Her latest cookbook, Cook to Thrive: Recipes to Fuel Body and Soul, is comprised of 80 healthy yet delicious recipes that will help fuel and nourish an active lifestyle. “I am really excited about it,” she said. “I wanted to write a book for a while, but I didn’t want to do an autobiography. My love for food pushed me into writing a cookbook, and it was a way to share the food that I enjoy cooking for myself and my family.”
Coughlin added, “The cookbook was also a way to weave stories about training, traveling and competitions into a fun package.”
In October of 2018, Coughlin became a mother for the first time to a baby girl, Zennie Mae. “She is great. She is an easy-going baby,” she said. “I am very lucky because I take her with me wherever I go. Most of the times, she is up for an adventure.”
In her culinary endeavors, Coughlin uses the app Paprika Recipe Manager. “It is definitely one of my favorite apps, and I even post some of my own recipes so that I can send it to friends when they ask for recipes. It is an easy way to organize my recipes and it has my grocery lists ready to go,” she said.
On her plans for 2019, Coughlin is focusing on her daughter, which is a “big change” for the Olympic swimmer, as well as promoting her cookbook and her winery, Gaderian Wines.
When asked if she would ever consider coaching swimming, she noted that she doesn’t have the patience for it. “Maybe coaching my daughter in terms of lessons on how to swim, but beyond that, I don’t have that skill set,” she said.
Throughout her competitive swimming career, Coughlin was the winner of seven Golden Goggle Awards. “That was great. It is always really nice to be recognized by your peers. It’s always a fun event since you get to see your team-mates all dressed up instead of just a suit and a cap,” she said. “It’s a fun celebration of Team USA and something we look forward to.”
On the impact of technology in book publishing, Coughlin said, “Having the social channels, Facebook and Instagram, and my website is an easy way for me to promote my cookbook, and people can buy it on such digital platforms as Amazon, Apple, and Google. With technology, there are so many avenues to get the book.”
She envisioned the high school version of herself being a physician, especially in the field of physical therapy. “That was the path that I set myself up on, and then the Olympics happened, and I was a professional athlete for 12 years. It has been a wonderful ride with a lot of twists and turns,” she said.
The best advice that Coughlin has ever been given was to focus on the “journey” and not the “destination.” “That’s one of the things that my long-time coach, Teri McKeever, really emphasized,” she said. “It is really about what you learn along the way and the friendships that you make and the experiences that you have.”
As a mom, one of the highlights of her day is taking her daughter to “baby yoga.” She defined the word success as doing everything in her powers to achieve her goals.
Cook to Thrive: Recipes to Fuel Body and Soul is available on Amazon and on Apple Books. “I hope my fans purchase the cookbook and love the recipes as much as I do. I put a lot of time and effort in this book. There’s a lot of work that goes into a cookbook. I am excited to finally be able to share it with my fans, friends and family,” she said.
To learn more about 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin, check out her official Facebook page and website.
