American figure skater Mariah Bell is a three-time United States national medalist -- earning silver in 2020 -- and is on the hunt for her first Olympic berth. She's also a multi-time medalist on the Grand Prix circuit, including gold in 2020 at Skate America, and the 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy champion.
On the world stage, she's finished in the top 10 at four ISU Championships. Bell also boasts former U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon as part of her coaching team.
As part of our preparation for the 2022 Winter Games, NBC Olympics sent questionnaires to multiple athletes to learn more about their lives both inside and outside of sports. Here’s what we found out about Bell:
Tell us about your family.
My parents (Kendra and Andrew) live in Dallas, Texas. My dad's work is based out of Geneva, Switzerland, so they split their time between the two places. They have a German Shepard mix named Ryder.
My older sister's name is Morgan. She used to figure skate at a high level as well and now travels with Disney On Ice as a principal skater. She also has a German Shepard mix named Striker.
Describe a typical training day.
I train from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with several breaks throughout. I wake up at 7:30 a.m. I am training on ice until 3 and then off ice until 4 or 5.
What’s your favorite workout?
Besides being on the ice, I enjoy either riding bikes or just going for walks.
Anything experimental in your training?
I use a device that counts the number and type of jumps I do.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact your training?
I was able to spend the time with my family, which was really nice, [but] I was not able to train on the ice at all for several months.
What’s your nutrition plan?
Nothing too restrictive, just making sure I am getting enough calories. For dinner a new favorite thing to have is salmon with lemon butter and potatoes and zucchini.
What’s your earliest memory of figure skating?
Watching Tara Lipinski win gold in Nagano. As I got older and realized that I had some potential, I really started to dedicate myself to it, along with the help and encouragement of my parents.
What would you change about your sport?
I do wish that there was an age separation. I think that young girls who have not gone through puberty should compete against their own age group and possibly 18, or even 17, and up would be a different age group. When taking into account jumps, it's very different to jump with an adolescent body.
Who is your most interesting teammate?
Nathan Chen, because we are good friends and I train with him. He is so humble and down-to-earth, I sometimes forget he is a three-time world champion.
