Team USA wrestler Helen Maroulis details the sacrifices for her Rio Olympics dream

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World champion wrestler Helen Maroulis said she follows a strict training regime and diet - eating the same three or four foods five times a day
The 24-year-old, who lives in Huntington Beach, California, said her lifestyle is tailored for the sole purpose of winning Olympic gold
Helen, whose Olympics start next Thursday with the Women's freestyle 53 kg wrestling qualifications, said she 'fantasizes' about slushies
She said wrestling is an 'art form' and describes it as chess for the body

Published: 07:53 EST, 12 August 2016 | Updated: 12:56 EST, 12 August 2016

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World champion wrestler Helen Maroulis said she 'wouldn't recommend' her lifestyle to anyone - saying she is purely doing it to win an Olympic gold medal in Rio.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Huntington Beach, California, has not lost a match since the 2014 world championships.

To fulfill her Olympic dream of winning gold for Team USA, Helen told Vogue.com that she follows a strict training regime and eats the same healthy foods five times a day.

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Grueling: Helen Maroulis, 24, pictured right after a victory during the US Olympic team wrestling trials earlier this year, said of her lifestyle,'I wouldn't recommend this to anyone'

Dedicated: The World Champion, pictured second from right during the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony with her USA teammates, follows a strict training regime and diet

Focused: Helen Maroulis, from Huntington Beach, California, pictured left with her coach, former wrestler Valentin Kalika, said she is motivated by Olympic gold

'I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. This lifestyle is for the purpose of the goal of winning an Olympic gold medal,' she said in a video interview.

Since taking part in the Opening Ceremony last Friday, Helen has been completing her preparations for Women's freestyle 53 kg wrestling qualifications next Thursday.

Despite fantasizing about lemonade slushies, in a typical day she eats the same foods - chicken breast, spinach, avocado and sometimes some peanut butter - five times a day at three-hour intervals.

'Every time I'm cutting wait all I fantasize, and I swear by it, I swear that I'm going to drink lemonade slushie, take a bath in lemonade slushie. I don't know why.

'A normal day of eating for me, boneless skinless chicken breast, a handful of spinach, no dressing, nothing on it, half an avocado, sometimes a spoonful of peanut butter.

'The next two-three hours have that same thing again: chicken, spinach, avocado. Next two to three hours, chicken, spinach, avocado. That's the meal, five times a day.'

Monotomous: The World Champion eats the same three or four foods five times a day

Early start: Helen, pictured left with tennis star Serena Williams and right with fellow Team USA wrestler Haley Augello, started wrestling aged seven

Motivation: Helen, pictured competing against Sharon Jacobson at the US Olympic team wrestling trials, said she hums positive songs before matches

She revealed that before she goes into a match she is 'humming the most positive happy songs that I know.'

Such is her passion for wrestling, Helen, who was named 2015 World Champion at 55 kg, said nothing has ever got in the way of it.

'I am afraid of a lot of things, but there's just nothing that's ever stopped me from making a decision to do something for wrestling,' she said.

But in the build-up to the competition, she has had to learn to take a step back from her dream.

She said: 'The harder I squeeze onto it doesn't mean the more I hold onto it the more I'm going to get it.

'I actually have to almost surrender the dream right before in order to be freed enough to just wrestle to the best of my ability.'

Perspective: Helen, pictured competing against Katherine Fulp-Allen, said as her Olympic competition nears, she needs to take a step back

Excited: Helen, pictured far right with fellow Team USA female wrestlers, appeared to enjoy the opening ceremony

Helen started wrestling when she was seven years old because her older brother needed a drill partner.

She said growing up having to wrestle boys she had to 'earn respect' and that coaches would either not want to coach her or they would 'baby' her.

But, 17 years later, she is at the top of her sport.

Her coach, former wrestler Valentin Kalika, said he has told her to 'trust your instincts' and that she is 'much better than any girl in the world'.

She said she considers wrestling an 'art form' that she describes as a 'chess game' for the body or 'painting' with muscles.

Helen said: 'I don't think it's that I've made sacrifices that someone else is unwilling to make, I just think when you love what you're doing why stop?'