Jamie Anderson, 23, won the first-ever women's snowboard slopestyle gold medal Sunday with a near flawless run. Here's what she's like when she's not on her board:
I'm from Lake Tahoe, California… Right at the base of Sierra Tahoe, my home mountain. I have five sisters and two brothers and we all were homeschooled. We spent almost every day on the mountain, exploring, then doing our schoolwork at night—it was so much fun.
Snowboarding was so challenging at first… I got on and could hardly snowboard. I just remember pretty quickly falling in love with it; within the first week I was like, "Alright, this is actually really fun. I think I love it."
Yoga has been so helpful… Snowboarding is such a mental game. To be able to slow down and take some time to feel the body and go ride is such a good thing. Yoga has made a huge difference in my life, slowing down and connecting the mind and the body and the spirit. (Related: 6 Ways to Improve Your Yoga Practice)
Practice is key... It took me a long time to get into yoga. It wasn't until about two summers ago when they were doing free yoga on the beach every day that I started going regularly. After a week or two I was like, "I don't want to start my day with anything else but yoga." (Related: 7 Common Beginner Yoga Fails--And How to Avoid Them)
I have had a really hard time with meditating at different phases of my life—just slowing down and clearing the mind and really taking a moment. I did a 21-day meditation challenge online with this beautiful couple. They walked you through healing sound meditations with Sanskrit. They're all under 20 minutes, so I would try to dedicate my morning or evening to do that. If you're just getting into it and trying to create those new habits, it's good to have a little guidance. (Related: 7 Must-Know Facts About Meditation)
I grew up in a pretty conscious house... But being a teenager, I didn't really care so much. As I started to get older and connect with different friends and get into yoga, I began to care a lot more about the products I was supporting and what I was buying. (Related: 3 Eco-Friendly Labels Decoded)
Less is better for me… I try to keep everything pretty organic. I don't really buy lotions anymore—I use all natural coconut oil-based lotions or make my own. You can really use any oil, whatever you want. In the winter, sometimes I'll use sesame oil because it's warming, while coconut oil is better for summertime. I put it in a little jar with different essential oils; it's a nice moisturizer—scented, clean, nothing added.
I drink a ton of water… That helps when dealing with the elements. It's so easy to get dehydrated up in the mountains, and that's where dry skin and chapped lips come into play. (Related: 10 Ways to Drink More Water)
We are what we eat… I think some of the best advice my mom gave me was, "Don't ever worry about spending too much money on food or body work because it's priceless." Your body is your racecar, give it the best you can in everything—choosing local organic, growing your own food, just doing what you can.
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