She was also on the 2020 team that won a gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
And of course, she plays for Team USA.
mindbodygreen: What does it mean to be a strong woman?
Chiaka Ogbogu:Its about recognizing your strengths and weaknessesand then standing firm and loving yourself through that regardless.
mbg: I want to talk about how you keep up your strength physicallylets start with nutrition.
What meals help you feel strongest?
But for me, I feel like Ive gotten accustomed to finding color when it comes to my food.
And I know I play my best when my mind is also in the right place.
The way Id describe my eating isMediterranean style.
Anything you would Mediterranean dish.
So I give a shot to carry it on over here.
mbg: what is your recovery routine?
Ogbogu:It depends where we are in the season and how my body’s feeling.
I dont have a specific routine, but I have things I rely on.
I have a go at be good with sleep.
Post game and post practice, I’ll useNormatec recovery boots.
Then supplements have been a really big game-changer for me, especially on the road.
I take sleep aids and things that help your body recoverlikemagnesium, calcium, things like that.
I’m always open to new recovery ideas.
mbg: whats the craziest thing youve done in the hopes of optimizing your performance?
Ogbogu:I don’t know if anything I’ve done has been super crazy.
I’ve seen athletes who do oxygen chambers or like sleep chambers.
I’ve done cryotherapy.
For me, that was extreme because I hate being cold.
mbg: What are your favorite workouts that have nothing to do with your sport?
But coming up, this will be the first time Im having an off season during the fall.
So Im excited to also get into the pickleball craze.
It looks fun and easy to pick up!
mbg: How do you mentally get prepared for a big match?
Ogbogu:I think now it’s different from when I was in college.
It’s so funny because I feel like in college I needed to get really hyped.
I was on all the coffees and all the energy drinks.
Then with each level comes new pressures.
So there’s obviously more anxieties present when youre playing at the highest level.
So now its more about getting to my most calm state, which has been interesting.
I think part of this journey is just about maturing.
Technique and IQ are not as much of a factor then, its just about physically.
Compared to now, when everyone is physical.
Everyone has been playing the game at a high level for a long time.
So then its all about what team has the IQ to win.
To calm myself, Ive been messing with a few different techniques, from meditation to sound frequency.
So I decided to look into it and try it.
I found thatcalming frequencies1are supposed to level your nervous system.
So now Ive been doing thatplus experimenting with other techniques.
Ive found that some of that resilience is innatemaybe youre just born with itbut the other part is trained.
How do you build resiliency in yourself?
So that’s part of it.
They help us acknowledge feelings, compartmentalize things when we need to, and then move on from them.
Its important to not dwell on what has happened, be that good or bad.
I like to dump it all out after a bad match.
Getting it on paper gets it out of my mind.
Our sport moves so quickly, theres not much time to dwell on bad games.
mbg: what does it mean to be a good teammate?
And then the other important factor is empathy.
I know my favorite teammates just had the most empathy and respect for everyone around them.
Thats been the way I take a stab at show up for the team, leading with empathy.
mbg: what advice would you give young girls in volleyball?
I think that was helpful for me growing up because I learned a lot.
Because as kids it’s really easy to be like,I didn’t like this today.
I think theres also lessons in that, too.
Its about working through things until you might officially decide,OK Im really not interested in this.
What has that been like to experience first hand?
Ogbogu:I think for us athletes, a lot of us are kind ofFinally!
But now its starting up next year.
And just all the hype and media around womens basketball has been inspiring.
