Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Disciplined nutrition isn’t just for training anymore, according to Olympic champions Apolo Ohno and Julia Mancuso, who reveal that mindful eating remains crucial to their success even after stepping away from competition.
Fueling Champions: How Olympic Gold Medalists Prioritize Nutrition Off the Podium
For Apolo Ohno and Julia Mancuso, a combined 12 Olympic medals weren’t built solely on athleticism—a consistent nutritional foundation is key to their continued high performance.
- Julia Mancuso, an alpine skier, once traveled with a toaster oven and even in Dolly Parton’s tour bus to control her diet during competitions.
- Apolo Ohno, a speed skater, found that nutrition became increasingly vital as his career progressed, ultimately becoming the “foundation” of his success.
- Both athletes emphasize that maintaining a consistent, rather than perfect, diet is the key to sustained energy and well-being.
- Ohno and Mancuso have partnered with Factor to launch a “Gold Collection” of meals inspired by their training diets.
Long before the convenience of meal-prep services, Mancuso, who competed in alpine skiing from 2002 to 2014, took extraordinary measures to stay fueled. She navigated the World Cup circuit in Europe in a motor home—at one point, even utilizing a tour bus previously owned by Dolly Parton—specifically to avoid unhealthy hotel food. When a motor home wasn’t an option, she’d pack a trusty toaster oven to ensure access to more nutritious meals.
“I didn’t feel good at the end of a season if I wasn’t in control of my diet,” Mancuso told a media outlet. Now, as a mother of three living between Fiji and Hawaii, she maintains those habits are more vital than ever. “If I skip a meal or don’t get the right macros, I feel it in my mind,” said Mancuso, 41.
Julia Mancuso, competing in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in 2017, said nutrition is just as important now as it was when she was competing.
(Getty Images)
Ohno, 43, who competed in speed skating across three Winter Olympics between 2002 and 2010, discovered that nutrition became increasingly critical as his career advanced. “Early on, I could get away with a little bit more, because I was younger,” he explained to a media outlet. “As I progressed throughout my career, nutrition became an ever more important priority. In my final Olympic Games, it was the foundation. It was a game changer.”
For a sport demanding such precision as speed skating, he emphasized that proper fueling wasn’t solely about energy—it was also about body composition, recovery, and mental sharpness. “When your body and your brain are fueled appropriately, it’s incredible how easy it is to get into a flow,” he said. “How much better your decision-making process is, your sleep, everything just starts to compound—your mood, emotions, your energy.”
Apolo Ohno, shown skating in the 2002 Winter Olympics, said nutrition became the “foundation” of his performance over the course of his career.
Despite no longer training for Olympic podiums, both athletes maintain busy schedules filled with business ventures, travel, and family life. Ohno, a bestselling author, now advises major companies and invests in performance-focused businesses, while Mancuso balances motherhood with speaking engagements and work in the outdoor industry.
To support their demanding lifestyles, the pair have collaborated with ready-to-eat meal service Factor on a limited-time “Gold Collection,” launching February 12, featuring meals inspired by their training diets. Mancuso’s selections emphasize endurance, with meals centered on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables to support sustained energy. Ohno’s picks focus on strength and recovery, highlighting high-protein options with whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats.
Ohno said prioritizing protein helps keep him on track today.
“I prioritize protein in the way that I eat today,” Ohno said. “That seems to be the easiest way for me to stay on track.” Both athletes emphasized that a common misconception about elite competitors is that their nutrition must be extreme or flawless.
Mancuso said she would travel in a mobile home to ensure she could cook healthy meals.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Mancuso said. “It’s more about consistency.” Ohno echoed this sentiment, particularly for those inspired by the Olympics to reset their own habits. “The easiest way to maintain a goal is by making it simple,” he said. “Don’t do too many things at once. Just focus on the nutrition. The rest will follow.”
Retired Olympians Ohno, left, and Mancuso, right, say disciplined nutrition remains part of their daily routine.
