Extraordinary Health Magazine EH Magazine VOl 33_Final | Page 57

“Sports brings people together—especially when grouped
together with a bunch of girls from different backgrounds and
languages, being immersed in cultures and learning from them,”
Pressley said. “Building those bonds was my favorite part about
playing overseas—the relationships I’ll cherish forever that I
made along the way.”
Eventually, another league came about in the states and
Pressley then became part of the Orlando community,
something she appreciates.
“What I love about Orlando is how involved we are with the
community and getting connected with the people,” she said.
“The fans and the city are the heartbeat of this club and they
give so much to us.”
Being part of a team at her level is the best part of the process,
Pressley says, grinding out the goals together. Pressley’s
philosophy is that soccer is all about trusting one another on the
field and knowing players have each other’s backs. Then there is
the physical side of showing up and the sacrifices players make
to stay successful.
Pressley likens diet for professional athletes to not putting the
cheapest unleaded gas in a race car, but says she wishes it hadn’t
taken so long to develop such disciplined habits.
“I wish I had known the extent of diet, recovery and rolling (foam
rolling to keep muscles nice and loose) when I was younger,” she
said. “If only I’d known then what I know now.”
Her short-term health goals last season when she first went vegan
was to drop a few pounds. She succeeded and then achieved her
subsequent health goals. It wasn’t easy, since Pressley says she
doesn’t have the typical body type for soccer.
“I’m 5’10” and my muscles are pretty large, so dropping that weight
allowed me to keep up with the genetically-gifted players who can
run all day­—I’m built like a sprinter not a long distance runner,” said
Pressley, who in a 90-minute game doesn’t get as tired as quickly
now at her lower weight. “And when the game is over, I don’t feel
exhausted, so all of this goes towards helping my body be less sore.”
Her other tool in staying healthy is a long night of good old-
fashioned sleep.
“You’ve got to be healthy and fit to do this job and it takes a lot
of sacrifices—while it doesn’t always come down to nutrition and
sleeping well, diet plays a major role and that can affect your
recovery time from injury,” she said. “When we train, our bodies
will naturally be inflamed so it’s important to put fuel in it to
combat that.” “Oh, sleep is so important and I have taken it for granted, but if you
are not getting enough hours and you’re training when fatigued,
you’ll be more prone to injury,” she said. “There is a mental
commitment and it wasn’t until I went vegan that I started paying
attention to nutrition and sleep, taking the time to understand my
body personally.”
Pressley became a vegan so what she eats every day helps fight
inflammation. Her favorite weapons in that battle include Garden
of Life SPORT Plant-Based Protein shakes with tart cherries and
turmeric lattes. She’ll combine banana, nut butter, tart cherries,
SPORT protein powder and coffee for a healthy punch. Proper
hydration is also important, because as Pressley says, wet
muscles have less chance of straining or pulling. Pressley hopes to be able to play soccer for as long as her body will
let her, but she has a plan for when those days come to an end.
“I also love the Garden of Life SPORT bars and always have one
handy when traveling or after work—the Recovery powder is
great after training,” she said. “Our team coordinator finds good
meals and plans ahead, so she picks places where I will always
have a healthy option and this all plays into prolonging your
sports career.”
“Life after soccer, I’d really love to have an animal sanctuary and
while I’m not sure how or where, I’m learning as much as I can about
it—I’ve always loved animals,” said Pressley, who wanted to be a vet
when she was younger. “My path obviously has gone a different way
with soccer but my desire to help animals has always been there, so
hopefully it will come to fruition someday.”
Find Toni Pressley on Twitter @toni_deion and Instagram @tonideion.
Follow along in her journey with the Orlando Pride National Women’s
Soccer League at orlandocitysc.com/pride.
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