"Balance Is Everything": Figure Skater Maxim Naumov Finding The Heat Off Ice

U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov has a phrase he came back from Milan 2026 saying:

"Balance is everything."

Elite skaters spend most of their hours at the rink. Training, recovery, program review, back again. For Naumov, carving out space away from all of it was just as deliberate as anything he did on the ice.

"You have to find time and a space outside of skating where you can just relax and rest. That makes it easier to work harder when you need to work, and also gives you space to decompress."

For him, that space is the sauna.

"For me, I love the sauna. That's my favorite."

A chance to slow down, reset, and show back up ready.

He's not alone in this. The most accomplished American athletes are deliberate about building lives, hobbies, and interests outside their sport.

When we spoke with three-time Olympic curler Tabitha Peterson, she echoed Naumov and put it plainly: "At the end of the day, there's more to life. Sports are amazing… but I love the fact that I have other areas of my life that I care just as much about — or quite frankly more."

Olympic Nordic skier Kendall Kramer competed across disciplines specifically to stay mentally fresh. "By the time cross country was done, I was super ready and excited to ski again."

For Naumov, a sauna. For others, a different sport, a different world entirely. The similarities though are visible. A space away from the ice, the slope, the rink is what makes the time on it sustainable.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

At Back The Team, we’re on a mission to interview 100% of Team USA's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic athletes to create the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Maxim Naumovs is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!