Genevieve LaCaze is an Australian athletics competitor who specializes in the 3000 metre steeplechase. She held an athletics scholarship at the University of Florida. She was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Olympian Genevieve LaCaze shares her spectacular journey towards the Olympic Games, in this exclusive interview with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are an athletics competitor who specializes in the 3000 metre steeplechase and have set a mark representing Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Tell us more about your spectacular journey and how it all began?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I’ve run all my life and I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t running in some way. I have 3 brothers all very close in age and I grew up on a farm on Mt. Tamborine (QLD) chasing them or being chased! My parents were both very sporty and gave us every opportunity to excel in any sport but especially athletics. We would go to Helensvale Little Athletics every Friday night as a fun family activity. I realized I had some talent in running at an early age when I won the school cross country in year 4. My dad from then on never stopped believing in my ability and coached me for a few years until middle school when I joined the running club at my school, John Paul College. From there I developed quickly as a distance athlete and showed a lot of potential at a higher level. By the time I reached grade 12 I was offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to pursue my running dreams.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2017 Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in the life of an athlete, preparing for the Olympic Games.
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I tend to stick to a very basic routine day in and day out. When preparing for such an important event like the Olympics, you want to get as much out of your day as possible but also recover and remain fresh to continue the intense workload and not burn out. I usually wake up between 7:30-8:00am, have a pre-run snack, do my run/workout, then have my post session drink which is a new brand of protein water called IONX to get 30g of protein and recover. At about midday I have a big lunch. Mid afternoon I will go lift at the gym and do any little rehab exercises and strength work I have on my program. I will usually have an afternoon snack and run or cross train again at 5:30pm. About twice a week I will schedule a massage to loosen the body but other than that I am trying to relax, rest and refuel my body as much as possible so I can repeat my routine daily.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine that you may like to share?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I believe the secret for female athletes is lifting. Generally we don’t bulk or have as much natural muscle as male athletes so weights and gym are essential. When I went to college, my weight coach there would help the football and swimming team with their programs. We later were introduced to the lifting program and it made me so much stronger and leaner for running. Many runners shy away from weights because they think we don’t need muscle and need to stay light but I do a lot of lifting to stay strong, durable and help my body stay lean while gaining strength.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
Most of the year I really focus on eating ‘clean’. This just means a lot of veggies, plenty of protein, and carbs that my body can easily digest like rice and quinoa. Now and then I’ll treat myself to fresh bread and butter but I tend to avoid gluten if possible. I would say I am mainly my strictest in competition season, the rest of the year I allow myself to have treats more often. I love my sweets. I don’t ban myself from certain things and keep my diet very diverse. I find it’s very important as an elite athlete to stay mentally relaxed. If that means a glass of red wine on a Saturday night, that’s fine!
Video
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Training for professional sports requires you to be out in the extreme weather. How are you able to take care of your skin and hair?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I do have olive skin but it’s also very dry and can get sensitive in extreme weather. I wash my face as soon as I wake up and wear sunscreen with moisturizer every morning. I also apply a night aging cream before bed every night. My hair is a bit of a nuisance but it’s part of my routine. I can’t live without a hair brush, dry shampoo and quality conditioner. I tend to just grab all this from Priceline as they have anything a girl could ever need!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in your success in the field of your career?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I have many people around me that have helped me get this far. Eloise Wellings would be the athlete I look up to a lot in this sport. Not only has she faced so much adversity, but while having every injury under the sun she never gave up and has proven her best years are still in front of her. She manages to balance motherhood and a pro running career and also has her own charity. I turn to her often for advice because she has so much wisdom as a female elite athlete.
Nic Bideau is my coach and mentor. He has always had a lot of faith in me, even when I have doubted my own ability. In our 5 years working together, I have accomplished more then I ever dreamed of. I’m also very thankful for my Dad who truly believed I was always destined for great things. He never let me back down and take the easy option and if it wasn’t for both my parents insisting I pursue running in college, I would of fallen short many years ago. Finally, Ryan Gregson, my partner and closest friend. I travel the world with him to train and compete. He supports my every step, rides the highs, and cushions the lows that come with this brutal sport. I’m very thankful for everyone I have onboard.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
In 2012, you were Australia’s only female runner in the 3000 metre steeplechase event as no other Australian woman set an Olympic A-Qualifying time and you improved your personal best up to 9:37:90. How did you feel after giving such a breakthrough performance?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
2012 was definitely a breakthrough moment when I qualified for the Olympic Games. It was an eye opener that gave me a taste of what being a professional athlete was like. The London Olympics was the time I decided what I wanted and how much work was needed if I wanted to be competitive against the best in the world. I left London with a newfound determination to be a completely different athlete 4 years later in Rio.
Video
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have participated in various Championships like the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. Tell us about one of the most memorable experience that you may have had at these Championships.
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
By far my most memorable experience was the Rio Olympics in 2016. I surpassed all expectation and made two Olympic finals in two different events. My aim was to make the steeplechase final however I left Rio racing 40 laps of the track, 3 personal bests, making two Olympic finals, and a top 10 finish. If it wasn’t already a dream come true, 10 days later I set a new Australian record in the 3000m steeplechase in Paris to cap off a surreal couple of weeks.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding steeplechase athletes who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in this field?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
The best piece of advice I have would be to make it fun. I competed against so many young talented girls growing up but not many continued in the sport because they stopped enjoying the training and competing. I have always had so much love for the sport – even during adversity. Running is my passion and from as early as I can remember, it has made my life better. I enjoy the healthy lifestyle running encourages and I will run for as long as I can. I live by the wise words of Steve Prefontaine – “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I love WomenFitness.net because it’s a portal to all things health and fitness. I love to read about what other women do to stay healthy and I’m always searching for new creative ideas to keep my own diet interesting. I love that women all over the world can go here for tips and valuable info!
Follow her on:
- https://www.instagram.com/gengen_lacaze/
- https://www.facebook.com/genevievelacazefanpage
- https://twitter.com/gengen_lacaze
Women Fitness Team extends our heartfelt gratitude to Genevieve LaCaze for taking out time from her busy schedule and doing this interview with us.
Video
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2017 Women Fitness