Kikkan Randall is an all-American hero and superwoman. She’s a 29 year old Alaskan native who just happens to be a three time Olympian and the big sister of our staff reporter, Tanner Randall. Now, typically, we love anything Tanner loves (including but not limited to shiny fabrics, diabetic-friendly snack choices, and perfectly coiffed hair) but in this case, we’re BEYOND thrilled to profile his sister Kikkan.
Kikkan is an awesome human. She’s all about empowering women to be the best they can be, finding inner strength, confidence, and getting excited about life- and she really puts her money where her mouth is. She boasts 16 US national titles, a World Championships Silver Medal, and has the BEST-EVER US women’s finish in Olympic cross-country skiing. She casually announced at five years old that she’d one day be in the Olympics to her parents, and hasn’t looked back since. That’s the attitude we love, and honestly, we can all learn a little from. Even if we take that attitude on a smaller level to apply to our daily routines like “I’m going to jog 2 miles today, nothing will stand in my way,” or “Eggo waffles be damned! I’m only eating high-fiber breakfasts!” …it’s a potentially triumphant start.
“I tried many different sports, entertaining Olympic ambitions for each, and eventually settled on cross-country skiing as my main pursuit at the age of 16. When I graduated from high school I chose to join a professional ski racing team and pursue my international goals full-time. Even though no American woman had ever even been in the top 10 at the Olympics, I believed that I if worked hard enough and wanted it bad enough, I could win Olympic medals,” says Kikkanimal (her insanely wild nickname, which couldn’t possibly be more appropriate).
We also love that this sassy Alaskan is encouraging women (and men) to treat their bodies with love and respect. She knows that her drive and determination alone wouldn’t bring the success without carefully examining her physical needs. “Since my body is my livelihood and I have to be at 100% to succeed, I am very in-tune with my body and try to treat it with the utmost respect. I like to think of my body as a race car engine. The best fuel in, the faster I can go!”
Some foods that our Kikkanimal is mega obsessed with:
- Spinach salads with Craisins and vinaigrette
- Subway sandwiches made on whole wheat
- Cottage cheese (it’s a protein powerhouse)
- Fresh Alaskan salmon on the grill
- Oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins
