(Step By Step)
Olympian Torri Huske Says Making Time For Rest Is The Key To Success
And that includes regular naps.
Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make a big impact. This rings especially true when it comes to one’s health. In TZR’s series Step-By-Step, tastemakers speak to the minor moves that can lead to mighty changes.
Torri Huske is quite possibly having the best gap year. During her break from studying and redshirting her junior year at Standford University, the Team USA swimmer competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris where she took home three gold and two silver medals. The 21-year-old athlete also added two more world records under her belt with these wins, in the women’s 4x100m medley relay and mixed 4x100m medley relay, respectively.
Her successful performance at the 2024 Olympics has further solidified Huske’s place as a top American athlete in her sport, a position she doesn’t take lightly. “One thing I've had to realize is that other people and younger kids now look up to me,” Huske tells TZR over Zoom from Paris. “I haven't really changed that much in what I'm doing if I'm being honest, but it's just acknowledging the fact that now you are inspiring the next generation, which is really cool.”
Huske’s decision to hit pause on college to fully devote her time to training for the Paris Games, her second time completing in the Olympics, has turned out to be monumentally beneficial — both for her performance and mental health.
“It has allowed me to really prioritize recovery for my practices. So I was able to take more naps and my life was just a lot slower,” Huske shares. “I think taking care of your mental health is really important too, and finding stuff that you enjoy outside of the sport.”
Huske says having extra hours in the day to herself allowed her to work on art projects and read, two hobbies she enjoys when she’s not training. “I like to do a little bit of everything,” the Olympian shares. “I get bored with one medium really fast, so I’ll do pastels, watercolor, pencil, acrylic pen, pretty much anything.”
Yes, penciling in personal time when training is important, but so is the immediate prep for a big meet. Huske says the main component of her pre-race ritual is shaving. “At the trials and also at the Olympics, I would shave either the night before or the day of my final event or my really big event,” she says. “[I did this] so I can be really smooth before I swim and make sure that I have no extra drag on my body.” The athlete notes that she’s a fan of Gillette Venus’ Deluxe Smooth Razor because it’s gentle on sensitive skin. Her tip for a smooth, bump-free shave? Always using a fresh razor.
And the record-breaking swimmer is continuing to practice balance post-Summer Games. After the closing ceremony, she plans to extend her stay in Paris to experience what the city has to offer outside of the Olympic Village. She’ll also make a pit stop in Spain with a friend before heading back to the states. Beyond that? Who knows? The sky’s the limit for this champion.
