PetSugar

Dara Torres Talks About Staying Fit and Not Acting Your Age

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Dara Torres, the amazing Olympian, swimmer, and mom who made headlines at Beijing when she swam for a comeback at age 41. She won three silver medals and also won me over.

Not only did Torres give me lots of great advice on health, training, and fitness, but she also shared some insight on how she balances intense training with a (relatively) normal personal life. She was funny and refreshingly honest. Better yet, I've got a video excerpt of our interview! Check it out below.

To read some more of my favorite excerpts from the interview, read more.

FitSugar: Tell us about your memoir, Age Is Just a Number:
Dara Torres: "It was really a lot of fun to write. I got that title because I really realized you don't put an age limit on your dreams. And a lot of people put elite athletes on pedestals and forget that we're human and that we make mistakes and we have our ups and downs and our trials and tribulations, and I really wanted that to get across. I wanted the everyday person to relate to my book."

FS: What are some of those trials and tribulations you discuss in the book?
DT: "I talk about just getting back into my comeback and my father passes away from colon cancer. I deal with the pressures of trying to make an Olympic team when so many eyes are on me and so many middle-aged people are counting on me. I talk about my coach, who ended up having a rare blood disorder right after I made the Olympic team. There were a lot of things I had to deal with."

FS: And you also, throughout all this, have been raising a daughter? How old is she now?
DT: "My daughter is 3, and it's really been such a fun time in my life. I really looked towards role models like working parents to figure out how I can balance my life to be the best mom that I can be and also be able to do what I love to do. Just normal people who work 9-to-5 jobs and are still awesome parents. It's a tough thing to try to figure out how to balance, but I'm lucky I found a balance that works really well for both my daughter and myself."

FS: And does she like swimming?
"She loves swimming. I've had her in the pool since she was about 3 months old. Some of my teammates who are so young tease me and say 'you guys'll be swimming in the same meet coming up soon,' so I get teased a lot."

FS: What is your precompetition ritual in terms of what you eat or what you do?
DT: "I'll drink some type of shake with milk before I swim, and that's really all I need. I don't like to eat a lot before I'm in a big race because I'm already nervous as it is and the last thing I need to do is get sick to my stomach. Maybe have a little cereal with milk. Just very minimal what I eat before I train."

FS: In a recent interview with More magazine, you mentioned that you had some eating disorder issues when you were in college and went "cold turkey." What tips could you offer to other women who are struggling with this?
DT: "It's not easy to get over it on your own. What I did was set a goal. And at that point in time I had not been swimming for a while, and my goal was to try and make a third Olympic team. The minute I had that goal in my head, it was like, you know what, I can't have this eating disorder anymore or else I'm not going to reach my goals. And so I was lucky to have swimming as an outlet. The biggest thing you need to do is be able to talk to someone about it. It's not like if you talk to them you’re going to get over it right away but at least you can communicate and let someone know and hopefully they can help you get help."

Source

Are You Surprised by the Michael Phelps Photos?

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Sports fans were shocked this weekend when photos surfaced of Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong, apparently taken in November when the Olympic golden boy and sportsman of the year attended a college party. Does such behavior from an elite athlete surprise you?

Source

No Gold: Visits to China Down in 2008 Despite Olympics

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:05:50 -0800

The number of visitors to China dropped by two million last year to 130 million, despite the enormous fanfare and draw of the 2008 Olympics. It was the first decline in visitor numbers since 2003, when an outbreak of SARS knocked the country off desired vacay location lists.

The slump has been attributed to the weak economy, which hasn't been kind to the tourism industry as a whole, stricter visa restrictions before the Beijing Olympics, as well as a May earthquake in the southwest of the country.

Only 389,000 foreign tourists visited Beijing the month of the games, including travelers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, according to the Beijing tourism bureau. That number is much smaller than the 500,000 the bureau expected. China built the world's largest airport terminal before the Olympics and most of the major hotels in Beijing underwent costly renovations and changes from top to bottom.

Source

Your Favorite Olympic Moment of 2008

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

It may not be quite as exciting as winning eight gold medals, but Michael Phelps has won again - in FitSugar's best Olympic moment of 2008 poll. Though he was bested in the favorite Olympian poll by Shawn Johnson, his record-breaking moment garnered 40 percent of your votes, and the thrill of his victory was also the favorite of CitizenSugar readers.

Source

Biggest Headlines of 2008: China Hosts the Olympics

CitizenSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Hosting the Olympics was a huge deal for the Chinese government and people. While protesters put their feet down around the world, the Games were a source of pride for the controversial country. Take a look at the biggest stories to come out of China hosting the 2008 Games. Source

View Slideshow ›

Favorite Olympic Moment: Michael Phelps Breaks Record

CitizenSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:30:47 -0800

While the opening ceremony and women's gymnastics nearly tied for silver, Michael Phelps's record-breaking performance won him yet another gold. With 54 percent of your votes, he easily dove into the Best of 2008 on both our poll and Pop's poll.

He's still soaking in the gold light while promoting his book, posing for magazine covers, and appearing on talk shows like the Colbert Report. Look for him in London in 2012 where he plans to swim again, but not break any records. Because, really, whose record would he break - his?

Source

What's Your Favorite 2008 Olympics Moment?

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:01:43 -0800

Now that you've voted for your favorite Olympian and relived the Beijing games, I want to know what Olympic moment you loved most. (Of course, these are all sports moments; if you want to vote on the whole shebang, check out Citizen.)

Source

Biggest Headlines of 2008: The Beijing Olympics

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:05:57 -0800

It seems like so long ago that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing completely consumed my Summer. Not only were there plenty of amazing Olympians to follow, but there was also plenty of controversy. Take a lap through the most compelling moments.
Source

View Slideshow ›

What Is Your Favorite Olympic Moment?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:30:16 -0800

Oh, the Olympics. They come; they go. We wait two years for another season. Stories of last-minute switch-ins, and outs, pull the strings of my out-of-shape heart. Even people who don't like sports, love the Olympics. For the first week anyway. So before we say 再见 to the Beijing Games for good, let's look east to our most favorite moments.

The opening ceremony was the most lavish and expensive ever. And, it showed! Swimmer Michael Phelps's historic, eight-gold-medal win crowned him the world's greatest athlete. And it was American gymnast Nastia Liukin - underdog to her friend and teammate Shawn Johnson - who flipped her way into the number-one spot, earning a gold in women's all-around. Even better, it (almost) evened out when Shawn struck gold on the balance beam.

But maybe you've already forgotten the athletes? Nothing wrong with that! Nor is there anything wrong with enjoying a scandal (or two) in your Olympic cocktail. Though seeing pictures of President Bush playing beach volleyball is all the fun I need!

The Olympics definitely top the list of 2008's biggest stories. Before London's calling about the 2012 Games, tell me:

Source

Guess Who Said It?

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Which Olympic medalist said this:

"I'm chubby and I'm pregnant and it's awesome!"