jessica long and goose

ambassador

Nulo partner, Jessica Long, is one of the most accomplished athletes in Paralympic history. She’s competed at six Paralympic Games, winning 31 medals (18 gold!). She has won more than 50 world championship medals and was named the US Olympic Committee’s Paralympian of the Year in 2006. Jessica was born in Russia and adopted by American parents. More recently, Jessica herself, along with her husband Lucas, adopted their sweet Goldendoodle, Goose.

Jessica sat down with us to share how Goose's support and perspective have made such a difference in her perseverance through the challenges of a long career and how much she loves being a dog mom!

Can you tell us about your personal journey as a swimmer?

My lower legs were amputated when I was eighteen months old. Since then, I learned to walk with prostheses and embraced a pretty active childhood. I participated in many sports, including gymnastics, basketball, cheerleading, ice skating, biking, running, and rock climbing. However, I always loved swimming the most.

I started swimming seriously when I was 10 and made my International debut at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, at age 12. In Greece, I won three gold medals in swimming, in the 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and the 4x100m freestyle relay. Since that time, I’ve broken dozens of world records, and I’ve competed at five Paralympic Games, where I won 29 medals - 16 of them gold. I’ve also earned over 50 world championship medals. I guess you could say I’ve been busy!

Describe a day in your life with your pet. How do they support you during training sessions, competitions, or recovery periods?

A typical day for me is I swim 2 hours every morning, and depending on the day, I’ll come back and either do Pilates or weight training and when I get back, Goose is always so happy to see me - it’s the best thing!

He likes to chill with me while I recover and when I nap, he’ll snuggle in and nap with me. It’s the sweetest thing. In the afternoon, I head back for another 2 hour practice, and we repeat the routine when I return. While every day can be different, he’s always there to support me.

Goose has offered so much support and just calmness in my life. I swim so many hours in the pool every day and it’s so comforting just to come back home and to have him greet me at the door like he does. He doesn’t care if I have a good workout or bad, or win a Gold medal or not - he loves me no matter what.

Has your pet ever amazed you with something incredible they've done?

When Goose was little, he would always sit next to my prosthetics when I was at the dining room table. I think he figured out early on that I did not have feet. But he loves watching me put on my prosthetics - I mean he’s just so fascinated and so accepting. He’s a great support system for me in all areas of my life.

Every day I learn something new about Goose. He has such a personality, and he’s so determined. He reminds me a lot of myself. If he doesn’t want to do something, he will refuse, which I think is hysterical. But he’s taught me so much - like when to have fun and when to not take life too seriously

Share some activities you enjoy with your pet that help maintain your fitness levels.

When I’m not training, I like to come home and spend time with my husband Lucas and with Goose and honestly relax with them when I can. But we also love taking our family walks together, and I think it’s just a great way to see Goose explore the world, and it gives us a chance to be close as a family.

How have your pet’s loyalty and companionship helped you persevere through the ups and downs of your athletic career?

I always knew I needed to fall in love with a little puppy. Having Goose has completely changed my perspective on life. I never grew up with dogs and this endless love and excitement I get every time I see Goose has changed my world. Before Goose, I could not even imagine this type of love from an animal. Every single day he’s so excited to see me, no matter what kind of day I might be having.

Out of all the Nulo products available, which one does your pet seem to enjoy the most, and why?

Oh my gosh, it’s so important to me to feed Goose nutritious foods. My husband and I have done so much research on what is the best nutrition because we want him to be here for a long time - I can’t even imagine my life without him. And that’s why we chose Nulo - I mean, he loves his Nulo Lamb kibble, and he is also obsessed with the Gently Cooked meals. They’re human grade and his favorite is the Salmon and Quinoa. I love that I can recognize all of the ingredients. All I want to do is feed Goose the best food possible.

Try Jessica and Goose's Picks

• Functional Granola Immunity Dog Treats
• FreeStyle Lamb Recipe with Raspberries Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
• FreeStyle Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dog Training Treats
• Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Game Bird Quarry Duck, Turkey & Guinea Fowl Dry Dog Food
• Functional Hip & Joint Health Supplement Powder
• Advanced Multifunctional All-in-1 Supplement Chews

SEE MORE ABOUT JESSICA AND GOOSE ON INSTAGRAM @JESSICATATIANALONG