Gotta have those poolside essentials! Even after winning four gold medals, Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin values some TLC from her mom, D.A. “Before every meet, she’ll make me a care package with a stuffed animal in there,” Franklin, 21, tells Us Weekly. “I keep them in my bag and always kiss my little stuffed animal for luck.” As she prepares for the Summer Olympics in Rio (starting on NBC August 5), the four-time gold medalist opens her Speedo backpack for Us Weekly.
Bright Future
“I’m so into the over-the-top, funky and colorful sunglasses. If you look in my bag, you’d be like, ‘Why does she have a pair of a 5-year-old’s glasses?’”
Souvenir Ink
“I am a hoarder of hotel pens. It’s gotten to a point where I really can’t write with anything else. It’s so embarrassing.”
Extra Credit
“Whole Foods is like my motherland. My mom gets me gift cards all the time. I don’t use cards to the max, so I probably have three with a combined balance of, like, $5.”
Hair’s the Thing
“I have multiple hair ties because I have unbelievably thick, long hair. No one understands how it all fits in my cap.”
Making Memories
“I love doing home video stuff, so I have a GoPro Hero Session. I made a video of a weekend in the mountains with my parents. I loved being able to document it — and I’m going to have it forever.”
What else is inside Franklin’s Speedo swim bag? A gold Tommy Hilfiger crackle leather flap wallet; a Nordstrom Rewards card; a United travel card; her BMW car keys; an iPhone 6 in a baby pink Apple silicone case; Beats earbuds; a Kindle; Burt’s Bees Lip Balm; MAC lipstick; Origins Calm to Your Senses moisturizer; a Contigo water bottle; assorted snacks including bags of carrots, turkey jerky or grapes; a Broncos baseball hat; Aleve; a customized Erin Condren LifePlanner and sweet or encouraging handwritten notes from her mom and friends.
The Rio Olympics begin August 5 and will be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com and on the NBC Sports app. The Rio Paralympics begin September 7 and will be streamed live on TeamUSA.org.
