stand the training. I couldn't stand that demand, but then they came looking for me again."

Marileidy lifts weights to keep her body fit for the track. Here is she getting ready for the Paris Olympics doing strength training exercises at the gym. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Sharpen your thinking skills

"I feel proud of myself, but for me the best thing in the end is that all these good results will make young people practise and play sports, want to do athletics and have a dream," she said after winning the gold medal in Budapest. "When someone wins, children always see it as motivation for them to take the first step. I love children, I love people who are hungry to dream. When I started going to championships, I remember that some children coming to my house to look for me, and they would be shouting, 'Marileidy, Marileidy'… And when they were told I was not at home as I was out training or competing, they would cry."