I first met Alysha over the holidays at a party. We were introduced through mutual friends and she is so incredibly humble that it wasn’t until the next day I even realized how big of a badass she truly is. She was warm, sweet, polite and modest, and on top of it all extremely naturally beautiful (you can tell when girls take a lot of work, Alysha was not one of those girls).
The next day I found out that she is an Olympian!! First off, how cool is that? Secondly, what’s even cooler is that I had NO idea. She wasn’t boasting about her long list of accomplishments, nor was she flashy. She was just a sweet, normal 24 year old making new friends at a party like you or I.
Back to being a badass, if you don’t know Alysha Newman, you should. She is a 24 year old Canadian native and University of Miami alum. She is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the women’s pole vault following the 2018 Games in the Gold Coast, where she set a new Games record of 4.75 m. Not only is she extremely athletic, but her body is #goals, I literally do squats just to have an ass like hers, AND she has the best style (dresses & sneakers give me liiiife).
Now, get to know Olympian Alysha Newman 🙂
You’re a world champion and Olympian. Aside from your elite physical talent, what traits do you think have made you most successful in your career?
I think the number one trait that has made me successful has been sacrifice. Ever since I was a little girl I always put my sports and career first. It was almost as if I was born with it. I knew sports wouldn’t last forever and I needed to sacrifice as much time as possible so I could accomplish all my goals.
I remember as if it was yesterday, it was prom weekend and all of our classmates were heading down to cottage town (Grand Bend) to party and celebrate our last couple days as high schoolers. Unfortunately, the biggest high school competition of the year was being hosted that very same weekend. Prom happens once in life and I knew that Universities in the states were interested in giving me a full ride the following year. I couldn’t decide so my mom and I came up with a brilliant plan to make both happen- Mamas are the best!
I went to prom Friday night wearing running shoes under my long dress because I didn’t want my legs and feet to be sore for competition the next day. I hopped on the party bus to cottage town to where I emptied an entire vodka bottle and refilled it with water. I knew my friends and classmates were going judge me or called me out for not drinking, so I avoided the situation by making it look like I was downing vodka all night haha. At midnight, once everyone seemed to have a little too much to drink, I met my mom down the street to where she brought me home so I could get a good night sleep. I woke the next morning competed, won my competition, jumped back into the car and mom brought me back to cottage town. I had the rest of the weekend to party and enjoy the final days with my high school friends. Definitely a weekend to remember and so worth it.
After long days of grinding in the gym, what keeps you motivated? What is your fire to win?
After long days in the gym when I’m tired, I remind myself that, that tired feeling means I’ve gotten better. I have my goals written on my wall so when I wake up everyday those goals are staring back at me and I have no choice but to get up and keep working.
I want to go down in history, being one of the best women pole vaulter to ever live.
Turning the impossible to possibilities is so intriguing to me. It motivates me to show people that they can do it to !
Your body is insane. Absolute goals. What is your workout and diet regimen like? How can I get an ass like that?!
I love my body but I cannot wait for the day I retire and can actually shape my body the way I want it to look like. I workout but I don’t really, I’m practicing, training too get faster and jump higher which comes with sweating and elevating my heart heart so I stay in shape. However, my workouts are aimed to perform not for looks. I am very fortunate that my body looks this way with what I do every day but I think my nutrition is the main reason for it. My diet is gluten-free and dairy-free but will occasionally have my ice-cream on cheat days. The past two years I’ve learned so much about my body. I’ve learned what foods make me feel and look the best. Growing up I was always told that I had to finish my plate and that I needed to have protein, carbs and veggies each time I ate. It was hard to break habits especially since “eating everything on my plate” was all I knew until two years ago when I decided to try something new. Now I only eat until I’m full and I change up my plates and meals everyday. I try to never eat the same thing in the week and this has been working amazingly for me!
The perks of being a pro athlete is the travel. What is your favorite country or city you’ve been to and why?
This is definitely one of the hardest questions because I have been to so many beautiful places. However, the one place that still has my heart is the Gold Coast in Australia. The different color beaches, the fresh water lakes, the food, the fashion, the culture, the night life was life changing. I was so excited to wake up every morning to experience a new adventure. There was so much to do in Australia that living there for a year still wouldn’t be long enough to experience everything. So you will definitely find me back there one day!
Hours and hours are required to be great in sports, if those hours went elsewhere, what would you aspire to be?
With my determination I would have definitely started my own interior decorating and event planning business by now. I love bringing happiness into people lives. Whether that is updating someones living space or planning an unforgettable wedding. I live for surprises and bringing a sense of that perfect fairy-tail ending to others.
One of the most important things in sports is to fail at some point, was there a pivotal moment you remember that you never wanted to happen again, what did you learn from that?
This sounds so crazy but I fail everyday! It comes with what I do day in and out but I am so thankful for it. I am constantly learning and growing because of my failures. Every time I experience it, I go back to the drawing board and keep moving towards. When plan A fails that means I’ve excessed my max potential that way so I turn to plan B and restart from there until I get it right. My motto since I’ve been little, my parents would always say “nothing is impossible” and so I make sure that the impossible turns to possibilities!
What is your proudest moment- on the track AND off?
I have had lots of memorable moments on and off the track but 2018 was definitely one of my favorite years of all time! I brought home a Commonwealth Gold Medal for my country! However, it was standing on the podium and hearing the national anthem that was indescribable. Definitely one of the proudest moments of my athletic career because I didn’t just do it for myself but I did it for my entire country of Canada.
Off the track had to be booking my first modeling campaign for Nordstrom. I had no portfolio or modeling experience walking into this interview but I stayed true to who I was and what I was passionate about which lead into getting the job! So now, you’ll see me in Nordstroms 2019 spring campaign and let me just say, they were incredible to work with.
I’ve done my research- you’re a fashion junkie & have incredible style. What are some of your favorite brands? What is a staple outfit for you the weekend?
I LOVE FASHION and never wearing the same outfit is something I live by! It challenges my creative side and pushes me outside of the box. I don’t really have a “favorite brand” but definitely for jeans, Lucky Brand jeans has always fit me perfectly. Like I said, I never like to wear the same outfit, I love to find my clothes at stores who have amazing deals-Top Shop, Zara, FashioNova, Aritzia, Pretty Little Thing, etc. However, I am picky with my bags and so after every season I reward myself with a designer bag. I am definitely a Gucci and Louis Vuitton girl.
You’re a strong, educated, determined woman. Are men intimidated by you? How do you handle that? What do you look for in a man?
I have gotten a couple of “you’re to good for me” to “you must have all these guys trying to get with you” and others will see how busy I am and think I wouldn’t have time for a relationship. I think most of these assumptions come from social media. They see I have a high social media following, they see my success and immediately assume those 3 things. But what people don’t know is, I am such a relationship person, I don’t sleep around, I refuse to answer DMs from people I have not met in person and I am not better than anyone else. I am here living my best life because everyone has the opportunity to do so.
I look for someone who is dedicated and passionate in whatever they do. I want my man to be successful and confident, but also believes loyalty and honesty. Communication is so important in a relationship especially when two people are passionate about what they do. Sometimes you can get caught up in your career and forget to give your partner that attention they need. But by communicating those voices in your head early, it would saves everyone a lot of time, tears and fixes insecurities right away. I will always be willing to take a day or a weekend off to make memories and to enjoy life. Having balanced lifestyle of work and play is so important for your physical and mental happiness. I love the sound of growing and succeeding with someone by my side. But that man is TBD! Hahah
Boxers or briefs?
If you’re talking about what I would rather wear, then boxers all the way. Love me some room to move around . If your talking about what I want to see my man in … well that answer is simple, nothing!! Lol
You clearly are goal driven and know what you want. What advice do you have for women who are maybe too scared to go after what they want in life?
I believe goals are so important to every individual. Goals give you purpose, even if they are small. There is nothing more rewarding when you have that “never ending list of things to do” and you cross them off. I think of goals that way to. By writing my goals down, it turns them into “must!” I think a lot of people are scared to go after their goals because they are scared of failing. What I have done is trained my mind to appreciate failure. Failure to me means; I’ll never regret not trying, it helps me grow and I’m learning way more about myself then if I didn’t go after these goals! So I say F**k what people think of you or even if you fail, you’ve tried, and that’s already an accomplishment in itself.
What is next for Alysha post sports?! Who do you aspire to be as a woman?
I am so excited for post sports! There’s so much I want to accomplish off the track. I could see myself owning my own business, I love to interior decorating and event planning ! I could also see myself starting a bath suits line. I can see myself being a mother and raising my children somewhere in the sunny south!
The Brunching Mama 