Hello fellow SCAN members and dietetic students!
I am Abigail Larson, BS Sports Science from
Northern Michigan University, MS Exercise Science
from Northern Michigan University, and dietetic
verification statement from Montana State University;
currently living in Bend, Oregon, soon to move
back to Bozeman, Montana, and then on the road
to Torino, Italy, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics!
You are a competitive cross-country
skier. What are your immediate goals?
This year I have postponed entering a dietetic
internship to pursue a career as a professional
cross-country skier. It is my goal, this
winter, to qualify for the 2006 US Olympic Ski
Team. I would like to compete in the 15 k pursuit
and the 30 k skate race. I have been ski racing
since I was 17. I ran and skied cross-country
for Northern Michigan University (NMU) throughout
my undergraduate career. When I returned
to NMU to enter graduate school and obtain a
Master's degree in Exercise Science I joined
the Subaru Factory Team, a premier professional
cross-country ski team consisting of elite cross-country
skiers who train and race year-round and live
throughout the US. Many of these athletes have
made previous Olympic Teams. Although I have
had peaks and valleys in my ski career, it has
been a blessed experience. I have had
the opportunity to race all over the United
States, Canada, and Europe, my education has
been paid for through sport, and I have met
amazing people from all over the world.
Last year I posted a 1, 2, and 3
rd
place finish at US Cross-Country Skiing Nationals.
This year I feel that I can compete at an even
higher level.
How has your nutrition knowledge benefited
you as an athlete?
My education in nutrition and sports science
helps my training and athletic performance on
a daily basis. I am constantly using information
and principles learned in the classroom to enhance
performance and recovery. Furthermore,
my teammates in college and now those on the
Subaru Factory Team, frequently ask me for advice
pertaining to nutrition, general health, and
athletic performance. Many athletes consult
with me regarding herbals and new dietary supplements
that claim to facilitate recovery. I usually
tell them to save their money and take a multivitamin
with their post-training Gatorade and peanut-butter-banana
sandwich! My nutrition education has helped
me realize that there is no magic pill, food,
or recovery drink. By following sound,
basic nutrition principles and eating wholesome
foods, the body recovers as well or better than
using expensive supplements, recovery drinks,
and plastic-tasting energy bars.
How have you used your
education in sports nutrition to benefit others?
In the last few years I have had the opportunity
to do a lot of public speaking about health
and nutrition. In graduate school I
taught several lecture classes pertaining
to well-being and fitness. I have also
spoken to groups of athletes from high school
beginners to middle-aged seasoned veterans.
These experiences are always very gratifying.
There is nothing I enjoy more than educating
an eager mind. High school athletes
are my favorite because they are quite reserved
and look rather bored in the beginning but
usually by the end of the lecture they swamp
me with questions. These are the athletes
who can benefit the most from nutrition education.
They are still forming dietary habits that
will last a lifetime. In addition, information
presented to them often makes it home to the
family dining table. I became interested
in nutrition in high school when athletics
became an important part of my life.
I did a lot of reading on my own and started
sharing this information with my family.
As a result my family has become more health
conscious as well.
What type of work are you doing? What satisfies
your most?
Currently I am working at Therapeutic
Associates in Bend, Oregon, as an exercise
physiologist. As part of my job I run a fitness
class for recreational athletes. The
class meets two times a week and part of the
time is devoted to exercise training while
another portion of the class is devoted to
an educational topic regarding sport and performance.
Many of my lectures focus on nutrition and
how proper dietary habits can help athletes.
I also write nutrition and exercise science
related articles for publications such as
the Ski Post emailing and Master
Skier magazine. Both publications target
recreational and competitive cross-country
skiers. I am always pleased by the positive
feedback I receive from recreational athletes,
including high school athletes and their parents,
regarding the articles I write. One
response stands out vividly in my mind.
I was in Marquette, MI, checking out at the
local grocery store. When the cashier handed
me my receipt and said "Thank you, Miss Larson,"
the woman behind me put her hand on my shoulder
and asked "You're not Abigail Larson,
are you?" She proceeded to tell me how
much she enjoyed reading the articles I write
for Ski Post and Master Skier,
and how she shares them with her friends and
students (she is a 6th grade teacher).
It felt terrific to know that I had helped
this women better understand how nutrition
and exercise affect the body. I truly
believe that we need more professionals in
the nutrition and fitness world to serve as
liaisons between science and the public. All
too often information from research is manipulated
or lost in translation by the time the public
interprets it.
Beyond your aspirations for the Olympics,
what are your future goals? Who have been
your mentors?
Next year I intend to enroll in a PhD
program focusing on Exercise Science and Nutrition.
My research interests include how physical
activity affects nutrient metabolism and how
physical activity affects bone metabolism.
I plan to enroll in a dietetic internship
and become a registered dietitian. Eventually
I hope to teach at the university level.
Phillip Watts, PhD (exercise science), Mohey
Mowafy, PhD, RD (nutrition), and Sten Fjeldheim,
MS, cross-country skiing and running coach,
Northern Michigan University, and Christina
Campbell, PhD, RD (nutrition), Montana State
University-Bozeman, have been instrumental
in my academic, athletic, and personal goals
and successes; I would like to send my gratitude
and thanks to them. 10/05
Note: Abby made the US Olympic Nordic Ski
team this fall.
Postscript: Abby's report after the
2006 Winter Olympics, Torino, Italy
In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino I competed
in the 15 k skiathlon, the 10 k classic, and
the 30 k skate race. The competition
was incredible and it was amazing to race
against the best in the world. I feel
blessed to have had the opportunity to represent
the US in these games and I will treasure
the memories that I have made throughout my
time in Italy. It was a great feeling
to have my athletic career come "full circle"
and it has made me realize how many people
have helped me to accomplish this goal.
I hope to continue ski racing while working
on my PhD in Exercise Science at the University
of Utah.
