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The challenges and triumphs of mastering a new skill in volleyball are among Nicky Nieves’s favorite aspects of the sport. Nieves, a middle blocker on Team USA’s women’s sitting volleyball team and one of the flag bearers for the 2024 Paralympic Games, believes that the struggle makes success all the more rewarding.
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- Nicky Nieves, Paralympic gold medalist, flag bearer, and sitting volleyball player
Reflecting on her journey thus far allows Nieves to savor that feeling on the court, a sentiment that resonates with her Paralympic experience as a whole. After being part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, she opted out of the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to COVID concerns.
This prompted her to reassess the role of sports in her life and its impact on her mental health. Did she want to retire? Was traveling the world for competitions truly the best path for her? Nieves founded a nonprofit, Limitless People, dedicated to promoting volleyball inclusivity and teaching the sport to individuals with limb differences during the summers. Her advocacy efforts led Team USA to select her as the flag bearer for the 2024 Games. However, she had to ensure that participating in Paris aligned with her personal well-being.
“I’ve always felt blessed to travel and compete with my team, but this one feels special in the sense that anything can be taken away from you, and anything can happen. All the stars aligned, and it’s further proof that I was delayed, but not denied.” —Nicky Nieves
Ultimately, Nieves decided to continue competing, a choice she is grateful for. Skipping the Tokyo Games and taking the time to make an intentional decision about Paris has made these Paralympic Games particularly fulfilling.
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“I’ve always felt blessed to travel and compete with my team, but this one just feels special in a sense that anything can be taken away from you, and anything can happen,” Nieves says. “All the stars aligned, and it’s further proof that I was delayed, but not denied.”
Now, Nieves ensures she looks and feels her best as she and her team strive for victory on the court. Here’s how:
1. She ensures her makeup will stay put
Nieves considers herself a “makeup girl in my game,” so it’s crucial for her to know that her makeup will “stay on through the sweat,” as she puts it.
Some of her go-to products are One/Size On ‘Til Dawn setting spray, Makeup Revolution Sport Fix setting spray, specifically designed for sports, or Mehron’s barrier spray, a favorite of Nieves because it’s tailored for theater actors with similar sweat-resistance needs.
2. She chooses a vanilla-scented perfume
“I’m a vanilla girl when I’m playing,” says Nieves, who has specific scents she adores for her aromatic presence. For perfume, she opts for Billie Eilish Eau de Parfum or The 7 Virtues’ Vanilla Woods. For a body oil, she prefers Nemat’s Vanilla Musk or Al Rehab’s Choco Musk.
3. She gets her head in the game
Nieves dedicates some alone time before games to center herself and focus on the court. Her phone and AirPods aid in setting the mood.
“I have to have some kind of music just to get me in the zone,” Nieves explains. While listening to music, she also engages with her Bible app or immerses herself in a puzzle game to tune out distractions. She currently enjoys the mobile puzzle game 2048. “It keeps me engaged while we’re heading over,” Nieves shares. “I’m just focused on it.”
Want to get in the zone yourself? Check out Well+Good’s playlist of ultimate pump-up songs, as endorsed by Olympians.
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