Stephanie M.C. Wilson

Tell us about yourself, education, your background, and your current interests.

I completed my undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Nutrition and Dietetics at Saint Louis University. My master's degree is in Nutrition and Applied Physiology/Kinesiology with a Sports Nutrition Emphasis from the University of Florida. While I am interested in many aspects of research in sports performance, my favorite subjects include protein metabolism, injury rehab, antioxidant and sports supplements, and pediatric sports nutrition. I am currently enrolled as a doctoral student in an online Behavioral Health program at Grand Canyon University.

How did you become interested in nutrition?

As a gymnast and eventually a runner, I have always been interested in my nutrition and how it impacts my performance. My interest in sports nutrition came as a result of always trying to improve my performance during meets and runs. This naturally led me to study the physiological adaptations that occur during exercise and how to optimize these adaptations via nutrition modifications.

You completed a Sports Nutrition Dietetic Internship at University of Florida (UF). Tell us about that experience and something you learned.

The internship provided me with an amazing experience. I worked for one year with the UF Sports Dietitians (Cheryl Zonkowski, MS, RD, CSSD, Erika Whitman, RD, CSSD, and Anna Grout, MS, RD, CSSD) developing a wide array of handouts and assisting in athlete counseling. I developed a sports supplement guide comparison for our weight room and was responsible for ordering and managing our budget for supplement supplies. Other responsibilities included: Training Table menu development, nutrition analysis, locker talks, Two-A-Days training meals, & newsletter development. I performed over 1000 body composition assessments that year, receiving my BodPod certification and practicing Tricep Skinfolds. My experiences were unique: guest lecturing for sports nutrition & body composition assessment, leading grocery store tours for athletes, designing PowerPoints for athletic trainers and sports health staff, and leading an intervention program at the local high school including a cooking demonstration with UF athletes and high school students. In addition, I was the Gatorade Manager for 13 UF teams hosting summer camps. While I had a huge learning curve for assessing athletes and hydration, the most valuable lessons learned were how to be a motivating leader and how to be an effective communicator in the world of athletics. The opportunity to work so closely with strength coaches, athletic trainers, coaches, and sport psychologists was truly invaluable.

Now that you are a practicing RD, how do you incorporate sports nutrition into your practice?

I am a sports nutrition consultant for the University of Tampa, helping with research projects in the Exercise Science Department and developing lectures or counseling for the athletic teams. I am also starting to work with the Sports Medicine Clinic at All Children's Hospital and local sport teams.

Once you earn a doctoral degree, what kind of work do you want to do? What are your professional goals?

My overall goal is to bridge the gap between sports nutrition research and sports nutrition practice. I aspire to be a Director of Sports Nutrition for an athletic program (professional/collegiate), obtain an academic appointment conducting the latest sports nutrition research, and to help develop the #1 internship/master’s program specific to developing sports dietitians.

Is there anything else you would like to share with other students?

When I started during my undergraduate degree, everyone discouraged my goals saying "There is no way to get into sports nutrition right out of school; you must have at least 10 years of experience." My best advice is to pave your way, dream big, and stay persistent. I stayed positive and worked hard. A lot of people don't want to pay their dues, but once you have, you will realize that people noticed and separated you from others. Also, a lot of students have recently told me that a master's degree wasn't worth it. I disagree for a million reasons, as it can open more opportunities than you ever imagined.

May 10, 2011