Why Team USA Sprinter Kendall Ellis Won't Budge on Her Pre-Race Routine
It's the second Olympics for sprinter Kendall Ellis. Before she took the (purple!) track at the Stade de France, the top U.S. qualifier for the women's 400m spent some time reflecting on the experience.
Kendall arrived at the Olympic Village before the opening ceremonies and has been loving every minute. She says, "I really love especially the bakery because I've been getting fresh pastries every morning. I ran into Simone Biles in the ice bath and Coco Gauff in the team hangout spot, and I was really excited and nervous." Kendall was able to see the USA Gymnastics team perform in the all-around competition.
Still, it's important for Kendall, who has been open about dealing with anxiety, to keep a routine when she's traveling. She explains, "I like to keep it as similar to home in Los Angeles as possible. I'm someone who's really big on her routine and keeping the big needs and the small needs just as similar as my home life. So I use the same body wash that I use at home. I pack the same skin care. I even go as far with the same toilet paper with Charmin to make sure that this is just as similar to home as possible. I don't want to break my routine. I don't want to break my regimen."
What type of break in routine might she be hoping to avoid? Try getting trapped in a Porta Potty for 10 minutes right before her Olympics qualifying event. That actually happened, and she almost missed her race! However, she got out, prevailed, and got a partnership with Charmin out of the mishap to boot.
"Great things come from trauma on occasion," says Kendall, who credits her partnership with Charmin for keeping her on track.
This isn't the first Olympics for Kendall. She competed in Tokyo in 2020, where she and her teammates took home gold in the women's 4x400 relay and the mixed 4x400 relay. She expects Paris to be a very different experience. Kendall explains, "This is an entirely different experience where I get to go out as an individual and run the 400 I get to have my family and friends cheering for me in person."
Kendall has a lot of fans in her corner. She says, "I have a list of 20 people. My parents, my partner, my sisters, family, friends, my old high school coach and his wife. There are a lot of people who are coming out to support me and I'm really thankful for that."
Note: Kendall did not make the initial cut for the 400-meter race but is expected to compete in the repechage round ahead of Thursday's final.
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