10 Questions for Misty May-Treanor

The outfit beach-volleyball players wear attracts all kinds of attention. There was even hand-wringing over London’s weather and the possibility the cold would force you to cover up. Does the focus on the bikini ever bother you?
People have made it such a big deal, but we’re so used to it that it’s actually pretty funny. When you grow up on the beaches of Southern California, you wear a bathing suit. People don’t seem to give any other sports, like gymnastics or diving, a hard time, but it’s functional for what we do.

You and teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings are reuniting for the Games after a two-year separation. Why the break?
She was partnered with someone else, and I didn’t really think I’d be here for 2012. I thought I was done after [I had] an Achilles injury. But it’s something, as an athlete, you want to finish on your terms. So I wanted to go out the right way, with the right person, and that’s Kerri.

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You tore your Achilles tendon while rehearsing for Dancing with the Stars. How difficult was your recovery and rehabilitation?
It’s a full-year process, and I’m still working on it. It took me a whole year to really be able to run again and move the way I want to. It’s definitely not the same leg I had in 2008, but your body learns to adapt. I feel great.

Kerri has compared your relationship to a marriage. Is that how it feels for you?
Yeah, it is like a sisterhood, a marriage. Communication is key just like a relationship between a husband and wife. But we spend so much time together, sometimes we’re spending more time together than we are with our significant others.

Is it true you two even attend counseling together?
It was a sports psychologist, but I think a lot of athletes use sports psychology, and when you get to a certain level, any extra edge you can get is good. So I wouldn’t call it counseling because I don’t think there were any issues.

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You’re retiring from international competitions in beach volleyball after the Games. What’s next for you?
My husband and I want a family and a long vacation. I’ll graduate in November with a master’s in coaching and athletic administration, so further on down the line I want to coach. But my focus is going to be starting a family and reconnecting with everyone that I’ve had to sacrifice time with to be able to be out here competing.

How are you handling the London drizzle?
We’ve played through anything, this isn’t the worst weather we’ve seen. It’s actually pretty pleasant compared to some other events we’ve had to play in where it’s freezing cold. We’ve even had to play in snow. In Tahoe at an AVP [Association of Volleyball Professionals] event, it started snowing. So this is great.

I hear you’re a fan of the royal family. Any Prince Harry sightings yet?
Well Jen [Kessy] and April [Ross, May-Treanor’s teammates] have been tweeting [the royals], so it would be great if they came to the game. There’s so much to see here. You know, if they make it out to one of our events — we are on their grounds — it’d be fun.

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What’s with all the hugging and butt slapping in beach volleyball?
I think that it just naturally happens. I don’t really think about it, but it’s like you’re just running past each other and it’s like, O.K., let’s go. Sometimes they do it in basketball, but you can’t see it because of the shorts. It’s just a way of celebrating.

With the dancers and the music, it seems like beach volleyball is more of a party sport than other events.
Oh, I definitely think it is! By 11 p.m., I think everyone here has visited the beer garden a lot, and they’re really happy. That’s the freedom of our sport. We want everyone to get up and cheer and dance and just have a good time.

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