2014 Winter Olympians Do Yoga
Yogis at the 2014 Olympics
Updated May 21, 2015.
Many of the world's elite athletes practice yoga as part of their training for both its mental and physical benefits. A few of Team U.S.A.'s finest shared their love of yoga with us as they prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, which kick off February 6th. Some of the final Olympic qualification events are still under way, so we wish the best of luck to Team Yoga. To find out when you can catch these athletes in action at the Games, check out TeamUSA.org.
Heather McPhie
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do yoga almost every day I am on tour, and attend classes whenever it works with my schedule while I am home. It is hugely important to me. Not only is it helpful in keeping my body feeling good, it is also a really good way for me to connect, slow down, and get back to being present. I’m an athlete ambassador for Lululemon Athletica as well."
An Olympic veteran, Heather McPhie, 29, represented the U.S.
in 2010 in Vancouver, where she placed 18th in moguls. She was the U.S. National Champion in freestyle moguls in 2012 and 2013. Women's moguls will be contested February 6th - 8th in Sochi.
Read more about Heather on About.com's Skiing site.
Gretchen Bleiler
Updated May 21, 2015.
"Yoga has really become a big part of my life and is a great ritual to incorporate into my life on the road."
Gretchen Bleiler, 32, won a silver medal in halfpipe competition at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, in addition to four career golds in the Winter X Games. She also competed in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, placing 11th.
Read more about Gretchen on About.com's Snowboarding site.
Justin Reiter
Updated May 21, 2015.
"For many years Yoga has been a huge part of my life. My current coach Thedo Remmelink introduced me to an instructor in 2004. Since then Yoga has been a very important part of my life and training."
Justin Reiter's event is the parallel slalom. In January 2014, he was the highest placing American athlete at the World Cup, placing 15th overall. He was the World Cup silver medalist in 2013. Reiter will turn 33 just before the Sochi Games begin.
Max Aaron
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do Bikram yoga at least once a week. I’ve been doing it for two years. Stretching in the heat can help with positions on the ice."
Twenty-one-year-old Max Aaron is competing in his first Olympics after winning the 2013 United States Figure Skating Championship. Men's figure skating is one of the first events on the schedule in Sochi, kicking off on the very first day of competition, February 6th.
Read more about Max on About.com's Figure Skating site.
Jamie Anderson
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I love yoga…It’s a huge help with my riding, helps me to slow down, connect and have more mental clarity."
Jamie Anderson's speciality, slopestyle, makes its Olympic debut in 2014. Anderson, 23, has previously won gold three times in snowboarding events at the Winter X Games.
Read more about Jamie on About.com's Snowboarding site.
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I have taken yoga classes. I use some standard stretches each day. I practice deep abdominal breathing and meditation before competition."
Gracie Gold, 18, recently went from underdog to front runner when she unexpectedly took first place at the 2014 United States Championships. Expect many puns on her last name in the upcoming Olympic coverage! Women's figure skating begins February 8th.
Read more about Gracie on About.com's Figure Skating site.
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do a lot of yoga including sun salutations. It helps with flexibility, fluidity and sun salutations are a great way to start the day."
Evan Strong, who lost his left leg below the knee after a motorcycle accident in 2004, will compete in the first ever snowboarding cross event at the Paralympics, which begin in Sochi on March 7, 2014. Strong, 27, was the 2012 Para Snowboard Cross World Champion, has won gold in the Para Snowboarding World Cup eight times, and holds 15 gold medals in the Winter X Games Adaptive Boarder Cross.
Updated May 21, 2015.
Many of the world's elite athletes practice yoga as part of their training for both its mental and physical benefits. A few of Team U.S.A.'s finest shared their love of yoga with us as they prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, which kick off February 6th. Some of the final Olympic qualification events are still under way, so we wish the best of luck to Team Yoga. To find out when you can catch these athletes in action at the Games, check out TeamUSA.org.
Heather McPhie
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do yoga almost every day I am on tour, and attend classes whenever it works with my schedule while I am home. It is hugely important to me. Not only is it helpful in keeping my body feeling good, it is also a really good way for me to connect, slow down, and get back to being present. I’m an athlete ambassador for Lululemon Athletica as well."
An Olympic veteran, Heather McPhie, 29, represented the U.S.
in 2010 in Vancouver, where she placed 18th in moguls. She was the U.S. National Champion in freestyle moguls in 2012 and 2013. Women's moguls will be contested February 6th - 8th in Sochi.
Read more about Heather on About.com's Skiing site.
Gretchen Bleiler
Updated May 21, 2015.
"Yoga has really become a big part of my life and is a great ritual to incorporate into my life on the road."
Gretchen Bleiler, 32, won a silver medal in halfpipe competition at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, in addition to four career golds in the Winter X Games. She also competed in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, placing 11th.
Read more about Gretchen on About.com's Snowboarding site.
Justin Reiter
Updated May 21, 2015.
"For many years Yoga has been a huge part of my life. My current coach Thedo Remmelink introduced me to an instructor in 2004. Since then Yoga has been a very important part of my life and training."
Justin Reiter's event is the parallel slalom. In January 2014, he was the highest placing American athlete at the World Cup, placing 15th overall. He was the World Cup silver medalist in 2013. Reiter will turn 33 just before the Sochi Games begin.
Max Aaron
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do Bikram yoga at least once a week. I’ve been doing it for two years. Stretching in the heat can help with positions on the ice."
Twenty-one-year-old Max Aaron is competing in his first Olympics after winning the 2013 United States Figure Skating Championship. Men's figure skating is one of the first events on the schedule in Sochi, kicking off on the very first day of competition, February 6th.
Read more about Max on About.com's Figure Skating site.
Jamie Anderson
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I love yoga…It’s a huge help with my riding, helps me to slow down, connect and have more mental clarity."
Jamie Anderson's speciality, slopestyle, makes its Olympic debut in 2014. Anderson, 23, has previously won gold three times in snowboarding events at the Winter X Games.
Read more about Jamie on About.com's Snowboarding site.
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I have taken yoga classes. I use some standard stretches each day. I practice deep abdominal breathing and meditation before competition."
Gracie Gold, 18, recently went from underdog to front runner when she unexpectedly took first place at the 2014 United States Championships. Expect many puns on her last name in the upcoming Olympic coverage! Women's figure skating begins February 8th.
Read more about Gracie on About.com's Figure Skating site.
Updated May 21, 2015.
"I do a lot of yoga including sun salutations. It helps with flexibility, fluidity and sun salutations are a great way to start the day."
Evan Strong, who lost his left leg below the knee after a motorcycle accident in 2004, will compete in the first ever snowboarding cross event at the Paralympics, which begin in Sochi on March 7, 2014. Strong, 27, was the 2012 Para Snowboard Cross World Champion, has won gold in the Para Snowboarding World Cup eight times, and holds 15 gold medals in the Winter X Games Adaptive Boarder Cross.
