Health & Fitness

How two professional athletes have levelled up their competitive mindsets by focusing on their well-being

Ready, Set, Self-Care

by : ELLE Canada- Jun 10th, 2024

Chris Rizzi and Katia Banel

When you think of self-care, what comes to mind? Maybe your thoughts wander over to the pop-culture-approved suggestions of plant-based cleanses, detoxifying facials and regular cold plunges. The truth: It can be so much simpler than that. Devoting a few minutes every day to a top-tier oral health care routine—with help from Philips Sonicare’s premium essentials—can be just as effective for shifting your perspective.

Credit: Katia Banel

This is a sentiment that resonates with professional boxer Tammara Thibeault, who seeks slow, thoughtful experiences while she’s out of the ring. “For me, self-care is about finding peace in the chaos and taking joy in the little things,” she says. One way in which Thibeault has invested in herself is by upgrading to the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Prestige 9900, the brand’s most advanced electric toothbrush. Equipped with game-changing SenseIQ technology, this sleek, clinically proven tool offers real-time AI guidance on pressure, motion and coverage so you can “up your oral-health game,” as she puts it. Now, Thibeault actually looks forward to those two minutes twice a day when she can just focus on herself. “In moments like these, I know that no matter what happens around me, I’m taking care of myself,” she shares.

Credit: Kensley Behel, from Neutral Deductions

For Canadian gymnast Félix Dolci, self-care is all about getting grounded. He says it’s been a “saving grace” for his physical, mental and emotional well-being among all the training. Since Dolci has cultivated a routine dedicated to looking and feeling good, the Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000 has become essential to his oral health routine. Delivering a gentle but thorough clean with its four X-shaped streams, this plaque-nixing tool is up to 150 percent more effective than traditional floss for improving gum health. “Let’s be real, nobody jumps for joy about flossing,” says Dolci. “But with this tool, it’s a breeze! It’s such an easy and effective way of making sure I do it right every time.”

Ultimately, for high-performing athletes like Thibeault and Dolci, something as simple as honing in on this solo time can set the rest of their day up for success. As Dolci puts it, “Prioritizing self-care gets me in the right headspace, allowing me to feel myself and fully confident when it comes to bringing my A-game to performances.”