Alise Post (pictured)
BMX, 2012
“I get jammin’. I listen to music that makes me smile and keep the mood really light. I’m a top-40 hit-list kind of girl. A happy athlete is a fast athlete, so I try to keep stress to a minimum.” (Find new workout tunes here.)
Amy Acuff
Track and field (high jump), 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
“I usually try to do deep breathing to calm myself down. For Saturday morning local all-comers meets I have been known to down a Red Bull.” (Discover 22 ways to boost energy instantly.)
(Related: Get Fit with 15-Minute Workouts)
Jared Frayer
Wrestling, 2012
“I think a lot about family. Say a prayer, talk to God a little bit. I want to allow myself to use my God-given ability to go out there and do what I do."
Nastia Liukin
Gymnastics, 2008
“I like listening to my iPod. I have a pump-up playlist. I’m the kind of person who really likes to stay focused and keep to myself, especially in warmups and before the competition. I just like getting in my zone. I like putting my headphones on and tuning out the rest of the world for a little bit and for as long as I can before the competition starts.”
Marlen Esparza
Boxing, 2012
“I try to do things that keep me relaxed like listening to Christian music. When possible, I also pray with my pastor before fighting.”
Christie Rampone
Soccer, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
“I channel all of my nervous energy into focusing on achieving my goals on the field. I love the team energy in the locker room before games—we feed off of each other! Also crucial before any game is to make sure I am hydrated, which doesn’t happen with just a couple of sips of water. It takes days to get properly hydrated before participating in an athletic event.”
Tiffany Ross Williams
Track and field (400m hurdles), 2008, 2012
"My coach tells me sometimes I get overly aggressive so now I've been trying not to be so pumped up. Before every race I pray, I listen to music and I focus and ask God to order my steps and direct me to what it is that he wants me to do. To execute everything that my coach has taught me." (Watch Tiffany's tips for post-baby fitness)
David Payne
Track and field (110m hurdles), 2008
"I really just think about all the things that I've been through to get to this point and that it wasn't really easy and if I don't capitalize off the situation that I'm in right now, it would be disappointing to me knowing that very moment was what I was going through that for."
David Oliver
Track and field (110m hurdles), 2008
"I'm always pretty excited. I love the adrenaline rush. Any chance I get to come in and go to a competition and execute something and be better than I was before, that's always a motivating factor for me. It's kind of a struggle to go to practice everyday, day after day, but once I hit that gate, I see the track, it's time to go to work and I'm very excited for that."
