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By 14, she was the top-ranked female paddler in the country.

The following year, she became the youngest-ever World Cup medalist in her sport.

She gave us the scoop on her five favorite distractions that fuel her record-breaking successes.

woman sweating in the gym

But rest for this athlete means something different than what it might for most of us.

Sometimes that includesrunningoryogato keep moving, but in different ways.

For her, a day off can feel even more necessary for her soul than her body.

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I love exploring cities that Im in, she says.

Every single off day, I get my friends, go to brunch, she says.

Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

Leibfarth considers it self-care to relax with friends, talking about things other than training, she says.

She paints and draws

Another way that Leibfarth relaxes is by painting.

Another one of her go-to mental reset strategies isjournaling, which for her is another chance to create art.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

I give a shot to do a page every couple of days, she says.

Ill draw something that happens, and then just write about my day around it.

She keeps paddlingbut for fun

At the end of the day, paddling is Leibfarths first love.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

All of our training happens on artificial rivers, she explains.

So we go out there and instead of training for racing, we just get to paddle fun rapids.

Its a good reset, even though Im still paddling, she says.

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