Gabby Douglas’ feet should be insured for gobs of money, considering they brought home the gold for America in 2012 as an Olympic all-around champion. We often emphasize the importance of head-to-toe skin care, but it’s never as important as for someone like a gymnast, whose livelihood depends on it. Douglas had taken some time away from professional gymnastics, but she’s recently announced her return, with her sights set on the upcoming Paris Olympics. Next week, she’ll appear in the U.S. Classic alongside other American all-stars Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee. We had the honor of chatting with her at Pier 62 in New York ahead of her triumphant return.
You recently announced that you’re returning to professional gymnastics—congrats! What do you hope to accomplish this time since you’ve already done so much?
“There were a lot of skills and competitions that I didn’t attend when I was younger, and so just kind of getting back out there and reaching that height of gymnastics. Doing different things is very exciting for me, but I honestly just hope to get that joy back. I missed the crowds. I missed designing the leotards, so that’s what really got me back into it. I was watching one of my friends, and I was just like, ‘Man, I miss this. What if I went back?’”
What is your workout like when you’re not training for gymnastics?
“I was doing the most honestly. I was trying out different workouts. I did dance workouts, which were really fun, trampoline workouts. I live on a farm so I would like run with the cows. I was just trying to find a way to work out and it be fun. It’s hard, gymnastics and doing the conditioning, so I was like, there has to be a way to kind of make it fun.”
As a gymnast, you use your hands and feet in a different way than the rest of us. How do you take special care of them?
“I’m honestly excited to be partnering with Dr. Scholl’s because they do have a lot of products that work for me. This is a partnership made in heaven because we’re literally always using our feet. So with my hands, I do a lot of moisturizing, so they’re not so cracked.
With my feet, I love using the Severe Cracked Heel Balm ($8). It’s a more intense version of the Ultra-Hydrating Foot Cream ($8), so it really gets in my skin. I use a lot of chalk on my feet, so it cracks and dries my feet, so this nourishes them at the end of the day and provides a lot of hydration. The Callus Remover Electronic Foot Filer ($11) is also great. We grind our feet so much and turn, so getting all the hard stuff off and having our skin very smooth at the bottom is very essential.”
