How Do Team USA Celebrate Their Big Wins?

[upbeat music]

We just come together and like,

I think connecting with my teammates

after we've won a big game, like that is just so fun.

And I love to just like make sure my teammates know

the little moments that they did well.

Like, Hey, you ran at that line really hard.

Or man, that tackle you made led to this,

so that they understand these little moments

lead to that win.

I celebrate a big win by being with my family,

usually having pizza.

I love pizza and I just want plain, I want cheese.

That's it.

A lot of tequila, honestly,

I'm gonna be truthful right here.

A lot of tequila, a lot of laughing and a lot of good times.

I love margaritas, so like have to have a margarita

with extra salt.

In Paris, it'll be obviously champagne obviously.

But just celebrating with my family

and you know, your teammates and your coaches

and everyone there that helped get you there

and helped make this moment reality.

Usually we go to like McDonald's,

like get some ice cream

or I mean those types of things.

Sometimes there's champagne involved,

but just have a good time with the team.

Believe it or not, I'm always a winner.

So unlike most athletes,

I do not wait until the end of the race

for someone to hand me a medal

and me to feel like a winner.

Before trials, I'm going on vacation.

Going on a big vacation

and going to celebrate my win preeminently.

So I like to celebrate beforehand, get it out the way.

So then all I gotta do is work after.

Everyone loves to go out after a big win, obviously.

But just honestly, my biggest form of celebration is

not training and just being lazy

and doing whatever I want.

That's one of my favorite things.

After competing, you just get to kinda breathe

and not have to worry about getting up super early

the next morning to get to training.

Champagne. No, I'm kidding.

Celebrating a big win for me is always gonna see my horse,

showing him the ribbons that we got,

giving him carrots and kisses and his peppermints,

which are his favorite.

And then just spending time with my family and friends

and talking through the win with my coaches

and making sure that all the little things

that were not great, even though I got a win,

were gonna be worked out on the next day.

I love to celebrate with my friends and family.

I always call everybody after I win.

After a big meet,

I always like to treat myself,

whether that's like some funny little burger joint

or like a nice fancy meal.

It's just fun to do something different

than what you've been doing for the last months,

grinding and getting ready for a meet.

Our team likes to sing a lot to celebrate a big win.

I hope nobody ever hears a sound bite from it

because I'm sure it wouldn't be a pretty sound.

One of our teammates really loves Mamma Mia,

so inevitably a Mamma Mia song by ABBA ends up in there.

I really like sweets,

so whenever it is that I head back into the states,

I will go and spend $20

of my software consultant money on Insomnia cookies.

It's just one serving of a brownie and like ice cream,

but it is, it's a good purchase.

Yeah, maybe have a day off,

hang out with my friends, night out in the town,

in the city.

Just enjoy each other's company

and celebrate with each other

or just, you know, chill at home, play some Wii.

Just really, I like to be with people though after a win,

you know, you kind of just get to ride the high

a little bit more and just celebrate together.

We have so many videos with our team.

Like there's a video of us like screaming,

jumping up and down.

We're like lifting up our coaches

and it's just so much emotion that pours out of you

in that second.

And I like to like go back

and just re-watch those videos over and over again.

I don't really celebrate a lot.

After my wins, it's usually onto the next one.

But my focus is usually about providing.

In my mind, okay, I just provided.

The real reason why I'm doing it is

to motivate my family, provide for my family,

and motivate the world.

I get the whole family on the golf course

and take money off my siblings,

which seems to be my favorite thing in the world.

I try to celebrate a big win with dessert.

[Samantha laughing]

I love sweets, particularly cherry, anything cherry,

cherry pie, cherry turnovers, cherry ice cream.

When I put the bar down,

I can like throw it down and like,

and yell and I'm just like jumping around.

That doesn't really come out too often,

like an honest, celebratory moment.

So those are like a few times in my career

where I've just like lost all control of just so excited

and so happy that I like successfully made the lift.