Shannon Miller Still Gymnastics Royalty

Author: Lauren Fox

Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller in red

Shannon Miller remains the Most Decorated Gymnast in US history, male of female.

Last weekend in Chicago, Shannon wore multiple hats moving fluidly from one focus to the next during her three day stay in the windy city.

Among her to-do list during the weekend:

Shannon throws first pitch at Chicago White Sox ball game– Kick off the weekend by throwing out the 1st pitch at the White Sox Games! (Check out that arm!)

– Work with USA Gymnastics to promote the Secret US Classic (the final qualifier for the Visa National Championships to be held in St. Louis, MO June 7-10)

– Tweet comments during the competition in advance of her work with Yahoo! Sports who she will be working with during the Olympic Trials and London Olympic Games as analyst along with Summer Sanders and Dan O’Brien.

– US Olympic Committee Ambassador training to promote the idea of Olympism and help Olympic hopefuls understand what will happen once they get to London.

– She then signed autographs and took pictures prior to the competition to support P&G’s Anti-Bullying Campaign “Mean Stinks”. Visit Proctor & Gamble’s “Mean Stinks” page on Facebook.

– Interview with Universal Sports after the second rotation of competition to discuss the standings and outlook for the upcoming US Olympic Trials (in San Jose, June 28-July1) and London Olympic Games.

After reading this New York Times article … we were tired … but decided to catch up with Shannon and see how she keeps it all straight:

 

LD: It seems like your schedule is always jam  packed, how do you keep up with it all.

SM: I won’t lie, it’s tough. I’m not one of those people who does well without sleep. I try to keep it in balance for the most part. When I have a really hectic weekend I space out other areas so that I have plenty of time for family and health. I also have fairly flexible hours when I’m not at an event which helps. The most important part is that I love what I do, so it rarely feels like “work.”

LD: What do you think of the US chances heading into the Olympics Games?

SM: The Americans look so strong. I’ve said it time and again, but staying healthy and peaking at the right time will be critical. Right now the US is the team to beat but Russia is strong and Romania has been gaining ground over this last year. And you can never count China out.

LD: Because your company, Shannon Miller Lifestyle, is dedicated to health and fitness for women, is it hard to switch gears to gymnastics during an Olympic year?

SM: I’ve been very blessed in that I get to follow my passion for women’s health and wellness but also keep one foot in the door of my first love, gymnastics! I definitely have to work a bit more during an Olympic year but it’s fun. I hope that all of those Mom’s and young gymnasts will see what I’ve gone through and make their health a priority. I don’t just mean cancer, but for our overall health and well being. I’ve had so many coaches and parents come up to me to tell me that they appreciate how candid I have been and that it has given them a way to open that conversation with their children about being healthy.

LD: What is your work out regimen like these days?

SM: I’m pretty low key in my workouts. If I can attend a yoga class, great but with a 2 1/2 year old and travel it rarely happens. I love to walk so that’s been my key to losing the baby weight and keeping it off. I like the elliptical at home in the mornings when everyone is still asleep. And I’ll go online to do some of the workout routines on my website (yes, I actually use those) particularly the ones in our new Summer Quick Fire Series for our SML Fitness Fridays. I also take yoga, Pilates and other fitness videos with me on the road so I can do them in my hotel room while I watch my favorite tv shows.

Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller in redSML TIP:  Make sure to keep up with Shannon via:

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