Q: How has Oura helped you focus on recovery?
A: “When I was younger, I was not focused on recovery at all. You know, I was hitting up the player parties after the tournament and not sleeping. It took its toll for sure. And so I think when I became more obsessed with winning and hitting my goals at the Olympics was when I really started to focus on recovery.
Recovery to me means finding that optimal state again after pushing yourself really hard. Then being able to go as close to your highest level again, and Oura helps me stay on top of all of that.”
Q: How was it having your Oura Ring during the Olympics?
A: “In the Olympics, I was using my Oura Ring and app full-time, and I was just paying a lot of attention to it. I’m so proud that at the Olympics, the highest stress tournament, my Readiness was through the roof. It was so good the entire time, and I think that’s a huge reason why we were able to perform so well.”
Q: How did you use your ring in Tokyo?
A: “Every morning in Tokyo, we’d all talk about what our apps were saying. Like, ‘Hey, did you get better sleep last night? People were waking up in the middle of the night a bunch in Tokyo. And so, we’d plan to come back and take a nap. It was so hot in Tokyo. We’d talk about our body temperature a lot. Body temperature, heart rate variability, Readiness Score were always big for us too.”
Q: Any final thoughts or comments on Oura or your future?
A: “All the information Oura gives me every day is so detailed, and, it allows me to see if I’m doing what I think I’m doing. Knowledge is power, you know, so, whether it’s a deficiency or a strength, I can try to act on my data to recover more thoroughly.
But, as far as the future, I’ve accomplished, everything I kind of want to in my career, but I still want to play for as long as I can. You know, I don’t want age or injury to impede my goals in the future. And so, to recover now is key. It’s about longevity in the sport, overall wellness, staying healthy, and just being able to play the sport. Just being able to play the sport I love for as long as I want to is a huge blessing”