Olympic Star Colleen Quigley Details Her Preparation for 2021 Tokyo Games (Exclusive)

Colleen Quigley knew the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were going to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while it's disappointing she and the rest of the athletes will have to wait another year to compete in the Olympic Games, Quigley is looking at the move as a big positive. PopCulture.com had a chance to speak with the star runner who was prepared for the Olympics to be pushed back.

"I just remember knowing that news was going to come, just being like, 'Yeah, there's no way we're going to be able to do this safely just the way things are trending across the world with coronavirus," Quigley said exclusively to PopCulture.com. "I was definitely bracing for the news. When it did, it was like, 'Alright, we're not guessing anymore, we know that this was going to happen and I'm going to have one more year to prepare for Tokyo.'" Quigley went on to say another year of training will help her have a strong performance in her event, the 3000-meter steeplechase.

"I'm 27. I'm not at the tail-end of my career where I'm trying to hang on for one more year or aging out," she added. "I'm still at the ideal age for my sport. For me personally, another year of training, staying healthy and getting stronger is really only going to help me. That really helps me keep a positive outlook on the postponement. It's only going to help my chances of getting on the medal podium in Tokyo next summer."

Staying healthy is important for Quigley, which is one of the reasons why she has teamed up with Vital Proteins. Quigley, who finished eighth place in the 3000-meter steeplechase in the 2016 Summer Olympics, began using Vital Proteins after a chiro specialist in Arizona told her she needed to supplement with collagen after dealing with an injury.

"He showed me all this research about how amazing it was and how to supplement with it," Quigley said. "Vital Proteins was clearly the best product in the market and I just started using it." Quigley has dealt with her share of injuries over the years including an issue with her right hip called Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI), which she explained means that the "labrum on my right hip is getting worn away gradually." Quigley started using collagens to keep her joints healthy. But she also uses Vital Proteins for another big reason.

"That's the big thing, hip and ankle for me," Quigley said when talking about using Vital Proteins. "But it depends on the athlete. It could be elbows for a tennis player. It's really just any joint that uses that cartilage and tendons and ligaments do to keep it stable and healthy. It's also great for hair and nails and skin, which doesn't suck either."