Egle Staisiunaite is a Lithuanian 400 meter Olympic hurdler. Her track accomplishments include competing at 2012 London Olympic Games, making semifinals at European Championship in 2012 and 2014, and finishing 22-nd at 2015 World Championships!  She started running track when she was 13 years old and fell in love with the sport ever since. She is one of my amazing training partners here in Phoenix! She was graciously agreed to be featured on my blog!!

How was the 2012 Olympic experience?

Egle: 2012 Olympic experience was definitely not what I expected it to be! In 2012, my goal was to qualify for the Olympic Games, but it was a long shot. I needed to drop almost 2 seconds off of my personal best. Even though the Olympic standard seemed out of reach, I achieved it at 2012 European Championships.  It was the most thrilling experience of my athletic career! I don’t think I slept that night because I was in so much joy and excitement. However, the preparation and the Olympic Games were very nerve-racking. I went from feeling like I am on cloud nine to extremely stressed and tense. Pressure, doubt, anxiety, and fright set in. I was not prepared for the Olympics mentally and did not compete well. However, being able to participate at the Olympic Games was an extremely valuable experience. It was simply amazing!  It prepared me for other “big-stage” meets such as European Championships and World Championships.

How do you feel about already qualifying for the 2016 Olympics and what is your mindset going into this season?

Egle: Already having a qualifying mark for 2016 Rio Olympics feels great! I have worked incredibly hard this past year and feel proud of qualifying already. This season I can concentrate and focus on what I want to accomplish in Rio. This will be my year to run sub 56 seconds.

*Sidenote* Countries that don’t have enough people running the Olympic qualifying standard has a process where if one meets said standard they have an automatic bid to the Olympics. Egle represents one of these countries so she already has a spot on the Olympic team!

How is training going so far?

This season I relocated to train at ALTIS training center in Phoenix, AZ. So far training at ALTIS has been truly amazing! I get a chance to train with an incredible group of ladies who encourage and support each other everyday. Coach Kevin Tyler and the assistant coaches are super knowledgeable and are great mentors. ALTIS is a world-class organization and I am truly blessed to have an opportunity to train there. The last three weeks in training were “installation weeks” so I am eager to see how the training progresses in the next couple cycles.

Advice to young athletes. 

Work hard, never give up, believe in yourself, attack the challenges life throws at you, stay humble, and enjoy the ride!

Workout tips for the average person who wants to train like an Olympian.

If you are not an Olympian don’t train like one! LOL I am a personal trainer and I don’t want to see people injure themselves during exercise. Know your limits, but also don’t be afraid to ramp up the intensity during your workouts.

Here is an exercise that we do for core and ab work. It’s called a Dumbbell Push Press. Lay on your back on a bench (your you can use lay on the floor) with your feet in a straight line in the air and your shoulders off of the bench. Squeeze your abs tight! Use moderate to light dumbbells (knowing your limit of course) and push the dumbbells above your chest. Do 3-5 sets of 4-10 depending on your intensity and ability.

Want to Follow Egle’s Journey??!!! Like her on Facebook and Follow her on Twitter, and Instagram. 

Check out this awesome video of Egle running at the World University Games in the pouring rain!!! We were actually both at this meet (small track world)!

Thank you for Reading and please Check out next weeks Feature Friday with the 400 meter Canadian, Audrey Jean-Baptiste!!

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