Olympian Dara Torres Eats Big Macs?
At 42, Olympian Dara Torres says she’s in the best shape of her life- and we believe it.
“I can’t do what I did when I was 20, as far as training, yet I can swim faster. When I’m standing on the blocks, I don’t think, oh, I’m 42 and these girls are 15 or 16 years old. I feel like an athlete; I’m one of them, and I’m going to compete against my competitors.”
Workouts are life for the swimmer, who took home three silver medals in Beijing. But Dara has learned that she also needs to treat her body gently and indulge on occasion. And that might even mean a trip to McDonald’s, where she admits to splurging on a Big Mac, fries and a Coke. Her reasoning?
“I had an eating disorder in college, and I went for years restricting myself from specific foods, looking at labels. I don’t want to deprive myself, because then I think you just want it even more.”
If Dara ever retires from swimming (a far off decision, we hope!), she knows that she’ll remain an athlete.
“If I was not swimming, I’d probably work out a few hours a day, do aerobics, weights, play tennis. It’s not just the way it makes me look; it makes me feel good inside.”
Jolene Hart is a freelance writer and natural beauty expert with a passion for mind, body and planet - just like Healthy Hollywood!
A former beauty writer for InStyle magazine, Self magazine, and People magazine, she has covered every aspect of the beauty industry from product breakthroughs to red carpet beauty to backstage trends at fashion week. Find more of her work at 
