Ms. Namita Nayyar: While a university student, you played NCAA division I women’s volleyball. Introduce us to the role of fitness and sports in your life?
Ms. Chelsea Hardin: Athletics, and everything that comes along with it has been a huge part of my character building and fundamentals in life. My mom actually convinced me to play volleyball since she saw that I grew taller and taller until I finally stopped at almost six feet! Getting a scholarship to a Division I school was life changing as it not only allowed me to experience life outside of Hawaii, but it set me on a path to receiving a degree while getting the opportunity to play volleyball.
As I mentioned before, the skills I learned in athletics: discipline, time management, hard work, dedication, along with many more, were instrumental preparing for Miss Hawaii USA as well as Miss USA, and now I’m using those same skills in every day life. In my post pageant life, sports and fitness is still a huge part of who I am as I continue to play volleyball both indoor and on the beach, as well as do other activities like canoe paddling, surfing, hiking and training for races. Additionally, I work with young kids here in Hawaii through a non-profit where we set up camps and clinics to educate kids about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, proper eating habits, be drug free, and to involve families in workouts.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a world leading media personality, fashion model and a beauty pageant holder. How do you manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional lifestyle?
Ms. Chelsea Hardin: Time management and prioritizing is key. When people ask what I do for a living, I always chuckle and say I do a little bit of everything, work as a model, work with a non-profit and do “ambassador work” as I like to call my Miss Hawaii USA duties. There are days where it can be overwhelming with keeping up on my social media scheduled posts, appearances where I have to be dolled up, sponsorship work, paid modeling gigs or lunch meetings, and sometimes it feels like it can be all in one day. When I do feel overwhelmed, which I always remind myself that the feeling is normal. I step back, making sure that I’m prioritizing my time with what is most important and what is going to be the most effective. It’s not as glamorous as people think, and sometimes you just want to walk around in flip flops wearing sweats with your hair pulled back and do absolutely nothing!
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?
Ms. Chelsea Hardin: My workout routine was pretty tricky as I wasn’t trying to master olympic lifts, build stamina and put on muscle like we had to for volleyball. Instead, I was training for long and lean muscles. I did a lot of plyometric exercises, high intensity work and compound movements. We worked with TRX, kettlebells and resistance bands for “Pilates-style movements to elongate the muscles” as my trainer Alana would say. For me specifically, we made sure to use lighter weights but keep the volume high. As for cardio, we did a few things, including making sure to keep my heart rate up during workouts and alternating between high-intensity training and long and steady workouts on the stair master or incline walk.
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