Olympian Aly Raisman admits she is grateful to finally have more ‘balance’ in her life, after officially retiring from professional gymnastics – but she admits she is ‘still figuring out’ what she wants to focus on in the future.
The 25-year-old made the announcement in January that she would not be returning to training ahead of the 2020 Games, explaining that she needed to take some time out to ‘appreciate what I’ve experienced and learned’ during her time as an elite athlete.
And that is exactly what Aly is doing, with the Olympic medalist revealing to DailyMail.com that she is using her newfound freedom from training and competing to ‘try new things’, from golf to tennis to horseback riding.
Looking ahead: Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman has opened up about life after retirement
Something new: The 25-year-old says she is still ‘figuring out’ what she wants to dedicate her time to now that she is not in training
‘I am looking forward to having more balance in my life and trying new things!’ she explained.
‘I am going to start taking golf lessons and I am also taking tennis lessons, which is so fun! I am also interested in taking horseback riding lessons. My younger sister Chloe did it for years, and I am excited to be able to do something with her that she loves.’
However, having free time on her hands isn’t something that Aly is used to; the former gymnast spent more than ten years training day in day out for the two Olympic Games that she eventually competed in, and effectively spent every one of her waking hours at the gym in pursuit of her medal goals.
Still she is enjoying the opportunity to work out what it is that she most enjoys doing during the downtime that she now gets to relish in.
‘I am still figuring out what I enjoy doing in my quiet moments when I am home and that has been really fun,’ she noted.
However, Aly hasn’t exactly been slacking on the professional front while taking the time to focus on her personal life.
The former professional gymnast has racked up an impressive resume of projects, including a role as a spokesmodel for Aerie, a book deal, and – most recently – a cosmetics collection, Fierce by Aly, with natural beauty brand LimeLife by Alcone.
Champion: Aly competed in the 2012 and 2016 (pictured) Olympics, and won multiple medals in both years
Leader: She was also named as the team captain in both years
Aly says the aim of her products is to help other to ‘find their fierce’ – something that she says makeup always helped her to do for competitions.
‘Makeup helped me so much when I was competing – it was extremely relaxing and therapeutic to apply makeup before competitions,’ she recalls.
‘I had so much fun applying different color liners and shadows. Makeup is a fun way to express yourself. I also have many wonderful memories of applying makeup with friends while listening to music and laughing.’
When it comes to finding her own feeling of ‘fierce’ in her day-to-day life, Aly says that she has all kinds of techniques, from working out to FaceTiming with her friends.
‘I try to be fierce in my day to day life by doing check-ins and seeing how I feel or what I need for that day,’ she explained. ‘Maybe it’s a doing workout, taking a nap, doing a meditation, walking outside, dancing to my favorite song, FaceTiming a friend, or journal writing.
‘To me, fierce can mean having the courage to take some time to yourself.’
Courage is something that the Olympic medalist has proven she has plenty of; in January 2018, Aly went face to face with USA Gymnastics’ pedophile doctor Larry Nassar while testifying against him, months after publicly revealing that she was one of his many victims.
New ventures: Since moving away from gymnatics, Aly has focused on a number of new projects, including modeling for Aerie, and launching her own beauty line
Something special: Fierce by Aly, which was released by LimeLife by Alcone, includes a range of products designed to help users ‘find their fierce’
In her impact statement to court, Aly said: ‘Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing.
‘The tables have turned, Larry. We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere.’
She has since been incredibly outspoken in her public criticism of USA Gymnastics and the organization’s handling of the Nassar case and his many victims, calling out the sports governing body for ‘unacceptable’ failings.
But while she may seem like the world’s most confident woman to many, Aly says that she still struggles with self-esteem every day, admitting that ‘staying confident is something she works on each day’.
‘I think life can be a rollercoaster and some days I feel confident and other days not so much, which is normal,’ she shared.
‘When I feel confident, I try to focus on what it is that I am doing differently and then incorporate that into my routine. Being in nature and around flowers helps me feel at peace, so I try and do that as much as possible.
‘If you are struggling with self-confidence, please know that it is normal. I believe everyone in the world has known some type of struggle.
New talents: Aly, who officially retired in January, told DailyMail.com that she has been trying her hand at different sports, including golf and tennis
Different strokes: She also revealed on Instagram that she has discovered a new passion for interior design
‘I would recommend finding things that bring you joy. It could be hanging and laughing with friends, being around animals, cooking, playing music, whatever it is – try to incorporate that into your daily routine as much as possible.
‘I also recommend talking to someone. It doesn’t have to be a therapist, it can be a friend, coach, family member, anyone you feel comfortable going to. If you are not comfortable with that, that is okay too. Try writing in a journal or keeping a gratitude journal!’
Inspiring confidence and self-belief is at the core of Aly’s beauty line, and when it came to naming her products, she turned to a series of quotes that give her strength, in the hopes of sharing that same feeling with her fans.
‘I wanted this collection to be as authentic as possible,’ she said. ‘LimeLife by Alcone has been so supportive and incredible to work with because they really encouraged me to share my ideas and then brought those ideas to life. I appreciate them so much.
‘“Pick out things you love about yourself” is a quote that is in inside one of the eye shadow palettes. I hope it is a reminder that we are all uniquely beautiful. Sometimes it can be so tempting and easy to pick out things we don’t like about ourselves, but the aim is to remind us to pick out things we love about ourselves.
‘I also have a palette that says, “If you believe in magic you will find it.” I love this quote and hope it inspires others to find the magic in their everyday lives.’