How Prioritizing Self-Care Off the Track Helps Gold Medal Hurdler Grant Holloway Run His Best
Olympic gold medalist Grant Holloway is the best 110-meter hurdler in the world. Period. He proved it in a stunning performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics—an upgrade to gold after his silver medal win in the Tokyo 2020 games.
Before his gold medal status, Holloway was already a three-time world champion, but cementing it with a flashy Olympic gold medal is no doubt icing on the cake. His steady climb to the number one spot at the Paris Games was picture-perfect. Holloway dominated his first round heat by 0.21 seconds, followed by a winning semi-finals finish by 0.19 seconds, then a final win for gold by 0.10 seconds.
He makes it look easy, and his event starts and ends in a flash—but going over barriers at full speed takes a lot of preparation and more than just training on the track. Here’s how Holloway spends his time when he’s not training or racing.
1. He doesn’t skimp out on self-care
“Self-care is definitely huge, and personal hygiene is an important thing to me,” Holloway says. He’s the first the first-ever ambassador for P&G brands, a partner of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Being on camera a lot, I need to shave—so I use GilletteLabs razors. It gives me a clean shave every single time that I need to look my best. Whether that’s on or off the track or I have to do a business meeting, I like to feel my best.”
Holloway also practices mindfulness and stillness to keep his mental game strong.
“I really like to just sit back and relax whenever I’m not on the track. The mind is always running and racing, no pun intended, but I think it’s just something cool when you’re able to be bored in your own thoughts and actually be thankful for what you have accomplished.”
2. He golfs recreationally
You can find Holloway in more places than just the track. When he’s not training, he’s often on a golf course.
“I’m not good at it, but I like to sit back and relax and understand the sport a little bit more. It definitely ties into track and field just a little bit because it helps you focus on the little things,” Holloway says.
He uses golf as a way to focus on how he can bring strategies from the golf course to the track.
“As you’re golfing, it comes down to putting most of the time. You’re able to sit back and actually take your time and understand what you’re seeing and how you need to execute it.”
“I really like to just sit back and relax whenever I’m not on the track. The mind is always running and racing, no pun intended, but I think it’s just something cool when you’re able to be bored in your own thoughts and actually be thankful for what you have accomplished.” —Grant Holloway
3. He makes sure his space and clothes smell good
The life of a professional athlete is a sweaty one. That’s why staying fresh is a priority for Holloway.
“I love to travel with my Febreze,” he says. “Nothing smells better than when you have a fresh spray in the room. I try to do that right when I walk in, before or after I go to practice, or right before I go to bed.”
He’s often on the road traveling for competitions, but that won’t stop him from carrying products that keep him smelling and staying fresh, so he can run his best.
“I’m on-the-go a lot, so I try to keep Tide products with me at all times. It’s quick and easy to do a wash at a laundromat, or slip into a friend’s apartment to do a quick load of laundry.”
You can rewatch Grant Holloway competing in the men’s 110-meter hurdler race on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. NBCUniversal is the official U.S. broadcaster for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.