Jessica Beard is an American sprinter who qualified for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in the 4×400-meter relay and 400 meters. She won the gold medal with the relay team.
Representing the United States Jessica Beard won the following Gold at World Championships
| Gold medal – first place Gold medal – first place Gold medal – first place Silver medal – second place Gold medal – first place Gold medal – first place | 2009 Berlin 2011 Daegu 2013 Moscow 2015 Beijing 2019 Doha 2019 Doha | 4×400 m relay 4×400 m relay 4×400 m relay 4×400 m relay Mixed relay 4×400 m relay |
| In Pan American Junior Gold medal – first place Bronze medal – third place | 2007 São Paulo 2007 São Paulo | 4×400 m relay 400 m |
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar had a candid interview with Jessica Beard, Five times World Champion in 4×400 m relay where she talks about her workout, diet, hair & skin care secrets and about her exceptional achievements in the track and field at the world championships.
Namita Nayyar:
You are 2019 IAAF World Champion in Mixed 4x400m relay and 4x400m relay. Share your mental & physical strategies to achieve your goal?
Jessica Beard:
My preparation physically shifts into becoming focused on consistently doing efforts asked of me with ease and at a high intensity. Mentally, I approach training and prep as I would a competition so I can simulate the mind-set and prepare my body for the responses of high competition
Namita Nayyar:
Were your eyes set on becoming a professional athlete? If not, when did you decide to choose this as a career?
Jessica Beard:
No my eyes weren’t set on becoming a professional athlete. I just wanted to win individual national championships in NCAA and I knew that consistently performing in the top 4 nationally could present me with an opportunity to be a contracted professional athlete. It became a reality for me once I met with sport agents that discussed future opportunities for be to advance my running career
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in your life, as an athlete and a woman full of aspirations. Two stress management strategy before Covid19:
Jessica Beard:
- Breakfast (60 min before training)
- Training (2 1/2 hrs)
- Travel to weights (20 min)
- Snacks (recovery, fruit, nuts)
- Weight room (75 min)
- Cook dinner to post on IG
- Preventative maintenance stretches/Mona’s Epsom salt bath recipe
At least 9 hrs. of sleep 4x a week
Stress management strategies for me include, unplugging from social media to read/study, YouTube yoga, breathing exercises, neo-soul music.
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine that you may like to share with our viewers? Five keys to prevent injury while training.
Jessica Beard:
Can’t give my fitness workout as far as weight training. But by being a professional athlete, my workouts are periodically designed for the different phases of my training cycle. Things I’ve shared on my social media accounts have been dead lifts, box step ups, different AB routines (planks, bicycles, toe touches), hand release push ups, repeat 150m runs with 3 min rest
Namita Nayyar:
Share the diet that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit? Foods recommended by your nutritionist. Supplements that help enhance performance.
Jessica Beard:
My eating regime consists of high protein (lean proteins–chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef (90/10)), high intake of vegetables, medium fat, low carbs. So a day for me may look like breakfast (2 boiled eggs and fruit), lunch (bowl from chipotle with rice, double chicken, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, light cheese), dinner (chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese, green beans, quinoa)
Namita Nayyar:
While training constantly in extreme climate conditions, how do you take care of your skin and hair?
Jessica Beard:
Taking care of my hair as an athlete who sweats heavily in humid weather means protective styles (braids, passion twists, crochet dreads) that keep me from constantly manipulating my hair through heat or touching it every day. As far as my skin, I have an everyday goal of at least 3 litres of water, as well as establishing a routine of wash, toner, and oil moisturizer. Exfoliation at least twice a week and making sure to have facial wipes to wipe my face after practice and weights.
Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your biggest motivator in your career? Name your role model.
Jessica Beard:
I would say my mother. She has told me I was the best and could be the best even before I achieved my personal goals or the top. I would say my role model would be Jesse Owens and Harrison Dillard. What they achieved and overcame is inspirational.
Namita Nayyar:
Share with us your HIIT home workout that works great for an athlete’s body? 5 stretches that must be done before training or final performance.
Jessica Beard:
(30 seconds on/30 secs off/60-90 secs rest after all 5 exercises)
- Squat jumps
- Walking lunges
- High knees with medium to lightweight object, hold it overhead
- Bicycles (abs)
- Plank (abs)
Namita Nayyar:
Five tips to work upon for aspiring athletes
Jessica Beard:
Amidst the terror of COVID-19, one life lesson that you’ve learned? The value of time is how it is spent rather than how much time you have–so spend it giving and sharing things that will create memories
Namita Nayyar:
Being the World Champion for so many years, share five secrets that have helped you reach this point.
Jessica Beard:
- Consistency—doing the small things as often as possible
- Integrity—not doing things to violate my conscience; doing the right things when no one is looking
- Staying positive in the worst of life’s unforeseen events
- Redefining my “why”
- Looking at every opportunity as a gift that I don’t want to take for granted so making the best of my opportunity through effort and execution.
Namita Nayyar:
Share a few words about the website Womenfitness.net and message for our visitors?
Jessica Beard:
Womenfitness.net shares stories about women and the many roles we take on. I hope they find a piece of themselves in my story and joy in their personal journey.
Jessica Beard social media presence and credits
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reign2/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/run2reign
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness