Meet Rachael Flatt
2010 Olympian and U.S. national champion
Life’s wisdom comes in a variety of forms; in this case, from an 18-year-old figure skater named Rachael Flatt. A recent high school graduate, this young dynamo is the ultimate girl-next-door—who just happens to be an Olympian. How does she do it? To her, the recipe is simple: Rachael’s dual goals of performing at the highest level of her sport without sacrificing a challenging academic schedule get accomplished with a motto of “work hard, play harder.”
As she moves towards her next phase of life—she starts her freshman year at Stanford University in the fall of 2011—Rachael is enjoying the opportunity to expand her cross training regimen by incorporating dance, stretch and yoga with her usual biking sprints and gym training. Says Rachael, “The intense workouts on and off the ice are quite rigorous, but doing the other stuff makes me feel stronger, healthier, and more in tune with myself.” Spoken like a true champion…who just happens to share our philosophy on working out! Since we’re such fans, we thought we’d ask Rachael to take a few seconds out of her busy training schedule to discuss life beyond skating, her influences and her favorite lucy clothes.
What’s your philosophy about exercise?
When I exercise, I want my body to be healthy, in shape, and able to respond to the physical demands that are placed upon it in training and in competition. I love that sense of pushing past your boundaries and exerting as much energy as possible, but knowing when to stop before I get hurt. I get a sense of freedom from my heart pounding after a program in training, as well as in competition, because I know I have pushed my body and mind to be better. Naturally, I am a very competitive person, so when I train, it can be difficult to get out of that mindset, even when I am playing another sport! But I do enjoy challenging myself.Emotionally, it can be a good release for me when I need to have my spirits picked up. Training at the elite level can be stressful and I am constantly under pressure and under the watchful eye of the media, the fans, the judges, my coaches, my parents, and my own biggest critic: me. But I also use my training as a good release of that pressure even under the toughest circumstances, and I train the best when I am happy. Ultimately, it comes down to doing what makes me happy.
What or who is your biggest influence?
I try to take inspiration from many different people in all walks of life, from friends, family, teachers, coaches, high profile individuals as well as the “everyday” person. I always find it interesting to see what people have done with their lives that may be outside of the norm, so I take inspiration from everything and everyone around me. Aside from that, I would say that my parents have influenced me the most because they are my biggest role models. There are many elite athletes that are also great role models, as many have had to overcome obstacles of some sort at some point in their lives. It’s also fun to be inspired by some of the younger athletes who have such overwhelming excitement for their sport and their training.How are you a role model for other young women?
As a role model for young skaters, I hope that I encourage them to pursue their skating dreams while recognizing the importance of education. For ALL kids, I try and promote the benefits of reading and education - I am a spokesperson for “Reading is Fundamental.” I also hope that more girls will gain confidence in the fields of math and science. This year I’ve been tutoring some students from my former high school in Physics, Chemistry and Math as well as co-teaching a lunch time seminar class with my former high school counselor to a group of student-athletes. We talk about some of the challenges they address as very busy high school students, including dealing with the stressors of college entrance exams and applications, time management (like prioritizing their academic and athletic schedules) and balancing the demands of what their expectations are of themselves and what others expect. The teenage years are difficult enough and it is a great venue for all of us to share our experiences and figure out what works and what doesn’t!It’s important to give back to your community. It can be as simple as volunteering to read to kids at a local library or elementary school or as big as organizing a benefit to raise funds for a cause that is near and dear to your heart. It really is all about finding room in your life to help others in need...making someone else’s needs a priority. Find what you are passionate about, and GO FOR IT!
After competitive skating, how do you see your athletic life continuing?
During my skating career I am constantly on the run and my schedule is quite hectic, so I think I would benefit from some time just relaxing my body and having a chance to breathe! Skating will always be a part of my life in some shape or form, but in terms of other sports, I would really like to continue to play tennis, go back to skiing, while exploring some other sports. Hopefully I will be back in California so I can swim and surf again! I would love to have more time to do more yoga and different types of dance classes as it is good to constantly challenge your body to move in different ways. I am really enjoying my ballroom dance classes this year (I just started them this summer), so I would love to continue to learn about all avenues of dance and exploring other styles. I will definitely still be in the gym working out at least three to four times a week when I finish skating because I’m sure I will need a kick from the endorphins!What is your favorite lucy item/items?
It doesn’t take a sparkly skating dress to make me feel beautiful when I am training for competitions! I need to be comfortable when I am training, and lucy apparel certainly accomplishes that. A typical training day has me on and off the ice several times. While ice rinks may be cold, once I get going I need to peel off layers. Also, practice clothes need to be very form fitting so that coaches can see every bodyline and movement. My favorite pieces are the Hatha T-back Tank, the Criss Cross Tank, and the Hatha Legging.Please note the lucy ON ICE sweepstakes entry period is over.
Rachael is wearing the Karma Racerback Tank II and the Hatha Capri Legging.
