We're rooting for heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton to win gold in Rio. Here, she shares her indulgences, her fears and her dreams for life after sport.

A Canadian record holder in heptathlon—a seven-event track-and-field competition involving races, hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and javelin—Saskatoon-born Brianne Theisen-Eaton competed in her first Olympics in 2012. While she didn’t medal in London, she’s racked up a slew of international accolades. And since her husband, U.S. decathlete Ashton Eaton, won gold in London in 2012, we bet she’s craving an Olympic medal of her own.

Brianne's quick questionnaire

1. What food is your guilty pleasure?
Any kind of fruity candies like Sour Patch Watermelons, Skittles, Starbursts or licorice. I never get sick of it.

2. What’s your biggest fear?
I love the ocean but I don’t like swimming in it. I don’t like the sea creatures and not knowing what’s underneath me when I’m in the water.

3. What’s your favourite quote/mantra/affirmation?
I have two: 1) "Don’t be afraid of your fears. They aren’t there to scare you; they’re there to let you know something is worth it." 2) “Perfection is failure 100 percent of the time."

Finish the sentence:
4. If I weren’t an athlete, I’d be… Ha! I have no idea. I’ve never thought about life away from athletics. Should probably start that soon.
5. I’m proud to be Canadian because… the people are awesome and so, so nice. Our country is the most beautiful in the world, and we put an emphasis on spending time with our families and understanding that there’s more to life than working and making money.
6. Someday I hope to… have kids. Minor baby fever happening over here.
7. Right now I’m reading… Death by Food Pyramid and watching… The Bachelor (of course).
8. One thing you probably don’t know about me is… I’m shy and reserved when you first get to know me. I tend to take a while to soften to people.