As the youngest woman ever to win an Olympic and world championship title in individual track and field, Asing Mu is used to the spotlight.
The New Jersey native shocked the athletics world in 2020 when she won gold in the 800 meters, and as she prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics, she has nothing but gratitude on her mind.
“I’m really fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience multiple cycles in the Olympic world. Some people take much longer than me to reach that point in their career, so I feel lucky to be able to compete again four years later,” Mu told EBONY.
Her latest victory is even sweeter given the current state of the world, with the 2020 Olympics postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic. Always one to keep things calm, Mu isn’t one to dwell on things that are out of her control, instead focusing on the means to stand out among the many competitors vying for the top spot.
At times, it might look like he’s decked out in Nike’s “Mint Foam” Air Zoom Max Fly for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary.
“I decided to add some bling to my shoes for last year’s Budapest Games,” she said, explaining the decision as a way to set herself apart even more on the competition floor. “What I’ve learned after competing for so long is that you only have a small window of opportunity to set yourself apart from your competitors and the other athletes in your sport, so I like to take those little opportunities to highlight myself and express who I really am, apart from just being a great athlete.”
Her passion for self-expression extends beyond track and into other areas of her life, like her history-making current collaboration with Olay, her first-ever beauty partnership, which has introduced her to the wonderful world of a disciplined beauty routine.
“Before, people would ask me what my skincare routine was, and I’d say, ‘Actually, I don’t have any,'” Moo says. “Now, I’ve partnered with Olay to create my own five-step routine to prep my skin, whether it’s before or after a workout,” she says.
Just like in the world of professional sports, sticking to a routine is essential to making progress.
“That relates very well to the athletics aspect because as an athlete, sometimes you want to do too many things at once instead of sticking to a simple routine that is very beneficial. And I think that’s what works best for me when it comes to being an athlete. I like to stick to a regular, consistent plan and routine that works best for me,” says Mu.
“Once you find that perfect spot, whether it’s athleticism or aesthetics, it’s really amazing to have a foundation to build on,” Moo says.
Discovering this similarity was a turning point for Mu, who says it’s an integral part of everything he does.
“Apart from sports, I enjoy fashion and beauty. I’m very interested in beauty and fashion, so having Olay as a partner for the Olympics was a great idea,” Mu said.
Looking beyond topical aesthetics, Mu says he finds a perfect parallel between beauty and the paved courses he runs on with world-class vigor: the beginning always meets the end, and it’s essential to return to yourself.
“Beauty is about finding yourself and being at one with yourself. Of course, there are many things you can do outside of yourself to accentuate or perfect your appearance, but I think true beauty comes when you find perfection in something that may not be perfect or may not be the world’s or society’s standard,” says Moo.
It’s a way of maintaining sanity in a society that constantly enforces increasingly unrealistic and, in some cases, downright dangerous beauty standards, she says.
“Beauty can sometimes go in many different directions, but it starts with yourself. And when you can find that, I think you can start to learn what true beauty is,” Moo says.
“I began to realise that beauty is much more than the norm. The whole world is obsessed with these trends, but I decided at a young age that I didn’t want to be like that,” Mu said.
As she prepares for the biggest sporting event in the world, she’s discovered that nothing inspires her more than being unashamed, on and off the track.
“I am happiest when I can be my true self, and I’ve learned to grow in my own body and as a whole person,” Moo says.
