What’s Her Secret? Olympic Bronze Medalist, Brianne Thieson-Eaton

It is so nice to see Canadian women kicking ass at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and Brianne Thieson-Eaton is no exception. Winning the bronze medal in the heptathlon event is a feather in her cap, and the Canadian Crest Ambassador shares how she focuses on the positive and is able to #SmileThrough the mental and physical challenges of training, while also supporting her husband, Ashton Eaton who is competing for Team USA and has won a gold medal in the decathalon (#couplegoals). Not to mention she is a super-cool, down-to-earth and very humble”we officially have a girl crush on this world-class athlete.

What is the most mentally challenging event for you in the heptathlon?

That changes”the most recent one is probably shot put. I find that part difficult because the harder you try, the worse it usually goes. Usually in warmup or practice, I can relax and it goes well, but then as soon as you get to the competition you want to try to throw really far, so it’s like you want to try harder and it doesn’t always work. It’s tough to find the balance or the ability to be able to relax.

How are you able to #SmileThrough when you’re trying to stay calm and keep that calm mindset during competiton?

That’s important, because in my event if something goes badly you have to get over it and move past it, move on to the next event and stay relaxed and try to have fun. It’s a huge part of what I do, so it’s actually really fitting.

Why do you think that the #SmileThrough campaign is important for Canadian athletes traveling abroad?

I don’t even think it’s just for athletes, I think it can relate to anybody. Just like anything that’s tough, trying to move past it and stay positive or just to get through tough days, I think it relates to all of that.

Can you walk us through an average day of your workout at home?

This time of year, during competition mode, it’s actually very simple and light. We practice one or two hours a day, and it’s very focused on light, technical work because we’re in really good shape right now. Maybe throwing a couple of shot puts to stay in tune with it, do a couple of long jumps, some high jump approach, very light sprinting like a few strides out of the block with spikes on, or a sprit on the home straight”very light stuff. It’s really nice this time of year!

What keeps you motivated during your workouts?

I think just the goals that you have; I don’t really feel like I need to motivate myself. When you’re training for the Olympics, that’s motivation enough!

Do you have any favourite music that you listen to when you work out?

I actually don’t listen to music at all when I work out. At the World Championships and Olympics you aren’t allowed to. You’re not allowed to have any kind of phones or electronics out on the field or on the warm up track so we just stay away from it.

Are you big on meal planning?

I usually make a plan on Sunday for we’re going to eat for supper each day of the week, and I probably grocery shop two or three times a week just to make sure everything is really fresh. Usually if I know what we’re having for dinner before I get home from practice, there’s a better chance we’ll eat something healthy. Otherwise we have a tendency to say Ahh I don’t feel like cooking let’s just go out somewhere to eat.

What’s your favourite healthy meal?

I don’t have a favourite or a go-to: I’m constantly trying new things. So if I’m just like oh, I feel like having Pad-Thai, I’ll look up a recipe for Pad-Thai, I just try to make it a healthier version of what you would get at a restaurant.

Do you have any favourite indulgent or junk foods?

Yeah, I love candy! So like Skittles, Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids, stuff like that. If I could only have one bad thing, it would be candy.

In terms of your beauty regimen, how would you describe your look?

I’m very plain! Mostly because I’m always working out, I don’t wear that much makeup day-to-day. If I do, most of the time its mascara and some blush, and maybe some lipgloss. But its not super-flashy, I don’t even ever really wear eye shadow.

What’s one thing that you always carry in your purse?

Gum.

Favourite movie?

Argo.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

If you could plan a dream vacation, where would you go?

I would love to go to India. I’ve always said that, I think it would be super interesting. My husband and I like to go places that are totally different, where you can experience something totally new. We’re not really big beach loungers or anything like that.

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