Team USA Olympians Vashti Cunningham and Sandi Morris Are Glowing for the Gold

To celebrate the Tokyo Summer Olympics, we partnered with NBC Sports to showcase the games and the athletes from a beauty perspective, starting with Cunningham and Morris. Keep scrolling for their take on the intersectionality of female athletes and beauty and their get-ready routines that help them look and feel their best. And don’t forget to watch them compete live in the Tokyo Olympics Games, starting July 23 (mark your calendars for the Opening Ceremony on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

Vashti Cunningham’s Beauty Routine

This summer’s Olympics isn’t Vashti Cunningham’s first rodeo (or should we say, first high jump). In Tokyo, she’ll be competing for a second time as a member of Team USA. Her first games were the 2016 Rio Olympics when she was just 18. And days before her most recent Olympic trials, she stood out again, clearing six feet seven and a half inches, a new leading mark for 2021. As she racks up those record breaking wins, it means all eyes are on Cunningham. But this is where she thrives.

“Being televised definitely makes my inner makeup artist come out,” she says. “I love to do different eye looks and try anything to separate me from the competition.” And experiment she does. She’s known to compete in makeup ranging from natural glam to statement black eyeliner and crystal embellishments. Her hairstyles vary just as much, rocking long box braids one day and her flowing natural hair pinned back the next. And she showcases all this style while clearing heights higher than the tallest person you know. Her looks for this summer will be no different. “I plan on incorporating blues, greens, and any color I’m feeling that day.”

“I’ve definitely been training harder with the Olympics ahead,” she says. But strength training is only part of the equation. For Cunningham (and every elite athlete), competing also requires mental training. Getting ready before a big meet is therapeutic for Cunningham. It helps get her in the right headspace. “Before a meet, I’ll wake up, read my bible, and listen to worship music,” says Cunningham. “Then I do my skincare routine, my makeup, my hair, and add accessories. I love to jump in jewelry.” What she’s most excited for this summer: “Jumping in finals and winning a gold medal,” she says. “Also, doing my makeup and giving the glory to God.”

Sandi Morris’s Beauty Routine

Team US pole vaulter Sandi Morris is a well seasoned (and decorated!) competitor. She’s competed in six USA Championships, has three World Championship medals and a silver Olympic medal—and she’s not stopping there. She’s hoping for a gold medal at this summer’s Olympic games. She’s put in the training, even after a global pandemic pushed back her timeline. And all her experience means she’s a pro at competing in front of the entire world.

“Confidence is everything when you are competing,” says Morris. “The last thing you want to be worried about is how you look on a close-up HD camera when you’re trying to kick some butt. So I do up my competition makeup and hair, and I feel super fierce on the runway.” She starts by applying IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better™ CC+™ Cream with SPF 50+ for the natural coverage and built-in sun protection. “The trick is to dab my face with a clean towel during training to remove sweat, not to wipe,” says Morris. “It will remove all protection.” Her sun protection doesn’t stop there. She mists her whole body in an SPF 100 spray before outdoor practice. “I also started incorporating retinol into my nighttime routine about two years ago to help counteract some of the sun damage I get during training,” she adds.

As for the rest of her makeup, she’s all about the glitter. “I will sparkle things up with my favorite eye glitter by URBAN DECAY,” she says. “They have a striking gold that goes great with my competition vibe.” She keeps her hair fairly simple, opting for an air-dry to her natural wavy state. But she’s never without her signature ponytail and headband during competition days. “I love these hair ties by a company called TIY Products,” she says. “It’s a customizable hair band that comes in one long string, and you tie it yourself based on how many times you want it to loop around and how tight you want it to fit. My fellow track athlete Colleen Quigley told me about them.”

Her go-to headband is not just for style, it’s also functional. “I love having my headband on because it keeps my baby hairs out of my eyes, and I’m able to focus on my vaulting,” says Morris. “I also like to use fun temporary hair color spray on the ends of my pony. I typically match the color to my headband, which is my trademark look. I will definitely be dying my ponytail USA blue for the Games.”

As a female athlete, Morris chooses to embrace expressing her beauty through her sport. “I think about this often, how sports have allowed women to take control of how we are represented. We have the reins. We have taken control of our beauty, and we use it as an expression of our power. Nobody can tell us how to look or be when we are on the field of play. It is our territory. We own it.”

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