Olympians are extremely disciplined when it comes to training for their respective sports — it comes with the territory of being an elite athlete with the hopes of landing on the podium. The training’s not done quite yet, though, as the stars gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place in Milan and Cortina, prepare to take the global stage. But before heading to Europe, some athletes made a pit stop in New York at the Team USA Media Summit to chat about all that’s to come.
And while it’s fun to hear about how Olympians gear up for a long day on the slopes or wind down after an intense competition, at Bustle, there’s beauty in the mundane, too. Below, five Team USA athletes and hopefuls spill on their ideal rot day and guilty pleasure splurges.
Their Dream Lazy Days
“I would be on the couch drinking coffee, a flat white, for a minimum of four to five hours. I’d probably go for a walk, get fresh air, do some baking, definitely get Chinese takeout for dinner, and then cozy up for Netflix and chill before an early bedtime.” —Paula Moltzen, 31, alpine skiing
“My ideal laziest day is like, no legs on, my hair is not brushed, sweatshirt on, and just watching true crime with constantly refilled coffee. I’m a hot coffee girl. Always. All season, during hot summers and cold winters.” —Oksana Masters, 36, para nordic skiing
“Going for dog walks, probably an ice vanilla latte or maple latte, and sitting on the couch and watching an awesome TV show. I will watch everything, but I am such a sucker for anything on Bravo, like Real Housewives of Salt Lake or Watch What Happens Live. I love hearing the tea. But outside of that, honestly, any good, thrilling TV series will really catch my attention. Brit [Bowe] is such a phenomenal cook that I would be like, ‘Can you please make fried chicken or something?’” —Hilary Knight, 36, ice hockey
“My ideal lazy day would definitely be waking up, eating breakfast, and then going back to bed. Then hanging out with my pets, watching TV, maybe going for a little walk. My go-to show is New Girl. Nick is definitely my favorite character. And I’d get takeout. I can’t put any effort into cooking on my day off.” —Erin Jackson, 33, speedskating
“It might be hanging out on the beach for a little while and going swimming, maybe setting up a slackline and hanging out on that, and then taking a nap. Then going to get some really good sushi or Italian. I just am such a foodie.” —Breezy Johnson, 29, alpine skiing
Not-So-Guilty Spending
“Oh my God, I buy so much from Etsy. I desperately want to be sponsored by Etsy. Please sponsor me, Etsy. I buy clothes from Etsy. I buy furniture from Etsy. I buy hair ties from Etsy. I buy a lot of custom things, like furniture. I bought a hardwood TV credenza that I can fit my kitty litter box in for my two cats.” —B.J.
“I have to splurge on a hot girl outing with teammates. That is very much our vibe to go grab coffee, just debrief, chat, and yeah, unfortunately, the lattes are getting more expensive, but it’s for the experience and the girlies, so we got to do it.” —H.K.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
