Talking Shop is our series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys.
Skier Breezy Johnson is definitively having a banner year. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, she won her first gold medal in the downhill event, making her the second American woman to ever do so. Johnson also just got her career-best downhill ranking during the World Cup, contributing to a historic win for the U.S. women’s ski team; something that hasn’t happened since the ‘80s.
Oh, and she got engaged once she stepped off the slopes in Italy, prompting Taylor Swift (yes, the one and only) to comment on her Instagram post.
After several major accomplishments, Johnson is ready to finally relax and recharge. But before doing that, she took some time to talk to me about her favorite buys, including the lucky hair tie she wore during the games and the knitting needles she brings everywhere.
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“I started bringing a pillow with me when I’m traveling to all competitions in 2018, which was my second year on the World Cup tour,” says Johnson. “Right before that, we went to stay at one place that had this feather pillow, and when I laid my head on it, I immediately sank into it. I don’t like that — that’s not my jam. So I started traveling with this [Saatva] pillow instead. Energy and feeling good in your body is so important, and having the right pillow to help you sleep is a big deal.” Saatva’s pillow is stuffed with shredded latex and fibers, and it has a removable, machine-washable cotton cover.
(Editor’s note: Saatva was the 2026 Winter Olympics’ Official Mattresses and Restorative Sleep Provider, so athletes are affiliated with the brand.)
“My two go-tos in my fitness bag are Celsius and a protein water I make,” says Johnson. “I recently switched from a plastic shaker bottle to this metal one, and it genuinely makes my water taste different. It’s so much better. Hydroflask’s shaker bottles are also insulated, so being able to have my cold water or a cold shake is so nice.” The 24-ounce, stainless steel, dishwasher-safe bottle comes with a whisk ball for mixing and a leakproof, flip-top chug spout. There’s also measurement markers on the inside.
“Recovery is super important for me, so I wear an Oura Ring,” says Johnson. “I love being able to track my stats and have all that information. I definitely check the app first thing in the morning and throughout the day. I also wear a Garmin watch [the Epix Gen 2], so I like the balance of knowing the readiness score of the Oura Ring, the Garmin watch’s data and just paying attention to how I feel overall.”
The Oura Ring 4 gives you insights about your sleep, activity, stress, heart health and more. It offers eight days of battery on a single charge and it’s water-resistant up to about 328 feet, according to the brand. The first month of an Oura Membership, which is tied to the app, is free with your purchase, and after that, it’s $5.99 a month.
“I’m a big knitter on the road, and I’ve always got some sort of project going on. I make a lot of headbands,” says Johnson, who was wearing one when I talked to her via video call. “It’s a good place for nervous energy because it really focuses the brain. I’m a huge Etsy shopper, and this set has everything I need. I really love having things not everyone else has, so it’s a fun way to have something that’s super unique. My family and friends make requests for me to make them things, and I often give old knits to people.”
“I always get a pack of these hair ties in different colors, and certain colors end up being lucky,” says Johnson. “I had red, white and blue ones this year that matched our Olympic suits.” Yes, that means she was wearing one of the hair ties when she won her gold medal. They’re made from a nylon-spandex blend so they’re stretchy, and they gently hold hair, according to the brand.
“I always keep this utensil set in my purse,” says Johnson, who pulled it out to show me. “I was reading about black plastic and how that has a lot of bad things in it, especially when it heats up and then you eat it. I bring this utensil set around with me and use them to try to eliminate some waste, and they’re wood, so they’re super light. It comes with chopsticks, a fork and a spoon in a little case, and I added a metal straw to it.”
Johnson partnered with Celsius in May 2025, but she was a fan of the brand years prior. “I feel like Celsius is a great combination of an energy brand that really cares about health and wellness. I often use it pre-race, but sometimes, it’s just a treat,” she says. “My favorite flavors are sparkling watermelon and blue raspberry. I also recently had the strawberry passionfruit flavor, which is very good, but it can be hard to find.”
Johnson also brings packs of Celsius to The Center of Excellence (CoE), which is her team’s main training hub in Park City, Utah, for all the skiers to enjoy together. “Everybody gets really excited, so last year I started timing how long it took for all the cans to be gone,” she says. “I put them in our little kitchen area and I think the record for the fastest time was 40 minutes.”
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I’m a reporter at NBC Select who writes our Talking Shop series, interviewing people like Paris Hilton, Maureen Kelly, Hannah Berner and Chase Crawford. To write this article, I interviewed Team U.S.A. skier Breezy Johnson about her favorite products, including what she brought to Italy to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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