Anna Cockrell Loves Skin Care Almost As Much As She Loves Track

In Chill Chat, Bustle sits down with stars to chat about all things wellness, from skin care products to hacks for getting a good night’s sleep. Here, Team USA Track & Field star Anna Cockrell shares how she stays calm and sets boundaries during the Paris Olympics.

At the Olympics in 2021, Anna Cockrell was running the 400-meter hurdles final when a few toes slipped a smidge over the lane line. Just like that, her seventh-place finish was thrown out. Some athletes might have been heartbroken over a disqualification, but not her. “I was more salty about getting cooked in the race,” she tells Bustle. “The DQ was just like the cherry on top of a really crappy sundae.”

So far, 2024 has been much sweeter. In July, she qualified for the Paris Olympics by earning a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles with her then-personal best time of 52.64 seconds. On Aug. 8, she earned her first Olympic medal, a silver, shaving her PR down again to 51.87.

Cockrell, 26, was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, in an athletic family. Her father and sister were both college athletes (in football and volleyball, respectively), and her brother, Ross, is a former NFL cornerback who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.

At the University of Southern California, she studied communications and political science, graduating with a 3.98 cumulative GPA (the highest of any student-athlete there) in 2019. Two years later, she also earned a master’s degree in public policy from USC.

She’s lived with depression since her teen years, and following an injury in 2019, she experienced a particularly severe bout. During a deeply personal graduation speech, she opened up about that struggle, telling students that talking about their challenges can be freeing and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

That ability to protect her mindset has come in handy during the weeks leading up to the Olympics. “The major training, that is all done,” she says. “Right now, it’s a lot more mental work.”

Below, Cockrell shares her tricks for staying calm in the hectic Olympic Village, what it’s like to set boundaries as a famous athlete, and the skin care product she evangelizes for Black people.

Do the Olympics feel different this time around?

I think the trap I fell into in Tokyo was feeling that the moment was so big and I had to do everything and take advantage of as much as possible because, oh my God, what if this never happens again?

Now, I feel confident and comfortable. I know I don’t need to do all the sightseeing in Paris because Paris will be here after the Olympics. I’ll get to it when it’s time because this is my time to do my job and make my dreams come true.

How are you staying calm these days?

I think one of the hardest things about being in the Olympic Village is that [there are so many] external stimuli. It can be loud, you’ve got a lot of people crowded together speaking multiple languages.

My favorite band is Hiatus Kaiyote, and they have a new album out that is just speaking to my spirit. So, I’ll have my headphones on and just go to my place where I feel comfortable and private, even in a public space.

How have you been taking care of your mental health recently?

I have a therapist, she’s great — Dr. Tyler, that’s my girl. When I was very nervous before Olympic Trials, she gave me a mantra that I’m keeping private for now, but after things are done, I’ll share what it is.

For the most part, it’s about setting boundaries — what I will and won’t do, saying no to things I don’t want to do. When you make an Olympic team and everyone who’s ever had your number blows up your phone, it’s very kind, it’s very sweet. But I don’t have to respond to every single text.

What’s your daily routine?

I drink ginger tea and basically a whole bottle of water as soon as I wake up. I drink peppermint tea before I go to bed to signal to myself that it’s time to calm down.

I’ll either do my morning skin care or I’ll just put a hot towel on my face, then sunscreen. It’s just a time where I’ll put on a podcast or music and put my phone on Do Not Disturb. In a way, it’s vanity — looking at yourself — but it’s a moment to not be doing anything but what you’re doing.

Any skin care recs?

I have eczema, sweat a lot, and I’m in the sun all the time, so I’m always battling to not have a breakout or dry skin patch.

I really like Banila Co Cleansing Balm at night to take off makeup and sunscreen at night. You can’t go wrong with Differin Gel; it’s like the most baby retinoid on the planet. I like it a lot because it doesn’t give me any irritation.

I’ve been loyal to the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser for years. And SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic vitamin C serum has made the biggest difference in my skin. I look in the mirror and I’m like, Wow. Perfect.

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

Oh my God, if there’s one thing I’ve been preaching, I need Black people to wear sunscreen. I am a sunscreen evangelist. When I’m being bougie, I love SkinCeuticals’ daily sunscreen, but when I’m a girl on a budget, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost does the job.

You’re passionate about politics; you’ve volunteered for Diane Feinstein and Marshal Tuck’s midterm election campaigns in 2018. Does the news ever stress you out?

I’ve been following the drama of people being mad that Megan Thee Stallion was at the Kamala Harris rally. Personally, I liked Megan there, I thought it was good.

How do you deal with it?

I don’t really view it as stress; I view it as grounding because it’s a good reminder other important things are happening. At the end of the day, I’m running in a circle as fast as I can. Yes, this is my dream, but at a certain point, I will step away from this and there will be more to life.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.