These Three Spectacular Olympians are Big Champions for Dairy

The world is buzzing with excitement as the Summer Olympics unfold. Whether you’re a sports fanatic or a part-time spectator people from every corner of the globe are turning their eyes toward Paris to watch the greatest athletes in the world compete.

Dairy farmers, in particular, will be cheering for three of this year’s athletes on Team USA. Whether they refuel their bodies with the power of real milk or work on a dairy farm themselves, all three of this year’s athletes have one thing in common – they are big supporters of dairy.
 
Elle Purrier St. Pierre – Track & Field

Elle Purrier St. Pierre, a Vermont dairy farmer turned world-renowned track star, is not shy about sharing her passion for dairy products. This farm girl fueled by dairy can be seen enjoying a cold glass of milk after a long run or a protein-packed slice of cheese after an intense workout.

Purrier St. Pierre grew up on a 40-cow operation in Vermont, but never left the farm, as she and her husband still live on a dairy farm today. The runner married her high-school sweetheart, Jamie St. Pierre, and would compete against him at 4-H events growing up. Jamie studied dairy management at Cornell, is a dairy farmer, and works on his family’s dairy farm also located in Vermont

Katie Ledecky - Swimming

Katie Ledecky has been making waves in the sports world since she was a teenager. Now, she is competing in the Summer Olympics for the fourth time in a row.

Whether it’s her numerous gold medals or her various world records, Ledecky is famous for a multitude of reasons, including the fact she can swim across an Olympic pool with a glass of chocolate milk atop her head. This most decorated female swimmer of all time went viral in 2020 after uniquely sharing how she refuels her body with real milk.

“I thought it would be fun to see if I could swim a lap with the chocolate milk on my head and it was a success,” Ledecky says. “I tried it out and the video that I posted was my very first take with the milk. I tried it a few times before, but without the milk just to be safe.”

Earlier this year, Fairlife announced their new partnership with Ledecky for their Core Power “Champion Your Recovery” campaign. Refueling with dairy has been a staple in Ledecky’s training program for years. Thus, this new partnership seems like a natural fit.

Simone Biles – Gymnastics

As a former face of Core Power, a protein shake produced by Fairlife, Simone Biles knows that recovery is just as important as training. After spending hours in the gym, this Olympic athlete chooses to refuel with Core Power’s 26 grams of high-quality, dairy-based protein.

“In the months leading up to the Olympic games, using Core Power to support my recovery has been essential,” Biles said in a Fairlife press release in 2021. “As Core Power fans know, it’s a great tasting way to refuel and build lean muscle after a tough workout, and I love that it can be a part of everyone’s workout routine.”

Biles has made numerous comments over the years about how fueling her body with real dairy products is a staple of her training program. Whether it’s cheese, yogurt or an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk, Biles is no stranger to the dairy aisle.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

It is encouraging to see these world-class athletes supporting agriculture and specifically dairy products.  In today’s world, it's rare to have this kind of star power endorsing milk, which is truly a testament to the nutrient powers of this all natural product. There is no doubt that such endorsements will help increase the acceptance of milk by many who will watch these Olympic stars in action. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to further support the dairy industry – point to the fact that milk is used by Olympic champions. Dairy farmers will like that!