Hilary Knight: Daily Routine

Hilary’s days start with oatmeal, end with her bulldogs, and pack in everything from goblet squats to burrito bowls in between.

One of the earliest memories Hilary Knight has of watching the Olympics was when the U.S. Women’s team defeated Canada during their 1998 match in Nagano, Japan to win the first gold medal for women’s ice hockey at an Olympic Winter Games. “Watching USA bring home gold in 1998, jumping on the couch cheering early morning,” Knight recalled in an interview. “I wanted to be just like Cammi and Angela.”

Though born in Palo Alto, California, Knight’s family moved to Illinois when she was five, which was where she discovered her talent for ice skating. “I earned little pins or buttons that would fasten to my skate laces every time I was able to skate across the ice and back, or learn a new skating technique,” she told Forbes.

Knight’s love for skating led to her discovering ice hockey. “I saw the older kids entering the rink carrying hockey sticks and bags and I was fascinated by the equipment,” she remembered. “Once I started skating faster, I was attracted to the speed and dynamics of hockey. I never looked back!”