US waterpolo player Betsey Armstrong
How important is diet to you when training?
Incredibly important. We are constantly making sure we are getting fueled and refueled with food that are nutritious and beneficial to our bodies.
What does an average day’s menu look like for you?
Breakfast: oatmeal dressed up with extra stuff like ground flaxseed, dried cranberries, soy milk and almond butter.
Post practice: lots of different stuff, but fruit smoothies, whole wheat toast with cream cheese, avocado and turkey breast, then lots of snacks like nuts (pistachios!), yogurt, string cheese and fruit.
Dinner: usually just meat (fish, chicken or steak usually), rice and/or beans, salad, grilled veggies, and fruit.
How do you like to eat your pistachios?
I love them just plain, but I’ll regularly make a trail mix with them or add them to a salad.
You are highly rated for these Olympic Games, how do you handle the pressure?
We really use our teammates and trust in our training when the pressure gets turned up. We’ve all spent so much time together preparing and training hard, so it’s great to have your teammates as friends to help take the edge off by reminding you of all of that.
Who's your main competition for gold?
At the Olympic Games every team is a contender for a gold medal. We know how difficult it is to win a gold medal. In order to be successful at the end of the tournament we need to stay focused on facing one opponent at a time. We are tough and will compete relentlessly but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. There are only eight teams and everyone will be at the top of their game.
Any tips for maintaining fitness?
Get a fitness partner! It can be hard to stay motivated by yourself, so find somebody who can help keep you in check. I am so fortunate to have 15 of my best friends to work out with every day, and the minute I feel like I can’t get out of bed they are the first ones I think of.
Dame Kelly Holmes shares her tips for staying motivated
How many hours do you train each week?
Right now, roughly 30-35, but this varies greatly depending on where we are in our different phases of competition.
American Pistachio Growers pistachio nuts are the official snack of the US Water Polo teams at the Olympics.
