From morning to evening, six days a week, Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez spent his days cutting engineered stone, a man-made product that has become a popular choice for kitchen and bathroom countertops.

The glossy slabs resist stains, are highly durable and come in many colors. They are also rife with crystalline silica: tiny particles that can irreparably scar the lungs when inhaled.

By the time Reyes Gonzalez had reached his 33rd birthday, his lungs had been ravaged by silicosis, an incurable disease. He was forced to rely on an oxygen tank and grew thin and weak. At one point, he said, he asked God to take his life so that his suffering would end.

His doctor says the 34-year-old is only alive today because both his lungs were replaced in a transplant — and that painstaking surgery may only buy him another six years.

“We don’t know how long he has with that lung,” his wife Wendy Torres Hernandez said in a Los Angeles courtroom. In the wake of his transplant, he must take a barrage of medications, restrict his diet and keep a close eye on his blood pressure and sugar levels.

All of those measures, she said, are “going to continue until he passes away.”

In Los Angeles County, a jury will weigh a question that could reverberate through the stone industry: Are corporations that manufacture or distribute engineered stone at fault?

Health researchers have tied the surge in silicosis cases among countertop cutters to the booming popularity of engineered or artificial stone, which is typically much higher in silica than natural marble or granite. In California, dozens of workers with silicosis have lodged lawsuits against companies like Cambria and Caesarstone.

Reyes Gonzalez is the first of them to go to trial, according to his attorneys. The L.A. County civil case poses a test of whether companies that make engineered stone could be held responsible amid the devastating eruption of silicosis, which has killed more than a dozen countertop cutters across California in recent years.

Dr. Robert Harrison, a professor of occupational medicine at UC San Francisco who has done research on silicosis among countertop cutters, said a decision for the plaintiff would “send a message to manufacturers that they are accountable for producing a toxic product like engineered stone.”

Regardless of the outcome, Harrison said the court case “shines a spotlight on the workers behind the products that we buy.” That could bolster public awareness that “there are workers who make our products who get sick and die,” he said — and hopefully inspire new efforts to stop it.

Marissa Bankert, executive director of the International Surface Fabricators Assn., which represents businesses that cut slabs, said that “irrespective of the outcome of this case, it is essential that all companies engaged in surface fabrication and their employees are educated on, and adhere to, safety practices.”

In a trial that has stretched for weeks, lawyers for Reyes Gonzalez have argued that engineered stone manufacturers failed to give proper warnings about the dangers of their product. Attorney Gilbert Purcell called it “terribly toxic and dangerous” and “defective in design,” arguing that its risks far outweigh its benefits.

The question is, “why not eliminate this product altogether? Society doesn’t need this product,” Purcell told jurors. “It certainly doesn’t need the carnage it causes.”

Attorneys for engineered stone manufacturers countered that the blame lay with the operators of the Orange County workshops where Reyes Gonzalez worked. Such “fabrication shops” cut the slabs made by manufacturers.

“We know that this product is safe,” Cambria‘s attorney, Lindsay Weiss, said, “when handled safely.”

Reyes Gonzalez testified that he worked in a string of Orange County shops cutting slabs of engineered stone. At times, he said, the air was so dusty that it looked like fog. His mask grew “very filthy,” he testified. Even when he used water while cutting, Reyes Gonzalez said that after it dried, “a lot of dust would come off.”

Caesarstone argued in court that the company had given the shops all the information they needed to protect workers, including guidance on ventilation and wet cutting to tamp down dust. Its attorney, Peter Strotz, said what happened to the worker was a tragedy, but a preventable one.

It could have been prevented if those “who owned and operated the fabrication shop where he worked had done what Caesarstone asked them to do,” Strotz argued.

He and other attorneys representing engineered stone manufacturers sought to turn the focus to members of the Silverio family, who had paid Reyes Gonzalez for his work at the Orange County shops.

Lawyers for the worker argued the Silverios were not his employers and that Reyes Gonzalez was an independent contractor. Fernando Silverio Soto, who set up Silverio Stone Works, testified that all he knew about the dangers was what he was told: To minimize risk by wearing masks and using water while cutting.

Strotz showed the courtroom a Caesarstone form that Silverio had signed, which stated he had received safety information and an instructional movie. In court, Silverio denied having seen such materials.

Jon Grzeskowiak, Cambria’s executive vice president of research and development and process operations, said the company offers free training to stonecutters and that safety information for its products was available on its website. Fernando Silverio Soto said during his testimony that he hadn’t seen that website, nor had he gone to the Caesarstone website for such information.

“I was never told that I needed to do that,” he said of the Caesarstone website.

Defense attorneys also brought forward expert witnesses who testified that engineered stone could be cut and polished safely with the effective use of workplace safeguards. Attorneys for Reyes Gonzalez, in turn, turned to experts who disputed that measures such as masks or using water while cutting were adequate.

Among them was industrial hygienist Stephen Petty, who testified that an N95 mask was insufficient to protect a worker from the dust generated by grinding artificial stone.

Petty said even the best kind of respirator available, which supplies a worker with clean air from a tank, would not work well in the long term because it is so uncomfortable that workers tend to adjust it, breaking the seal.

Harrison of UCSF, who did not testify in the case, said it is very difficult to protect workers cutting engineered stone. “It takes a lot of money and a pretty sophisticated, knowledgeable employer with a lot of expensive machines and ventilation systems to protect workers from exposure to artificial stone dust.”

Safety regulators across the globe have grappled with the risks of engineered stone as its popularity has soared. In Australia, the government ultimately banned the artificial slabs amid a public uproar over stonecutters falling ill and dying. Workplace safety regulators there called it “the only way to ensure that another generation of Australian workers do not contract silicosis from such work.”

In California, government regulators have stopped short of a ban, instead enacting tighter rules on silica exposure in the workplace. Another proposal that would have clamped down on which businesses could perform stonecutting was held this summer by its author, Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood), who said state regulators were “not receptive” to creating a tracking system for licensed shops.

Cal/OSHA officials have warned in the past that if tightening the rules does not show results, they could press forward with a ban on engineered stone. In a recent report, however, the agency said it had so far rejected the idea because a ban could fuel “the creation of illegal fabrication shops that are hidden from regulators.”

Your morning jog or weekly basketball game may not take place on an Olympic stage, but you can use Team USA’s techniques to get the most out of your exercise routine.

It’s not all about strength and speed. Mental fitness can be just as important as physical fitness.

That’s why the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee created a psychological services squad to support the mental health and mental performance of athletes representing the Stars and Stripes.

“I think happy, healthy athletes are going to perform at their best, so that’s what we’re striving for,” said Jessica Bartley, senior director of the 15-member unit.

Bartley studied sports psychology and mental health after an injury ended her soccer career. She joined the USOPC in 2020 and is now in Paris with Team USA’s 592 competitors, who range in age from 16 to 59.

Bartley spoke with The Times about how her crew keeps Olympic athletes in top psychological shape, and what the rest of us can learn from them. Her comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Why is exercise good for mental health?

It gets you moving. It gets the endorphins going. And there’s often a lot of social aspects that are really helpful.

There are a number of sports that stretch your brain in ways that can be really, really valuable. You’re thinking about hand-eye coordination, or you’re thinking about strategy. It can improve memory, concentration, even critical thinking.

What’s the best way to get in the zone when it’s time to compete?

When I work with athletes, I like to understand what their zone is. If a 0 or a 1 is you’re totally chilled out and a 10 is you’re jumping around, where do you need to be? What’s your number?

People will say, “I’m at a 10 and I need to be at an 8 or a 7.” So we’ll talk about ways of bringing it down, whether it’s taking a deep breath, listening to relaxing music, or talking to your coach. Or there’s times when people say they need to be more amped up. That’s when you see somebody hitting their chest, or jumping up and down.

If you make a mistake in the middle of a competition, how do you move on instead of dwelling on it?

I often teach athletes a reset routine. I played goalie, so I had a lot of time to think after getting scored on. I would undo my goalie gloves and put them back on, which to me was a reset. I would also wear an extra hairband on my wrist, and when I would snap it, that meant I needed to get out of my head.

It’s not just a physical reset — it helps with a mental reset. If you do the same thing every single time, it goes through the same neural pathway to where it’s going to reset the brain. That can be really impactful.

Do Olympic athletes have to deal with burnout?

Oh, yeah. Everybody has a day where they don’t want to do whatever it is. That’s when you have to ask, “What’s in my best interests? Do I need a recovery day, or do I really need to get in the pool, or get in the gym?”

Sometimes you really do need what we like to refer to as a mental health day.

How can you psych yourself up for a workout when you just aren’t feeling it?

It’s really helpful to think about why you’re doing this and why you’re pushing yourself. Do you have goals related to an activity or sport? Is there something tied to values around hard work or discipline, loyalty or dependability?

When you don’t want to get in the gym, when you don’t want to go for a run, think about something bigger. Tie it back to values.

Is sleep important for maintaining mental health?

Yes! We started doing mental health screens with athletes before the Tokyo Games. We asked about depression, anxiety, disordered eating and body image, drugs and alcohol, and sleep. Sleep was actually our No. 1 issue. It’s been a huge initiative for us.

How much sleep should we be getting?

It’s different for everyone, but generally we know seven to nine hours of sleep is good. Sometimes some of these athletes need 10 hours.

I highly recommend as much sleep as you need. If you didn’t get enough sleep, napping can be really valuable.

Is napping just for Olympic athletes or is it good for everybody?

Everybody! Naps are amazing.

What if there’s no time for a nap?

There are different ways of recharging. Naps could be one of them, but maybe you just need to get off your feet for 20 minutes. Maybe you need to do a meditation or mindfulness exercise and just close your eyes for five minutes.

How do you minimize the effects of jet lag?

We try to shift one hour per day. That’s the standard way of doing it. If you can, it’s super helpful. But it’s not always possible.

The thing we tell athletes is that our bodies are incredible, and you will even things out if you can get back on schedule. One or two nights of crummy sleep is not going to impact your overall performance.

What advice do you give athletes who have trouble falling asleep the night before a competition?

You don’t want to change much right before a competition, so I usually direct athletes to do what they would normally do.

Do you need to unwind by reading a book? Do you need to talk on the phone with somebody and get your mind off things? Can you put your mind in a really restful place and think about things that are really relaxing?

Are there any mindfulness or meditation exercises that you find helpful?

There are some athletes who benefit greatly from an hourlong meditation. I love something quick, something to reset my brain, maybe close my eyes for a minute.

If I’m feeling like I need to take a moment, I love mindful eating. You savor a bite and go, “Oh, my gosh, I have not been fully engaged with my senses today.” Or you could take a mindful walk and take in the sights, the smells, all of the things that are around you.

What do you eat when you need a quick nutrition boost?

Cashews. I tend to carry those with me. They’ve got enough energy to make sure I keep going, physically.

I’ve always got gummy bears on me too. There’s no nutritional value but they keep me going mentally. I’m a big proponent of both.

Is it OK to be superstitious in sports?

It depends how flexible you are. Maybe you put on your socks or shoes a certain way, or listen to certain music. Routines are really soothing. They set your brain up for success in a particular performance. It can be really, really helpful.

But I’ve also seen an athlete forget their lucky underwear or their lucky socks, and they’re all out of sorts. So your routine has to be flexible enough that you’re not going to completely fall apart if you don’t do it exactly.

Are Olympians made of stronger psychological stuff than the rest of us?

Not necessarily. There are some who don’t get feathers ruffled and have a high tolerance for the fanfare. There’s also a lot of regular human beings who just happen to be fantastic at a particular activity.

For the next few weeks, Paris will be home to many of the world’s impressive athletes, including some of the fastest human beings on the planet. Among the competitors gathering for the Olympic Games are runners who can knock out a marathon in just over two hours, a mile in under four minutes and 100 meters in less than 10 seconds.

Earlier this month, the rural village of Congham, England, played host to a less likely group of athletes: dozens of garden snails. They had gathered to compete in the World Snail Racing Championships, where the world record time for completing the 13.5 inch course stands at 2 minutes flat. At that speed — roughly 0.006 miles per hour — it would take the snails more than six days to travel a mile.