Simon: Beach Volleyball has taken you all across the world. Where is your favorite place or places to play?
Angie Akers: My favorite place is Sydney, Australia. In particular, I love Manly Beach. The water is crystal clear, the sand is clean and beautiful, the coast is lined with extremely tall pine trees, and the people are the nicest, most outgoing people I have ever met. I have been fortunate enough to spend several months there living and training with my good friend, Kerri Pottharst. She is a Beach Volleyball Olympic Gold Medalist for Australia.
Simon: You have been a marathon runner and a pro volleyball player. Is there a sport you want to play professionally or wish you pursued professionally?
Angie Akers: I love Beach Volleyball and think it’s the greatest sport on the earth, but sometimes I wish I had played tennis. There is more money in tennis.
Simon: What advice do you like to give young girls?
Angie Akers: Dream and dream big dreams. Don’t ever give up or quit on yourself because you can be anything you want to be.
Simon: What is your workout routine?
Angie Akers: My workout routine varies at different times of the year depending on what I am preparing for. In January, I am preparing for the season, so I make sure I am strong and in balance. Once the season starts, I maintain my strength. When it’s over, I recover.
Right now my focus is getting strong. I am concentrating more on lifting right now rather than volleyball. In February, I will switch that focus and start picking up the volleyball workouts. January is sort of the prepping ground for the year. I start slow with one workout a day, but will eventually work up to intense exercise for about five hours a day. That includes lifting, conditioning, and practice. It is not something I can just jump right into, it is necessary to start slow and work into it so that I do not get injured or break myself down before the season even starts.
Simon: What kind of foods do you try eat while you are training or playing?
Angie Akers: I eat the same way whether I am training or not. I always eat loads of vegetables (my favorites are asparagus, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, and broccoli), lean meats (chicken, pork, beef, buffalo, lamb, fish, and scallops), brown rice, egg whites, bananas, apples, and nuts. I love GT’s Kombucha Teas and Yogi Green Teas.
Simon: Outside of playing Volleyball, what do you like to do for fun?
Angie Akers: Outside of playing volleyball, I love to go to the movies, play games, read, ride my beach cruiser with my husband, travel to new places and explore.
Simon: What athletes do you like watching today??
Angie Akers: I love to watch Brett Favre. He is incredible. I love his youthful energy and pure love for the game he plays. I also love to watch LeBron James. He is such a phenomenal athlete and will one day be called the best ever.
Simon: You have switched your interest a lot in your career. From Volleyball player to runner to stock broker. Why is that? Is it because you like new challenges?
Angie Akers: I have switched careers in search for my true passion and have found it with Beach Volleyball. Working in finance was a way to pay the bills, not a passion by any means. Running was a way to still compete and stay in shape. Beach Volleyball is a part of who I am.
Simon: Whats the next challenge for you?
Angie Akers: I want to continue my Beach Volleyball career and find more avenues of using it to connect with people. Last June, I traveled to Kosovo to visit a US Army base to play beach volleyball with the troops. The experience was life-changing for me and I want to find more opportunities like that.
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