Gretchen Bleiler

Getting older, getting married, buying a house, becoming a different person... I had to figure out what my new motivations, inspirations, and goals were.

If you're stressed at work, or before a competition, or if you need to be energized, or relaxed, there's so many scents that kind of take you there.

I partnered with Mission: it's a really cool company based on giving athletes what they need. I have my own signature lip balm because when I'm up on the hill, protecting your lips is so important.

Every year, I push myself to do something different - and push the boundaries a little bit more.

I love how snowboarding is like no other sport out there - I mean, some of my best friends are my biggest competitors. And we just cheer each other on. It's a very supportive sport.

As a professional snowboarder, my livelihood obviously depends on snow. And for me, traveling around the world, chasing the snow, I see the effects of climate change first hand. You can tell the difference.

After the Winter Olympics in 2006, I realized I had a platform to speak about causes that were important to me - and people would listen.

Get a composter and let nature breakdown your compostable trash and use the remains as mulch for your plants.

Walk, skateboard, bike, car pool, or use mass transit more, and drive less.

Your money is power, so be aware of the products you're buying and the companies you're supporting to make sure you're helping the companies that are leading the way in sustainability.

Eliminate the energy vampires in your house. Connect all of your appliances to power strips and turn them off they're when not in use.

Being involved in sports, you think less about how your body looks and more how it performs.

I've always had bigger legs and butt; it's just the way I'm built. Over time, I realized that they were blessings because that foundation - my legs and butt - is what helps me flip 12 feet above an icy halfpipe.

The Olympics, you're in front of the world, and yeah you're competing, but you want to look good. You want to have a great representation of who you are.

I've learned that you have to make careful choices because everything has an impact. I've also learned that you can't please everyone in life, so please yourself and figure out what really matters.

The Olympics have always been very special to me.

What most people don't realize is that in snowboarding, there are two different aspects: the filming side and the competition side. The filming side is when snowboarders spend the entire winter season trying to document the best, most progressive and innovative riding of the year.

While everyone's purpose may be different, with social media we all have that platform to create the change we want to see in the world, and I spend a lot of time encouraging others to step up and use theirs.

As a professional snowboarder, my goal is to educate and create awareness around the issues we're facing with climate change.

If you take minutes a day to take care of your mouth, the odds are you'll take the next steps needed to take care of your whole body, like exercising and eating healthy. It's a building block for other healthy habits.

The programs I do with my trainer are amazing for overall strength and have a major focus on building my core. We do a lot of unique exercises that shake up the nervous system, which builds my balance and propreception. That's really important for my sport.

Have a specific goal every time you hit the gym; this way, your workouts have built-in purpose.

I run on the beach, surf, and bike.

It's okay to feel nervous before a competition because it means you care about doing well.

It sucks. When you're a woman in sports, people want you to show some skin.

I think snowboarders have a unique experience when it comes to the Olympics because we have a pretty frequent competition circuit in addition to the games. So it's not a sport where your big moment is just once every four years.

If you don't snowboard a lot, then it's a good idea to go to the gym before you get up on those mountains to make for a better experience. Lots of core exercises and squats and lunges would help work the muscles you'll be using.

Mission makes athlete-specific products. I always use their sunscreen - it's an anti-sting formula, which is huge for me because it doesn't burn my eyes when I'm snowboarding in warmer temperatures.

Lots of times, people go to the mountains and feel like it's not cool to wear a beanie and goggles and neck gaiter. But you're so much more comfortable, and you're getting the protection you need.

I love dried mangoes, walnuts, and goji berries. The mix provides iron, antioxidants, and omega-3s and really kicks up my energy.

I have at least one goal that I work toward each day. It's all about taking hold of the day rather than letting the day run you.

I remember being glued to the TV as I watched the Olympics as a kid. There was something so magical, almost otherworldly, about the Olympics. My favorite part was that moment right before it all started. The moment where the athlete would stand up ready to face whatever lay ahead.

I'm a two-time Olympian, but on the front and back end of both of those were two Olympics where I narrowly missed making the team.

I'm on the road a lot, but I eat healthy whenever I can with foods that don't contain pesticides.

When you feel the burn, that's when you know you're doing an exercise correctly. If you're doing 20 crunches, and you're not struggling, make an adjustment so they're harder to do. Don't cheat yourself. If it isn't burning, you're not getting stronger.

I work out hard; that way, I can eat whatever I want. If you have a hard time regulating your diet, pushing yourself at the gym will help you keep the pounds off.

You've made the time to go to the gym, so don't just go through the motions.

I've had cumulative concussions and realized that's something you carry with you.

It took me a long time to figure out how to deal with pressure.

I've landed on my shoulders a lot of times, and separated them and stretched the capsule. I've torn my ACL in my right knee; that took me out for an entire season.

What snowboarding has always had and the Olympics has not touched is that spirit, that original spirit of creativity and athletes standing up and having a voice and being innovative. But I guess what the Olympics has done is provided a platform for that spirit, and that's what I see as being a really positive thing.

When I first started snowboarding, there weren't a lot of girl riders on the hill.

When you choose to take the road less traveled, it can sometimes be a bumpy ride along the way, but if you're doing it for the right reasons, then the reward is so great.

Growing up with brothers, I've always been a very competitive person and also very involved in sports. So when I was younger, whatever sport I was involved in, I wanted to go to the Olympics for that!

As long you are doing what you love and making decisions from the heart, you will be successful.

My family moved to Aspen, Colorado, where we had 'Avalanche Danger' days that kept us from going to school, climbed 14,000-foot peaks as part of my education, and I learned to snowboard.

I'm a Midwestern girl; I was born in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Dayton until I was ten years old. Then my whole life changed.

When I started snowboarding, I was looking for success to bring me identity. I still love to win, but at the same time, I don't need the X-Games to show me who I am.

I want to keep snowboarding as long as I'm still having fun and progressing my riding.

I care about the way I look, and I want to look my best. My regime isn't crazy. For my face, it's just sunscreen because foundations and tinted moisturizers rub against my neck warmer. But I do like eyeliner, mascara, and a little color on my lids.