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Training for perfection: olympic athletes train to be the best in the world. Here''s how the olympic spirit can help you be your best. (focus).

Article Excerpt
Tara Lipinski makes the triple toe loop look easy. Starting with a turn, Tara "toes in" by jamming her left skate toe hard against the ice. "You take off backwards and do three rotations with legs and arms crossed, and you land on the right foot," says Tara. "Everything has to be pretty precise."

In 1998 Tara's precision, poise, and persistence paid off. At age 15, Tara became the youngest figure skater to win an Olympic gold medal.

Ever since she was little, Tara thought, "I'm going to be at the Olympics some day. I'm going to do what I need to do." And she did. "Your dreams are so important," says Tara. Having confidence and faith that you can accomplish them gets you going in the right direction.

The 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City are just around the corner. Current Health 2 talked with some Olympic hopefuls about how they train for success. Catch the Olympic spirit and improve your life.

SET GOALS

Kelly Hilliman wants to win an Olympic medal in aerial skiing. Along the way, Kelly sets many goals. These include improved skills for different areas, accomplishments during summer training, and target scores and results for winter competitions. "To me, goal setting is key not only in sports, but also in life," says Kelly. "This helps keep me focused and on track to becoming a champion."

"I set achievable goals for myself," agrees fellow aerial skier Corey Hacker. "If they come easily, I adjust them to push myself a bit. If they seem out of reach, I simplify them and set smaller goals to reach the big picture."

MAKE A COMMITMENT

Dreams don't come true overnight. They take time and commitment. For Tara Lipinski, that meant moving to a different city. It meant training five to six hours a day.

"If you really want to be the best at what you're doing, it's going to take a lot of extra time, a lot of work, and a lot of hard training," says speedskater Joey Cheek. Joey trains between four and eight hours a day. Sessions include warm-ups, stretching, and weight training, plus lots of drills and laps. Often the team does a 50-mile bike ride too. "There are definitely mornings when you wake up and don't want to get out of bed," admits Joey, "but the benefits far outweigh any extra hardships."

Nineteen-year-old Carolyn Treacy hopes to win the biathlon--a long cross-country ski race with target shooting. Carolyn starts each morning with a warm-up jog and stretching. Next come muscle-strengthening exercises...