Olympic skier Tess Johnson, 25, says one simple daily habit powers her performance — and it doesn't involve the gym

• Olympic skier Tess Johnson, 25, says she never travels to competitions without her journal.
• The American mogul skier journals twice daily — and also carves out time to write before her races.
• She says journaling gets her in the right headspace and helps her stay present and off her phone.

Olympic skier Tess Johnson, 25, starts and ends every day with the same ritual that helps her perform under pressure.

In an interview with Town & Country Magazine published on Wednesday, the American mogul skier said she always packs her journal when she travels for competitions.

"I do a little bit of journaling in the morning to set my day, set my goals for the day and a little bit of gratitude, but then in the evening I let it all out and it's a little bit like word vomit, but whatever I need to just get out to get a good night of sleep," Johnson said.

Johnson made the US national team at 14 — the youngest athlete to do so at the time — and later became the youngest American freestyle skier to medal at the World Championships.

She debuted at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and reached the finals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, where she finished 10th.

Johnson, whose grandfather was a former Sports Illustrated writer who covered the Olympics, said journaling plays a key role in her mental preparation.

She believes she inherited her love of writing from her grandfather and now uses journaling as a practical training tool to track her progress in skiing.

"And also an emotional tool to just work through whatever anxieties are happening because this is a very intense sport and process that we're going through," Johnson said.

"It's really helpful to get it all out on paper and sift through it just by putting pen to paper. So it does a lot for me. And at the very least, it's just a way to stay present and get off my phone from time to time," she continued.

Johnson added that she occasionally rereads her old journals, including those from the 2018 Olympics.

"It's really cool to see the progress I've made over the years," she said.

Apart from being a part of her daily routine, journaling is also a key part of her pre-race ritual.

"The night before I like to journal, whatever in training that day, any other thoughts that I need to get out. Then the morning of, I'll write down three goals for the day, usually relating to my skiing or a mental performance goal, or just something even maybe not related to skiing, just that I have for the day, and then I'll write down a couple things that I'm grateful for as well," Johnson said, adding that she does her warm ups after that.

Johnson isn't the only elite athlete who has embraced journaling as part of their routine.

Michael Phelps told Business Insider in 2023 that he uses writing to reflect and unwind, while WNBA star Caitlin Clark has incorporated journaling into her pregame ritual to clear her head and stay focused.

Meanwhile, other Olympians are leaning into surprisingly old-school hobbies in their downtime, including cross-country skier Ben Ogden, who said knitting helps him relax.