Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Ski Champ Concocts 'Smell of Victory'

Michelle Roark loves the smell of rose oil in the morning

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 15, 2009 4:19 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – Ski champ and chemical engineer Michelle Roark has put together a line of perfumes she insists can give athletes the winning edge. Roark, the 2009 US freestyle skiing champion, credits her scents like "Confidence"—which includes grapefruit oil and rose oil—with helping her succeed. Other scents include Focus, Balance, Adventure, and Imagination.

"It's not just mumbo-jumbo," says Roark, who mixes the perfumes herself. "There is a science behind it." Scientists agree that smells are strongly connected to emotions, but they caution that different smells affect different people in different ways, depending on what they associate with them. "The scent is an artifact of the expectation," one psychologist told the Wall Street Journal. "An athlete believes it's important to success, so therefore it is important."

Michelle Roark poses during the Chevrolet Freestyle International World Cup at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
Michelle Roark poses during the Chevrolet Freestyle International World Cup at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.   (Getty Images)
Michelle Roark celebrates her final run in the ladies freestyle World Cup moguls race early this year at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
Michelle Roark celebrates her final run in the ladies freestyle World Cup moguls race early this year at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.   (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Silverbow7
Oct 15, 2009 6:07 AM CDT
Great if it works or would that be an unfair advantage, like steriods?

 
smell • skiing • perfume • Olympians • professional athletes • Michelle Roark

More Newser Stories

Olympic Skier Kills Himself After DUI Bust
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne