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This article originally appeared in the July/August 2016 issue of SELF.
Robbie Fimmano
This full issue is available June 28 on national newsstands.
Because her livelihood is measured in seconds, she is perhaps more aware of time than the average human.
“Nobody ever wanted these before she made them cool!”
Robbie Fimmano
“I don’t feel old,” she says.
“I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”
I ask her what it’s like to be able to swim so fast.
Robbie Fimmano
And you say you want to fly?"
“That’s how it feels.
By age six, she was racing against other kids.
“It was fun because I was good at it,” Coughlin says matter-of-factly.
Being good is one thing.
Being the best in the world is another.
By the time Coughlin entered high school, she was one of the fastest teenage swimmers in the country.
At 21, she earned two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in Athens.
Four years ago in London, she won her 12th Olympic medal.
I love to push my body to be faster and stronger.
I love the feeling of racing against the best swimmers in the world.”
And being compact can have its advantages.
Competitive swimming demands that athletes be able to contort their bodies.
Coughlin’s training schedule is as precise as her movements in the water.
On the Wednesday I met her, her day began with her usual 6 a.m. swim.
(She was early to that, too.
Each morning, she visualizes what she hopes to accomplish in the water.
Other times, she’ll swim back-to-back 100s and breathe only 15 times.
“I visualize my races and even the lead-up to the races,” explains Coughlin.
“Swimming is so mental.”
Mental, yes, but also physically demanding and taxing.
And those muscles have been hard-earned.
On Sundays, she rests.
On Mondays, she starts all over again.
She can squat 220.
“I’m old enough to be the mother of some of them,” Coughlin jokes.
“But it’s been greatsort of like training with your brothers.
The support and camaraderie are huge.”
Training with men has also pushed Coughlin’s competitiveness.
“But when I do win, I’m so happy.”
That feeling of victory is something Coughlin dreams of recapturing on the world stage this summer.
Swimming with the best in the world requires considerable focus and mindfulness.
“But, just like in yoga, the practice of being present is such an important thing.
It forces you to be introspective.
It’s difficult, but it makes you mentally strong.”
I ask if that mindfulness extends to the rest of her life.
“Definitely,” she says, biting into her pulled-pork sandwich.
“Like, when I’m at lunch, I’m at lunch.”
These are all key when you go from two-hour lifts straight into two-hour swims.
“I need a lot of calories to get through my workouts,” says Coughlin.
“But I don’t really limit myself to not having stuff.
If I want fried chicken, I’ll have fried chicken.
Just not every day.”
“I’m more confident now than I was at the beginning of my career.”
Balance is big for Coughlin, who prioritizes her off-duty time as much as her pool time.
There, Coughlin raises chickens and grows her own strawberries, figs, blueberries, leafy greens and herbs.
Her compost nourishes her vegetables, and she feeds her chickens kitchen scraps.
“My two favorite places in the world are my garden and my kitchen.”
She hopes to release a cookbook next year.
“The science of nutrition fascinates me.”
Her parents drank wine while she and Megan played in the fields.
Coughlin is partial to Cabernet Sauvignon and has cultivated a sizable wine collection over the years.
“Ethan knows he can’t touch the bottom three rows.”
Coughlin adds, smiling, “People are always like, ‘You drink wine?
But you’re an athlete!’
A nice glass of Cab is one of the best ways to unwind.”
She cites her decision last year to pose nude forESPN The Magazine’s body issue as proof of this.
Somebody was asking me if I feel self-conscious in a swimsuit, and I was like, ‘No.
I’m built to swim.
I’m very proud of how I look because I’ve worked my butt off for it.'"
Her Workout
“I visualize my races,” Coughlin says.
“Swimming is so mental.”
Horizontal Row
“These reverse push-ups work postural muscles and help stabilize shoulders.
Natalie does 4 sets of 8.”
Box Jump
“The explosiveness helps Natalie when she’s diving off the blocks.
Jump and land with both feet on a box 12 to 24 inches high.
Natalie will do 3 between squat sets.
Her vertical leap is pretty crazy for her height!”
Pull-Up
“They engage more muscles in the arms and back than any other movement.
As you pull up, keep shoulder blades, back and abs tight.
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To learn more about all Olympic hopefuls, visitteamusa.org.
The Rio Olympics begin August 5.
Photo Credit: Robbie Fimmano
