We all have a story, and I wouldn't trade my story for anything.
— Tori Bowie
Your body can't get stronger or more powerful unless you're balanced.
My grandmother has always been my biggest fan, and she was my whole life. The only thing that kept me living after her death is my commitment to training. I took my pain out on the track.
I never wanted my grandmother to leave my side.
My family is so weird.
I love breakfast. I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day. I can't go without eggs.
I'm a simple, country, small-town girl at heart. I try and stick to the values that I learned as a child, and I lead my life as such.
It's important for me to create a brand because branding allows me to create a lifestyle that goes beyond track & field. It also lets my fans and followers get a better picture of who I am as a person, my interests and my passions.
It's hard to find powder and things for my skin tone. I look at Rihanna's collection, and I'm always in awe because there's a shade that exists for every skin tone.
My grandmother told me a long time ago, 'I don't care if you're sweeping a porch for a living.' She said, 'You need to do your best.' So I've lived by that every single day.
The first thing I pack for meets is my makeup bag!
I learned always to follow your heart.
I love the Bosu ball. At least two or three times a week, I'm on the Bosu ball just doing a ton of balance work. It keeps my body in tip-top shape.
The 200 is tragic! It's my favorite race, but it takes so much out of the body - and it's too much time to think.
I love NBA. I enjoy it, and I also really love the dominance that LeBron James brings to the court.
I'm not really sure if I will go back to school. I'm getting old! So I'm not really sure if I have time to go back to school to be a dentist. But hopefully I'll be an Olympic gold medalist.
Who wouldn't be thankful for another medal?
I think the most important healthy habit is to rest. Eight hours... every night.
There have been competitions where I got on the line and psyched myself out before I even let myself compete. I was thinking about the other competitors and not giving myself a fair chance. I had to shift to thinking, 'Just focus on yourself and doing what your coach has taught you to do.'
I enjoy where I'm from. That's me. And my family never let me get far away.
It's like a dream come true, coming to the Olympic trails and leaving being the champion.
My favourite place to train is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where I train with my aunt and sister during the off-season. It is basically a flat, grassy area by the side of the road where we have made a path to run on.
Image is one of the most important aspects in branding. People identify you and your actions with your name and the product you endorse. The image that you show to fans, followers, consumers, etcetera will affect your marketability and your overall appeal to diverse audiences.
I'm really blessed to have so many people supporting me.
I feel like doing my makeup before a race is part of my uniform. I always come out with a hair scarf or a headband, and I try to wear a new one for each race.
My mother dropped us off at a foster care centre when I was just two. But my grandmother ended up fighting for us and winning custody of us. We didn't have much, but she gave us character.
I was kind of a tomboy. I was the girl in middle school with the floods on - I wasn't fashionable at all.
Making the Olympic team was the biggest thing I've ever accomplished. That was something I had to wait four years to accomplish.
I train my entire body to be strong. To be a professional athlete, we need every part to be strong - the core, the legs, arms.
One day, I hope that I can come to Sandhill, and there's a huge sign that says, 'Welcome to Sandhill, Home to Tori Bowie.'
Most people are like, 'Oh, you shouldn't eat steak. It's so heavy.' But I love steak the day before a meet. Or the day of. I try to get that red meat in, some extra energy.
In 2012, I thought that maybe I could be an Olympic gold medalist. It just came from sitting home and being injured and watching the Olympics on the TV.
My family played a huge role in my success, a huge role.
My entire life, my grandmother told me I could do whatever I set my mind to.
My grandmother's number-one rule was that once you start something, you don't quit. From a young age, she never let me give up on anything.
I went where the boys in the family went. We would shoot basketball. We would shoot guns. We'd play cards. We'd go fishing at the pond.
I love singing. I can't say it sounds good; it's just something I like doing.
One day, I would love to learn how to play piano and guitar.
I am going to branch out to acting and do more modeling.
I'm extremely content with my silver and bronze medals. But once I won the gold, I fell in love.
I've always felt more prepared whenever I do my makeup.
I do mascara, I do lipstick, I do eyeliner and a little powder, and I fill in my eyebrows because mine are a little thin... I love makeup.
You have to bury nerves, because they can either destroy you or give you that extra boost. You have to use your nerves in a good way. Don't let them destroy you.
I don't really have a strict diet. I tend to keep the junk food out, but I tend to follow my cravings as well. I love the chips, the hot wings, fries. I tend to eat it all, to be honest.
Being a runner has brought me a lot of patience, and patience goes a long way in life.
I guess, after a race, I'm just trying to get all my fluids back in my system - we use a lot of fluids when we get out and race. My dad always does this thing he calls 'juicing' - tomato juice, apple juice, orange juice - doesn't matter what it is, just go ahead and juice your body right back up.
I think we all have moments when we struggle with motivation.
I always wanted to be a dentist! I thought I was going to be fixing teeth and making beautiful smiles.
