Partnership with TechnoGym Allows Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross to Focus on Training

Five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross is one of the most decorated track and field Olympians of all time. And she’s not quite finished. In the coming months, Richards- Ross will continue training for the 2016 Rio games with the hope of adding two more gold medals to her collection. 

Earlier this month, Richards-Ross was introduced as a brand ambassador for the wellness company TechnoGym. At the New York event, she spoke about TechnoGym as well as her Olympics preparation and her career on the track.

Richards-Ross started running as a 7-year-old in Austin, Texas. Over the years, she’s evolved into a world-class athlete. And so has her approach to competing.

Ahead of her gold-medal win in the 400m at the 2012 London Games, she trained relentlessly. But in 2016, she’s taking a different approach.

“I’ve learned from my experiences and this year it’s more about tapering my training to be ready when it counts,” Richards-Ross says. “I’m going to be competing a little bit less and training smarter, not harder. I’m super excited to be standing alongside TechnoGym going into what will be the most important games of my career.” 

For nearly three weeks before the games begin, Richards Ross and other US athletes will continue their intense training in Brazil. 

​Part of her routine will include work on new TechnoGym products, such as the new SKILLMILL. The machine resembles a normal treadmill, but it’s non-motorized. Unlike more normal equipment, it allows athletes to effectively improve their power, speed, endurance, and agility – at the same time.

TechnoGym will also provide more than 1,000 pieces of equipment for all athletes at the Olympics that will furnish the main training center inside the Olympic village. (The company has done this since 2000.)

“Every athlete has a different regimen going into the Olympics,” Richards-Ross says. “Using this equipment is going to help me meet multiple training needs and be more efficient, and hopefully land me on the top of the podium in Rio.” 

Another benefit of the partnership with TechnoGym is that with the company’s financial backing, she can focus on training full-time. 

Richards-Ross says that many of Olympic athletes need to maintain their full-time job in the weeks and months leading up to the games. But now, she doesn’t have to.

“I’m so grateful for that,” she says. “It’s very tough to have a 9 to 5 and train at the level to be the best in the world.” 

The toughest part of her Olympic training, though, might be waiting until the end of the summer to take the track for competition.

“Every year has been different for me and this year it feels right,” she says. “I really hope this will be my swan song and I’ll be able to leave the sport on a high note.” 

Photos: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Technogym