Team USA's Sean Rabbitt Shares His Grueling Schedule and Positive Energy

Sean Rabbitt is having a serious moment. He’s a figure skater for Team USA, he’s competing like never before, and he’s known among fans for his incredible positive energy and giant smile.</strong> His Instagram features shots of his intensive training schedule and incredible skating routines, but his outlook and uncompromised lifestyle are instantly relatable. He started skating at three, began succeeding in championships soon after, and we’re thrilled to watch his star rise as part of Team USA (and Team Redd). We chatted about his wild adventure – enjoy his wit and wisdom!

Sean, you’re competing at an extremely high level at a highly competitive sport. What keeps you grounded and relaxed?

Sean Rabbitt:  I think being at the top of your sport and in your prime can come with a lot of pressure at times, and it’s definitely hard to stay relaxed. That being said, <strong>I think a huge step in keeping myself relaxed is realizing how lucky I am to be at this point in my career and that it’s only a select few who are able to make it this far.So realizing that, actually for me, relieves pressure in knowing i have done the hard work; getting to that position. That keeps me relaxed and grounded and able to enjoy the process of training and competing!

Can you tell us about your daily routines?

SR: My daily routine, okay…you’re going to need to sit for this one haha! So besides being a competing member of Team USA, I also coach skating to support myself as well as help to bring up the next group of hopefuls. My day starts at 5:45am where I will coach for 1.5 – 2 hours. After that I will run home for a quick breakfast and then off to the rink that I do my training at, usually starting somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00. My training will consist of 3 hours of on ice training, usually with a break to recover in between each hour, and then a half hour of off ice warm ups before each hour that I take to the ice. That usually takes me to about 1:45 or 2:45 on any given day, and then followed by either 1.5 hours in the gym twice a week, or more teaching from 3:00-6:00pm…but every day ends around 6:00 regardless! Sounds exhausting right? After that home to relax, do some recovery exercises, and then go to ZzZzz. The weekend is for sure my paradise!

What are some of the ways that you take care of your body and wellness?

SR: For many personal reasons besides bettering my athletic ability, health and fitness are a big part of my life. I take an hour or two every Sunday to prep all or most of my meals for the week, making sure they are balanced with enough proteins, carbs, and veggies. Eating right is a big one for me, and I have learned to love cooking healthy delicious meals. Another thing is, as weird as it sounds I am very strict about my relaxation time! It’s super important to give your body the time to recovery and relax after such a difficult training week. These are two ways to keep your body and mentality strong and away from injury!

What’s your proudest moment?

SR: Thats a hard question as I value many different moments in my career as proud moments and use them as stepping stones to further my success, but if i had to pick one….I would have to say my proudest moment was when I was sent to my first international assignment (international competition representing Team USA) in Barrie, Canada. It was my first international competition, so I went in with not a lot of expectation, more just doing well for myself and good representation of my country but also gaining experience to make me a stronger competitor in the future. I think this mentality helped me a lot because I skated really strong, and ended up coming home with an unexpected Bronze Medal; sharing the podium with the the 2014 Olympic Champion from Japan Yuzuru Hanyu!

How does Redd fuel your unconventional, uncompromised lifestyle?

SR: As i stated earlier with my crazy schedule of on the ice and off the ice, I look for foods that are going to keep my energy level up throughout the day as well as rich in nutrients and good in taste. Redd Bar has become by far one of my favorite snacks! I actually introduced them to one of the dietitians that the USOC and US Figure Skating uses, and she was impressed with how great Redd is. I usually like to eat my Redd bar between my last hour training session on the ice and going to the gym. It’s delicious and fuels me up! Did i mention, the peanut butter one tastes like Peanut Butter Cups!

What advice would you give to younger generations looking to excel, both in sports and in life?

SR: Some of my driven personality and structure I have to credit to my parents. They were very big into picking something and sticking with it, never letting us give up when we were at our low points. This mentality has stuck with me and kept me wanting to move forwards in my goals. There is a saying “you shouldn’t drive in two lanes, pick a lane and drive straight forward” and this meaning to me is: pick something, even if you’re not amazing at it, put in the time and the hard work and you’re going to be able to accomplish what you set out to do. If you are trying to do several sports at the same time, you’re going to be mediocre. But if you pick one thing, make a plan, and try to gather as much info and influence as you are able to you can really go far.

I try to use social media as a way to share this influence, so that way kids who might not have access to the training or sports lifestyle we have in CA, they are able to access these kinds of information to hopefully better their own careers as skaters or whatever they choose to do.