“WHAT GOT YOU INTO NUTRITION IN THE FIRST PLACE?”

This is a common question that lends itself to a retrospective glance at who I was as an aspiring athlete and hard-working student, versus who I have become as a passionate professional in the field of dietetics.

During the fall of my Junior in high school (wow, that feels like ages ago!), we were required to take a test to see how our current strengths and interests in academics might correlate into a lifelong career. I remember getting the test results back and reading out loud to my classmates that my strongest matches for careers were those in the fields of science and education. This made me stop and think for a second of memories from grade school: the time I went to the Regional and State Science Fair two years in a row with both science projects focused on - you guessed it - food (specifically gum and popcorn!); the excitement I had for making homemade ice cream and learning about growing vegetables in science class; and my many dissection labs in anatomy and physiology.

Fast forward to my Senior year of high school, I remember sitting in the car with my mom who was driving me home from skating practice one day, and the topic of our conversation was on where I was considering applying for college and what major I might be considering. I knew one thing for certain - I wanted to carry my passion of skating into a career I would be able to give back to the sport that, at that time, had been part of my life for over a decade. I thought about my results from the test I took my Junior year, and how those findings of perhaps a career in science and education could combine with my love and experiences with skating. After reaching for the purple lunch box I had packed for my training day and while opening my granola bar, I verbalized, “What about nutrition?”

Growing up, not only did I have an interest in food-related science projects as a student, but also as a skater I recognized I was fortunate to have parents who supported me by making sure I always had a well-rounded diet and plenty of fueling snacks to keep up with my energy needs as a growing athlete. I recognized that this was an area of my life that I had always prioritized, but that others had not, and a career field that could lend itself to as much creativity as the sport of figure skating had given to me.

In the car, the conversation continued by me listing other career options related to science and skating. I didn’t want to have to deal with sweaty athletes as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, nor could I see myself helping an athlete by rehabbing them through an injury or providing any form of manual therapy – no blood, no sweat, no thank you! A career involving food just made sense to me. I slept on the thought that evening, and the next day I woke up feeling confident in the direction I had chosen for myself and excited to one day be able to help athletes, especially skaters, learn about the importance of proper nutrition for improved performance, injury prevention, and an overall healthy lifestyle.

Since making this decision, I have now been in the field of dietetics for almost 15 years. During this time, I have gained tremendous experience working with all populations (infants, children, teens, young adults, adults, and the elderly) in a variety of in- and out-patient settings. Since 2019, I have had the incredible opportunity of working as a Dietitian for U.S. Figure Skating, a goal I had set out for myself that day in the car coming home from skating practice.

I am excited for the official launch of my personal business, Nutrition to Perform LLC, centered around providing support to aesthetic-sport athletes through my knowledge of nutrition. Helping you achieve your goals in your sport is something I hold dear and near to my heart as a previous athlete who gave it their all and sacrificed a great deal to find success. I believe that proper nutrition is an essential component to an athlete’s arsenal and one that is either misunderstood, misguided, or simply glanced over.  

I look forward to sharing more about myself, my experiences with athletes/parents/coaches, and general tidbits of nutrition in my future blogs as ways for you to consider perhaps how nutrition fits into your life, either today as an athlete or tomorrow as a champion.

If you think you might benefit from seeing a Dietitian like myself, please contact me so I can best assess your needs and help you achieve your goals.

If you are a dietitian yourself, I’d also love to connect.

~Passionately, Dana