Soccer Star Steph Catley Shares Swimsuit Photo From Greece
Australia soccer star Steph Catley is taking a well-earned break from her busy training schedule to enjoy the beautiful sun and sea in Santorini, Greece. Catley, 29, shared highlights from her vacation, including snaps of herself wearing a yellow bikini and she soaked up the sun on a luxury yacht. She also included pictures of herself swimming in the ocean. "A few days to recharge in 🇬🇷😍," she captioned the post. Catley works incredibly hard to maintain the physique of the Olympian she is—here's how she does it.
Protein-Heavy Diet
Catley enjoys a balanced diet with plenty of protein. "[Breakfast is] 1 piece of almond butter toast, 1 bowl of oats with shredded almonds, honey and mixed berries," she says. "[Lunch] varies but generally a salad with some sort of meat mixed in or on the side. My favorite combination right now is a chicken salad with spinach, walnuts and pear. [Snack is] a coffee with a small chia pudding bowl, or some fruit… I love different types of pastas, grilled vegetables and potatoes, or stir fries and dishes with brown rice."
Game Day Fuel
Catley's game-day diet is designed to give her as much energy as possible. "It depends what time the game is. But no matter what I eat in the morning or lunch, around an hour and a half before I play I always eat two slices of multigrain toast with peanut butter and sliced banana on top," she says. Her favorite indulgence meal is "a huge burrito bowl from Chipotle with lime and salt chips on the side."
Giving 100 Percent
Catley leads by example when it comes to training and competing. "I always give 100 per cent at training and in everything that I do on and off the field," she says. "I'm not the leader that's going to be screaming and shouting at everyone in the change rooms [when something goes wrong]. On the field, I want people to look at me, and think, 'Well, if she's giving 100 percent, always, then I have to give 100 percent'."
World Cup Training
Catley and her teammates start the day at 7.30am. "We've been non-stop for the last four to five weeks now. Training, gym, meetings, the lot," she said about preparing for the World Cup. "The rest of the day is made up of ice-baths, massage, physio treatment and often media commitments… But the closer we get to the games, you can see the hard work paying off and everything starting to come together, so the hard work has definitely been worth it."
Role Model
Catley was thrilled about taking part in the World Cup not just for herself and her team ,but for future athletes. "It's an opportunity for us, as a team, to inspire young girls and young boys," she said. "I had no [female athletes] to look up to growing up, to aspire to be a footballer, compared to what it's like now. As a team, we have the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage on home soil, and I think it's so, so exciting. It could change anything – everything – for football in Australia for young girls and young boys. So to be honest, I wish the World Cup was starting tomorrow. I'm just excited to get going."
