KERRI WALSH JENNINGS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
we’re professionals at this point. And there’s
no coach on the court for us in the Olympics,
so we have to figure stuff out on our own.”
Road to Rio
At the time of publication, Walsh Jennings
and her current partner, April Ross, were
ranked first among U.S. women’s teams and
sixth in the provisional Olympic ranking.
Their partnership began in 2013, after the
2012 London Olympics, where Ross and her
partner, Jennifer Kessy, won silver after losing
a highly competitive match against Walsh
Jennings and May-Treanor. During the customary celebratory hug, Walsh Jennings
asked Ross to consider partnering with her
for the Rio Olympics.
“I knew her as a competitor, and I’ve
always respected April so much,” Walsh
Jennings says. “She’s absolutely relentless in
the pursuit of her best self, her best game, and
she gives everything, aside from the fact that
she’s one of the best in the world at every
single skill. So she just had all the intangibles.
She has the desire and the skill set, so it was a
really easy choice for me.”
Walsh Jennings says that although the
pair share the same commitment to the sport
and have the tools to be dominant, for their
first couple of years together they lacked the
trust and closeness needed on a team, some-
thing they couldn’t force. But last July, Walsh
Jennings dislocated her right shoulder for the
second time and had to learn to play left-
handed, often relying on Ross to fill in.
“Ultimately, it just added another tool to
my tool kit, which is my left hand, and confi-
dence in my left hand, which is a beautiful
thing,” Walsh Jennings says. “And then April
had to just step up and assert herself in so
many other ways physically, because physi-
cally I was less. My injury brought us so close
together, and we finished the year really
strong. We’re a different team. We’re not per-
fect, we’re so far from where we will be, but we
were united in every single way. And that’s
really, really important when you’re chasing
a huge dream.”
Team Walsh Jennings
Despite the injuries, Walsh Jennings says
the only sacrifice she makes when it comes to
her job is leaving her family: her husband,
professional beach volleyball player Casey
Jennings, whom she married in 2005; their
3-year-old daughter, Scout; and their boys,
7-year-old Joey and 6-year-old Sundance.
“We do it together,” she says about bal-
ancing family and work. “My husband sup-
ports me so much. He does a lot to make all
of this work. I was just gone for 17 days, and
he had all three kids. Our boys are in two
sports right now. Together, we make it work.
He makes me able to have peace of mind and
without any guilt.”
While she’s rushing to leave she shares
that she’s on her way to her sons’ jiu-jitsu prac-
tice. She says her family’s days are often busy
with school, piano, T-ball, soccer and jiu-jitsu.
“We’re never going to push sports on our
kids, for sure,” Walsh Jennings says. “We want
to plant seeds. We want them to be in the
team atmosphere, because it’s an important
kind of skill to know in life, how to work with
people and communicate. That could be in a
band, that could be in a club, that can be in
plenty of things. But in my heart, I would love
for them to be athletes too.” C
Fitness tips from
an Olympian
1. Feed your muscles. Nutrition
is as important as fitness. Try to eat
very clean and fuel your body, and
don’t take life or your health for
granted. (Kerri Walsh Jennings is a
spokesperson for Almond Breeze
almond milk.)
2. Have a game plan. If you’re
going to work out, do it with intention.
Don’t just go through the motions. If
you go to the gym, have a plan and do
it with purpose.
3. Be patient. Don’t expect to be
amazing from the get-go. Build up your
stamina and your strength. Do it the
right way, and over time you will see
more benefits than if you tried to rush
to greatness and strength.
4. Recovery is hugely important.
Don’t go seven days a week, 365 days
a year. Take at least 24 hours off from
total physical activity, which gives your
body a chance to rebuild and recover.
(Then you can go harder the next day,
after your day off.)
5. Vary things up. Adding diversity to your routine helps maintain
interest. A jump-rope, a pair of shoes
or even just your body weight is all
you need to work out. If you’re stuck
for something to
do, go to Pinterest
and check out the
fitness section.
There are many
fun things you
can do.—CG
Name: Kerri Walsh Jennings
Member at: Hawthorne, California
Member since: 2010
Website: kerrileewalsh.com
Quote about Costco:
“Love Costco. It’s a
one-stop shop. As a
mommy, I’m able to
feed my family; I’m able
to clothe my family. As
an athlete, I got my
Vitamix from Costco.
The produce there is
great. The meat is
great. I’m a fan. It
serves our family and
our mission well.”
MEMBER PROFILE
Kerri Walsh Jennings, three-time Olympic
gold medalist and mother of three, shares
her mom moments at the 2013 Strong-Moms Empowerment Summit in New York.
PHO TO B Y DIANE BONDAREFF / INVISION FOR SIMILAC / AP IMAGES
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