Natalie Coughlin quotes:

I was tempted my junior year to go out of college and forgo my eligibility. I had broken several world records. I did have a lot of people telling me that I should go pro.

I like to take mustard baths. I combine 4 lbs Epsom salts, 3 oz mustard powder, 12 oz powdered milk, and 1/2 cup baking soda, add in 12 drops each of rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils, then whisk it and pour 1/4 cup of the mix into the tub while warm water is running.

I'm up before 5 a.m., I have breakfast, then swimming, Pilates, weight training, and physical therapy. I'm constantly going from one thing to the next. Everyone is busy, but that's my busy,

I don't have any superstitions, but what I always travel with is my pillow and my coffee.

There's an adage that a lot of coaches have, that I completely disagree with, is if you make the Olympic team too early you become complacent.

I live in a swimsuit so I'm really comfortable with my body.

The pressure of the Olympic Games is real overwhelming.

I was the official wedding photographer at one of my best friends' weddings. Fortunately she was one of the most easygoing brides ever, so she made it easy for me.

I generally wake up at 4:30, have breakfast No. 1, then get to the pool by 5 a.m.

I hate how late we have our Olympic Trials, always have.

I very much looked up to Janet Evans and Summer Sanders.

You see a lot of us lingering around. We'll just stand there on the edge of the pool and kinda psych ourselves up into getting in.

I'm comfortable in the locker room situation, so whatever.

There's just something about that cold rush that I know I hate and a lot of other swimmers hate.

Cooking a fantastic meal is therapeutic. I like the entire process-the chopping, the stirring. At the end, hopefully you get to enjoy a great meal with a friend or loved one.

Pilates is an awesome cross-training exercise for any sport because it focuses on functional movement.

Without goals, training has no direction.

When I was little, I wasn't so little. I had a big old round belly and I was really clumsy, but I was super confident.

I actually love swimming but I just hate jumping in the water.

Leading a healthy, active lifestyle is all about momentum. If I'm in the middle of training it's easy for me to keep that up. It gets tough when I'm on a break. I just try to start my day with a good breakfast and a quick walk, something simple that gets the day off on the right foot. The more I do that, the more I make healthy choices that reflect the good choices made earlier.