{"id":367522,"date":"2019-05-06T07:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=367522"},"modified":"2019-05-05T21:01:07","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T04:01:07","slug":"favorite-pastimes-of-olympians-a-look-into-their-lives-above-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/favorite-pastimes-of-olympians-a-look-into-their-lives-above-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Pastimes of Olympians: A Look into Their Lives Above Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kate Walter, Swimming World Intern.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Between attending practices, lifting weights, eating nutritious meals and traveling for meets, it seems as if Olympic swimmers can hardly take a moment to catch their breath. However, this is not the case. Just like anyone else, world-record holders and gold medalists also enjoy endeavors outside of the pool. Here are some pastimes of our favorite Olympians and ways they have eagerly shared how they like to spend their time when they\u2019re not underwater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooking up a Storm<\/h2>\n
Food is a swimmer’s best friend. While some people tend to believe the \u201cswimmer diet\u201d consists of gorging on unhealthy, calorie-dense foods, an essential part of any swimmer’s training is fueling properly to optimize performance and achieve a healthy balance. From sharing videos of themselves in the kitchen to posting pictures of their meals, several professional swimmers have taken up cooking as a big part of their lifestyle. Olivia Smoliga<\/strong>, 2016 Olympian, has documented her cooking adventures through her Instagram stories. Followers are invited into the process of attempting new recipes and making different foods. In an interview after her 100-meter backstroke win at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville Tenn., Smoliga eagerly talked about receiving a waffle iron as a Christmas present. <\/span><\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BsjidtIFEF4\/<\/p>\n
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin<\/strong> also shares her love of cooking with fans. In a 2016 interview with PEOPLE Magazine<\/em>, Franklin described herself as a \u201chuge breakfast person,\u201d saying how she had<\/span> \u201cmastered the omelette flip in the pan.\u201d Franklin is d<\/span>elving deeper into experimentation now that she is retired, sharing photos of beautifully crafted charcuterie boards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Musicians at Heart<\/b><\/h2>\n
The unmistakable hitch of Katie Ledekcy\u2019s<\/strong> freestyle stroke helps explain her ability to keep the beat steady as she plays her musical instruments. Proving that her talents are not limited to the pool, Ledecky showed off her love for music and school spirit as she played the saxophone at a football game with the Incomparable Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band.<\/span><\/p>\n
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A post shared by Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n