Australian pro surfer Molly Picklum just touched down in Tahiti for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she’s hoping to win gold. Picklum, 21, shared a picture of herself wearing shorts and a tank top, taking a walk near the beautiful village of Teahupo’o. “A warm welcome back,” she captioned the Instagram story. Picklum is one of the youngest competitors surfing this year—here’s how she stays fit, focused, and happy.
Picklum enjoys a healthy, protein-packed diet. “For me, it’s a no-brainer to wake up every day and try to be the healthiest version of me,” she told Nine Coach. “When I take care of my body by stretching or strength work or eating habits, I feel good, and when I feel good, I’m happy. My usual go-to breakfast to start the day is Greek yogurt with berries and some muesli. Most days, I’ll usually snack on some avocado and Vegemite on toast between breakfast and lunch. Then lunch will be a tuna salad!”
Picklum works out at least three times a week at the gym. “I try to eat healthy and honestly just work 24/7 at keeping my body moving and feeling the best it can be,” she told Nine Coach. “I feel good preparation sets you up for success because it creates confidence. If you choose to do this sport you need to 100 percent commit. You’re signing up to a whole lot more than what you realize, from training to traveling, to the mental and physical battles. You’ve got to find enjoyment in it all otherwise you will get eaten up alive.”
Picklum loves spending time with friends and family to relax. “I love bike riding, but I don’t get to do it enough,” she told Red Bull. “I really just enjoy hanging out with friends, I put a big value on that time spent together, driving around the streets singing in the car.”
Picklum recently developed a love for fishing. “One of our hometown heroes, Shane Holmes, has been taking me out and it’s so fun – you’re in the ocean and everything else just goes out the window,” she told Red Bull. “I get seasick, but that’s how much I love being out there. I just deal with it. We only catch what we plan on eating and once we’ve done that we go in. The last fish I caught was a kingfish and it was so sick. I thought I lost it so many times, it was an emotional rollercoaster.”
Picklum wants to win the gold medal this summer—but she’s also looking at the bigger picture. “I practice constant ‘self-talk’ to keep myself balanced mentally,” she told Nine Coach. “Mainly telling myself things like ‘you’re choosing to do this’ and ‘you’re allowed to make mistakes, just keep trying’, to be fair and kind to myself. Yes, I want to win world titles but most importantly I want to continue to wake up and try my best every single day to see how good I can get at this thing we do called surfing.”