Tag: athletes

In the WNBA, Mentorship is Everything – POPSUGAR Australia

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The transition from being a star collegiate athlete to a rookie on a professional team can be rocky, regardless of your sport or your gender.

But in the small and hyper-competitive WNBA (just twelve teams with twelve players each) – that transition can be especially challenging. Often, teams only have capacity to sign one or two rookies per season, if any, leaving those new players swimming in a sea of veterans and without direct peers to confide in.

Plus, there are the many cuts, trades, waives and signings that come with being such a small league. Not to mention, the grueling, compact schedule, and the potential pressure that comes with all the new eyes on the W.

But if you’ve watched enough games, you’ve likely noticed that while the on-the-court play is highly physical, something different – and special – is happening on the sidelines, and in the huddles.

“Our league is a sisterhood,” says Ariel Atkins, a guard for the Washington Mystics since 2018. “It’s a small league, and it creates this system where we really want everyone to succeed.”

The hugs, high-fives and pep talks between veterans and rookies that we witness as fans are just the tip of the iceberg that is the tradition of mentorship in the W – a tradition that doesn’t just help rookies thrive in professional life, but bolsters the league as it grows.

Why Mentorship is So Essential in the WNBA

You’ve probably heard about how important mentorship is for women in fields dominated by men (lack of mentorship opportunities is one reason women have been found to leave such fields, for instance, and though mentorship is linked to many success metrics, fewer women than men report having mentors). And while there’s no denying that the women of the WNBA have been dominating for many years, by the numbers, the league still lags behind the NBA. (See: the huge salary gap, the more-than-double number of NBA teams, and the fact that WNBA teams weren’t even allowed to fly charter until recently.)

Until that changes (we’re getting there), one role of mentorship is to help players fill in the gaps of the sometimes under-resourced league, and to navigate the unique challenges of being a woman in sport. Atkins points out that having so many Black and LGBTQ+ players in the league also makes those mentorship relationships all the more essential, especially as those players often find themselves in positions of advocacy and activism off-the-court. “At the end of the day, as much as it is about mentorship, it’s about supporting the person to the left and to the right of you,” says Atkins.

And while coaches can act as mentors, too, Atkins says that teammate mentors serve the essential purpose of being a resource and a confidant who isn’t also evaluating you. “Your mentor is somebody who is also in the trenches with you,” she says. “They’re running with you, they’re taking hits with you. They’re feeling the same emotions you’re feeling with wins and losses, because at the end of the day, you’re on the court together with the same jersey. It just hits different because you can look to your left or your right and see this person battling with you.”

These rookie-veteran relationships are also key to on-court chemistry, says Atkins, giving rookies the sense of comfort and confidence that allows them to play their best and building the trust between players that leads to basketball magic. “My biggest thing with our rookies and younger players is for them to know that we trust them,” she says. “Because I’ve seen them put the work in.”

Brionna Jones, a forward for the Connecticut Sun since 2017, agrees: “When you have good vets on a team who can help the rookies along, the faster the teams can build that chemistry and build that connection on the court,” she says. “That’s what makes teams more successful.”

What Mentorship in the W Looks Like

When former Villanova star Maddy Siegrist joined the Dallas Wings last year, veteran teammate Natasha Howard helped teach her the “stay ready” mentality that Siegrist says is crucial to thriving in the W. “Things can change in a second, so that mentality is huge,” she says. “You could go from not getting in a game to starting in the next game, which I think is pretty unique to this league.”

Howard also cooked Siegrist dinner when she first joined the team. “That meant so much to me,” says Siegrist. “You’re going from college where you’re a young adult and now you’re a real grown-up. I leaned on my vets a lot for that.”

What any given player needs from a mentor, on or off the court, is highly individual. For instance, Monique Curry taught Atkins a trick to help with her serial fouling, and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt helped her understand that her journey through the league wouldn’t be the same as anyone else’s. Siegrist’s mentors, like Howard and Kalani Brown, taught her to take care of her body – “something I definitely didn’t do as much as I should have in college” – and that more isn’t always more.

For Jones, it was mentors like Alyssa Thomas, Jasmine Thomas and Shekinna Stricklen who encouraged her not to lose her identity as a player as she tried to fit into the system her coaches had designed. “They were always the first ones to cheer me on,” she says.

Mentorship in the W isn’t just limited to teammates, says Atkins. “Something cool about our league is that it’s uber-competitive and insanely physical,” she says. “But at the end of the day, you see people dapping each other up after games. If you have a question about something, about business, medical, anything like that, everybody is super helpful. Young players need to have that comfortability to actually go to people and ask questions.”

A Growing, Changing League

By 2026, the W is expected to have expanded to 14 teams, with the goal of adding two more in the next several years. Those veterans will be key in anchoring their teams and teammates in a time of change, especially as the league will have room for more roster spots, and therefore more rookies. “It’s definitely going to help as we transition, having those people in place to help all the new players coming in get where they need to be,” Jones says.

As for what the growing number of eyes on the league means for the players themselves, and for what they need out of their mentors? “I don’t think it changes anything,” says Atkins. “I just think we need to continue to be who we are.”

Lauren Wingenroth is a freelance journalist covering all things sports, fitness, and the performing arts. In addition to PS, her stories can be found in The New York Times, GQ, Outside magazine, Women’s Running, Well+Good, Dance Magazine, and more.

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August 14, 2024
Team USA’s Sam Watson sets world record in speed climbing, initiates ‘Selfie Olympics’

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New Olympic sports are making their debut at the Paris Games, with Team USA climber Sam Watson setting a new world record in speed climbing and initiating a unique “Selfie Olympics.”Watson said, “I was wondering if I could get a person from all of these different delegations to take a selfie with me.”His idea led him to his own, “Selfie Olympics.” Watson admitted, “I don’t think I’ll get to all 203 because there are some delegations that have already left.”There are 204 nations represented in Paris and Watson is quite proud of one pic he secured.Watson explained, “A member from Tuvalu, which is a tiny island nation. I looked at where they were entered and they were only surfing and sailing. Surfing is Tahiti and sailing is Marseille, so there’s almost no one in Paris.”Watson understands the athletes he’s taking selfies with have different cultural and political views. Watson said, “All of these countries are still human, they’re still Olympians, they’re still competitors, and we still share that, so it is really special to get all this.”Watson, just 18 years old, set a new world record in a qualifying round earlier this week.He’ll compete in the speed climbing medal event on Thursday. The climbing events at the Paris Olympics will conclude on Saturday. When asked about the difference between speed climbing and traditional climbing, climbing coaches likened it to the difference between the 100-meter sprint and the marathon in track and field.

PARIS, IDF —

New Olympic sports are making their debut at the Paris Games, with Team USA climber Sam Watson setting a new world record in speed climbing and initiating a unique “Selfie Olympics.”

Watson said, “I was wondering if I could get a person from all of these different delegations to take a selfie with me.”

His idea led him to his own, “Selfie Olympics.”

Watson admitted, “I don’t think I’ll get to all 203 because there are some delegations that have already left.”

There are 204 nations represented in Paris and Watson is quite proud of one pic he secured.

Watson explained, “A member from Tuvalu, which is a tiny island nation. I looked at where they were entered and they were only surfing and sailing. Surfing is Tahiti and sailing is Marseille, so there’s almost no one in Paris.”

Watson understands the athletes he’s taking selfies with have different cultural and political views.

Watson said, “All of these countries are still human, they’re still Olympians, they’re still competitors, and we still share that, so it is really special to get all this.”

Watson, just 18 years old, set a new world record in a qualifying round earlier this week.

He’ll compete in the speed climbing medal event on Thursday. The climbing events at the Paris Olympics will conclude on Saturday.

When asked about the difference between speed climbing and traditional climbing, climbing coaches likened it to the difference between the 100-meter sprint and the marathon in track and field.

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August 7, 2024
WNBA Star A’ja Wilson Has One Goal: “Be Better” – POPSUGAR Australia

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Photo Credit: Getty / Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP

A’ja Wilson is on fire right now. To summarize the Las Vegas Aces center’s year: She’s averaging a stunning 27.2 points per game, per the WNBA. She was awarded Best WNBA Player and Best Athlete, Women’s Sports at the ESPY Awards. She’s currently playing on Team USA in Paris, and (along with Breanna Stewart) shot back-to-back 20-point games during the Olympics – something that hasn’t been done by a Team USA women’s basketball player since Teresa Edwards in 1988. She’s also the only player – across the men’s and women’s teams – to have multiple double-doubles during the 2024 Games, according to Bleacher Report. As for her work off the court: This year, Wilson released a (New York Times bestselling) book, “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You“. She announced her A’One shoe deal with Nike. She continues to empower children and families with dyslexia through the A’ja Wilson Foundation. Phew.

You’ll notice the range of her accolades. Wilson isn’t just making a big impact on the sport of women’s basketball; she’s also a role model for the next generation. As Tom Brady wrote in her Time “Most Influential People of 2024” profile, “A’ja Wilson is not just an incredible athlete, she is also an inspiration to all who witness her talent and drive. Her journey is a testament to the power of passion and fearlessness in achieving greatness.”

Before heading to Paris to compete in her second Olympic Games, Wilson sat down with PS as part of her participation in a new Gatorade campaign. The campaign remixes the famous Gatorade marketing ad from the ’90s – you know the one, where the biggest athletes of the time were shot sweating Gatorade bullets – and includes the iconic tagline “Is It In You?” The updated ads feature none other than Michael Jordan narrating, an impactful acknowledgement of just how larger-than-life the WNBA talent is.

“I remember growing up and watching these commercials,” Wilson tells PS. “To now [be] a part of it is truly special. When you have someone like Michael Jordan headlining, it’s pretty awesome to say that your name is in that list. You know that name is going to be full of greatness.”

Here, Wilson shares with PS how she stays focused when she’s facing challenges on or off the court, and what message she hopes she’s sharing with her younger fans.

Photo Credit: Gatorade

PS: Coming off of back-to-back championships, sold out games, and all this incredible hype and energy for the WNBA right now, do things feel differently for you and your teammates this season?

A’ja Wilson: No, I feel like we’ve always got this target on our back. It gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger every single year. So, it’s not really too different, but I would honestly say our mindset has been different for greater purposes. And that’s what I love the most. It’s like, we’re not satisfied. With the resume we have and what we’ve done over the two years, we could definitely take a step back and feel entitled and think that every team is gonna roll down and let us win. But that’s not the case. We’re coming in with the mindset of: no, we want it. We want it again. We’re being greedy. We need to go after it and take no plays off. So I’m definitely excited about what’s to come for the Aces.

PS: Could you talk us through any goals you have set for this season?

AW: Just to be better. I always said the main goal for myself is just to be better than I was last year. Either that’s just better and better shape or a better teammate or a better leader or adding different things to my game. I want people to see a different A’ja than they did last year. That’s how we continue to grow – not just for myself, but as a team as well.

PS: I know you mentioned mindset – how do you stay focused and maintain composure?

AW: I do the flip of everything. I get a little loose. I talk to my teammates. We dance a little bit, we may sing a little bit. It’s already a lot of pressure on us going into games. So I relieve that by not thinking about it too much and understanding that it is a game, it is entertainment at the end of the day. And I’m blessed to be able to play it. So I go out there and have fun. I really just shake my shoulders off a little bit, and go out there and just take what the defense gives me and what the game gives me.

I [also] really try to train myself to be in the moment and understand that not every day’s gonna be sunshine and rainbows. They’re gonna be thunderstorms as well. But those thunderstorms do go away and when they do, that’s the time to shine the brightest. That’s where you get that rainbow and you can really flourish into who you are.

So, that’s my approach when I’m on court, off court, in life, anywhere. I don’t want to ever take for granted where I am in life and where I come from.

PS: How do you respond to challenges or any setbacks you might have experienced in your journey?

AW: I do them again. [Laughs] I feel like I’m a little kid that has to test the stove a little bit, to be like, “Is it really that hot?” It’s really that hot. I have to go touch it again, because I’m like, “It wasn’t that hot.” I really don’t like no for an answer. But when I do get that no, I try to understand that maybe that’s not the door that I want to go through, but there are multiple other doors that I can get through. So when it comes to challenges, I attack them head on and know that if it’s meant for me, it’s going to be for me.

PS: Tell us about how you and your team stay inspired and keep the energy high.

AW: We get lit, we get lit. [Laughing.] We’re turning up some music, or constantly cheering each other on.

You don’t know what things people may be going through. And you don’t want to add on to that. We add on to ourselves sometimes. And so for us, we take that off and allow people to be themselves and love them in that – and that’s how I really gain a lot of trust from my teammates and my coaches as well. But we just have fun with what we do. Some people may look at it and be like, “Oh my God, they’re crazy,” or, “It’s fake,” or “It’s for the camera.” But it’s genuine.

PS: I know you had a book come out. What would you say, to maybe someone from the younger generation, who might be struggling to find their voice?

AW: Your voice doesn’t always have to be loud. I feel like a lot of people think you have to have that loud voice, and you have to be commanding everyone in the room. But no, you can be yourself. Your voice can be as faint but it can still be heard because you’re being you. And the people that you love and are true to you will totally understand that. You don’t have to be the loudest or most outspoken. You can be yourself and still make a difference, and make a change, and be kind in that space.

People are so quick to just wanting to be the loudest and the proudest. But in some aspects, you can be yourself and if that’s quiet and at peace, then so be it. That’s my biggest thing with young people is understanding that one, it takes time to find your voice; and two, it doesn’t always have to be the loudest in the room. You can still be your voice at your pace.

PS: Do you have any words of advice for young fans of the WNBA or girls who are playing in high school or other female athletes?

AW: I’ve always said it in my book: give yourself some grace. I feel that’s the biggest thing. It’s just like, be kind to yourself. Yes, be kind to others, but be kind to yourself, because that’s where it really matters.

You never know who’s day you may change. Just know that and have fun in that, make it a good day.

It’s not always gonna be pretty. It’s not always gonna be great, fun, and happy. [So] understand that you can get through those days. Just give yourself some grace.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a Staff Writer, Health & Fitness. A life-long martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength & conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning from George Washington University.

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August 2, 2024
Everyone goes for Olympic gold, but which countries have the most? (22 GIFs)

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July 28, 2024
Controversy surrounds French ban on hijab as 2024 Paris Olympics get underway

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French Olympic sprinter Sounkamba Sylla took to social media days before the 2024 Olympic Games began, saying she would not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony because of her hijab.

“You are selected for the Olympics, organized in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” Sylla wrote on her private Instagram, according to The Associated Press.

The criticism was the latest in an ongoing controversy over France’s rule prohibiting female Muslim athletes from wearing the hijab, or headscarves, during the Olympics. The athletes, while competing for France, are considering civil servants and must adhere to principles of secularism, according to the country’s rules.

French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra later said she’d be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony and the Games by covering her hair in a way that did not appear religious.

An overview of the Trocadero venue with the Eiffel Tower in the background, in Paris, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024.

Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool Photo via AP

Bans on hijab in French sports

Bans on wearing hijab in French sports have applied at all levels, including amateur and youth levels, even outside the Olympics, according to Amnesty International.

There isn’t a national law or policy banning hijabs in sports, but individual sports federations have their own regulations prohibiting the headscarf. Football (soccer), basketball and volleyball are some of the team sports banning them, Anna Blus, a women’s rights and gender justice researcher at Amnesty International, told ABC News.

A ban against wearing the hijab in football was instituted in 2006. In basketball, it began in 2022 and in volleyball in 2023.

“We have documented over the years — (for) around 20 years — measures are being introduced constantly to limit Muslim women’s rights,” Blus said of France.

“There’s definitely been an increase in these types of measures in different areas of life over the past 20 years,” Blus said.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, from United States, waits for match against Olena Kravatska from Ukraine, in the women’s saber individual fencing event at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File

In 2023, France’s highest administrative court sided with the French Football Federation allowing its hijab ban in the sport.

“The reasoning it gave was very, very problematic, because it said that these types of bans like the one in the Football Federation, were legitimate — the justification could be to avoid clashes or confrontation,” Blus said.

“It’s suggesting that clashes or confrontations might occur if someone wears a hijab, and that in order to protect that athlete, she can be banned, and she should be banned from wearing it. It’s extremely problematic,” Blus said.

Basket Pour Toutes, a collective that says it is fighting against discrimination in basketball, said the argument the ban seeks to maintain public order “tends to stigmatize a part of the population which is already the subject of numerous prejudices,” the group said on its website.

Basket Pour Toutes, which translate to “Basketball for all” in English, also said “secularism is not above fundamental freedoms.”

“The (French Federation of Basketball) maintains that the ban on equipment with religious connotations is based on the principle of neutrality which itself derives from the principle of secularism. But this duty of neutrality only applies to public service agents and not to its users,” Basket Pour Toutes wrote.

Since the court decision came out, the Hijabeuses — a collective of female athletes who wear the hijab and had brought the complaint against the Football Federation — have made an application to the European Court of Human rights, which has jurisdiction over France.

Egypt’s Dina Meshref in action at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Their application is still pending and could likely take a couple of years, Blus said.

“Litigation is only one kind of tool that can be used and it takes many years sometimes,” Blus said. “I think there is much more that we can do as human rights organizations and as campaigners to stand against these types of discriminatory measures.”

Human rights groups criticize bans

Human rights groups have called on the International Olympic Committee to publicly ask sporting authorities in France to overturn bans on wearing the hijab in the Olympic Games and at all levels of sport, saying prohibitions are in place across at least six sports.

“The country’s discrimination against women and girls wearing the hijab is particularly concerning given the IOC’s celebration of Paris 2024 as the first ‘Gender Equal Olympics,’” the groups — including Human Rights Watch, Basket Pour Toutes and the World Players Association — wrote in a joint letter to the IOC.

“Women and girls in France who wear the hijab have been and are being prevented from playing multiple sports including football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball and badminton — even at youth and amateur levels. The hijab bans in sports have resulted in many Muslim athletes being discriminated against, invisibilised, excluded and humiliated, causing trauma and social isolation — some have left or are considering leaving the country to seek playing opportunities elsewhere,” the letter said.

Gold medalist Feryal Abdelaziz of Egypt poses during the medal ceremony for women’s kumite +61kg karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

Other athletes, including Diaba Konate, a French basketball player who played for Idaho State and University of California, Irvine up until this past April, have also criticized the ban. Konate said she was kept from being able to play for the French National Team again. She’s not on the French team playing in the Olympics.

“I love basketball, my family, and my faith,” Konate said in an open letter. “It would break my heart to give up any one of those, and yet that is what the current French Federation of Basketball guidelines are forcing me to do.”

Blus said activism among Muslim athletes and activists in France is growing in a very difficult environment.

“It’s really important that big international organizations, such as ours, express their solidarity with Muslim women, because they have very often — really particularly in France, but also in other countries — (been) subject to negative stereotypes, demonization, homogenization of what it might mean to them to wear hijab,” Blus said.

“It’s really a matter of feminist solidarity and of women’s rights and human rights,” Blus said.

Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.

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July 27, 2024
10 Aussie Athletes You Need to Follow at the Paris 2024 Olympics – POPSUGAR Australia

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The 2024 Paris Olympics are just around the corner, and the excitement real. With the Games set to kick off, it’s time to get your cheer squad ready because Australia’s top female athletes are about to light up the French capital. Whether you’re a sports fanatic or just love a good underdog story, these incredible women are going to have you on the edge of your seat.

From cycling sensations to swimming stars, we’ve rounded up nine powerhouse athletes who are ready to go for gold and make their mark on the world stage. As we count down the days to the opening ceremony, get to know these remarkable Aussies who are ready to bring home the glory. Let’s dive into the stories of these phenomenal women who’ll be repping Australia with pride in Paris.

Related: The Dates For the 2024 Summer Olympics Are Set, and the Host City Is a Dream

Australian Athletes to Watch at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Alexa Leary — Swimming

22-year-old Alexa Leary’s story is one of resilience and determination. After a devastating cycling accident in 2021 that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries, Alexa’s journey to recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. This year, she’s set to compete in the Paralympics in the 100m freestyle, proving that her spirit is unbreakable.

Tina Rahimi — Boxing

Tina Rahimi is breaking barriers and making history as Australia’s first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics. The 26-year-old former makeup artist has become a formidable boxer, competing in long sleeves, tights, and a hijab. Moreover, her unique style and powerful punches make her one to watch in Paris, as she aims to show the world that she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Grace Brown — Cycling

Grace Brown is gearing up to make her mark in the cycling world at the Paris Olympics. Known for her exceptional endurance and strategic racing, the 29-year-old has already made waves in the international cycling scene. Her impressive performances at recent World Championships and major races have made her a strong contender for the podium.

Related: Mental Health Was a Hot Topic During the Last Olympics. Has Anything Changed Since Then?

Kaylee McKeown — Swimming

Kaylee McKeown is no stranger to Olympic glory. The 23-year-old swimmer dazzled us all at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she clinched three gold medals. As a result, in Paris, she will compete in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the individual medley. Her impressive track record and determination make her a favourite for more medals this year.

Tyler Wright — Surfing

Tyler Wright is a force to be reckoned with in the world of surfing. Tackling the infamous Teahupo’o wave in Tahiti, known as the heaviest wave in the world, is no small feat. The two-time world champion is known for her incredible resilience and fearless approach to some of the most challenging waves on the planet. In Paris, Wright aims to conquer the waves and bring home gold, showcasing her unparalleled talent and determination.

Ellen Perez — Tennis

Rising tennis star Ellen Perez is one to watch as she heads to Paris. At 25, Perez has already demonstrated her prowess on the court with strong performances in both singles and doubles. Her agility and tactical play make her a formidable competitor, and fans are excited to see what she can achieve on the Olympic stage.

Related: How 9 Olympians Keep Their Nerves in Check Before Competing

Chloe Covell — Skateboarding

At just 14 years old, Chloe Covell is already a force to be reckoned with in the skateboarding world. Last year, she became the youngest gold medalist in the history of the X Games. Now, she’s aiming to become the youngest Australian Olympian to win gold. Keep an eye on this trailblazing skateboarder as she takes on the world’s best in Paris.

Ariarne Titmus — Swimming

Ariarne Titmus, also known as the “Terminator”, made waves at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she won gold in both the 400m and 200m freestyle events. This year, the 23-year-old Queenslander is back to defend her titles and aims to add more medals to her collection by competing in the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle events.

Jessica Fox — Canoeing

Jessica Fox, the reigning Olympic champion in canoe slalom, will defend her title in Paris. At 30, she’s known for her precise technique and mastery in the water. With her previous gold medal and numerous world titles, Fox is a top contender and one of the most exciting athletes to follow.

Rachael ‘Ray-Gun’ Gunn — Breakdancing

Rachael Gunn’s journey to the Olympics is unique and inspiring. Despite starting her competitive breakdancing career in her mid-twenties, she’s now, at 36, making her Olympic debut. Competing against 16 of the world’s best B-girls, Rachael will prove that age is just a number and that passion and dedication can elevate you to the top of your sport.

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July 25, 2024
For Paraclimber Raveena Alli, Growth Sometimes Looks Like Falling – POPSUGAR Australia

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Before getting on the wall in the final round of a paraclimbing competition, 17-year-old Raveena Alli, a climber who’s blind, usually has six minutes to preview the top rope route with her caller, Fernando Vásquez. He tells her how it’ll feel – easy, pumpy, familiar, unfamiliar – and how it’ll flow. He talks her through the resting spots and the cruxes – the hardest moves. When Alli starts climbing, Vásquez gives her the direction, distance, and shape of the next hold through Bluetooth headsets, referencing a clock face and everyday objects: “12 o’clock, close, muffin.”

Vásquez never rushes his calls, matching his tone to Alli’s intentional movement. As she climbs, she engages her biceps to find control, adjusts her feet to find balance, and pushes off from her legs to find power. She loves it when these moves feel natural, but she also likes it when they don’t. In training, Alli will fall on a tricky move a few times before Vásquez gives her more direction. “He’s big into – which I like – having me attempt it, having me fall, because that’s when you really learn most about how your body will respond to your movements,” Alli says. “I would’ve quit a long time ago if I had just always gone to the top, because that’s kind of boring.”

As a member of the Atlanta, Georgia chapter of Team Catalyst, Alli has competed in adaptive climbing both nationally and internationally, moving to the adult field in 2022. She placed third in her international debut at the 2022 Paraclimbing World Cup in Salt Lake City. But when Alli took first at the US Paraclimbing Nationals in 2022 and 2023, there were no other competitors there to claim silver or bronze in the events’ B1 – total blindness – category.

Alli was born with a condition called congenital bilateral anophthalmia, which kept her eyeballs from developing. She’s been totally blind all her life and wears prosthetic eyes, which puts her in B1. It’s hard to find B1 climbers at the highest levels of competition. This dearth of blind peers comes in part from low public awareness of the sport, Alli says. But soon, there will be a global spotlight on paraclimbing: in June 2024, the International Paralympic Committee voted to add the sport to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games. “It fills me with optimism,” Alli tells PS. “It’s a powerful step in the right direction. My greatest hope is that other blind people and other people with unique abilities will say, ‘Oh, look, they can do it, why shouldn’t I be able to?’”

“I would’ve quit a long time ago if I had just always gone to the top, because that’s kind of boring.”

Alli started climbing when she was around 6 years old. Her mother, Hayley, encouraged her to take lessons after she tried the sport during a birthday party at a gym in her hometown of Atlanta. When Alli was 8, she joined Team Pinnacle, which caters to kids of all abilities and is based at Stone Summit Climbing & Fitness Center. Two years later, she joined her current team at the same gym: Team Catalyst, where she met Vásquez, her coach and caller for more than a decade. When they first paired up, Alli was full of energy getting on the wall, Vásquez remembers. “Her whole attitude was like, she wanted to go at it,” he says. “She wanted to go.”

Since then, Vásquez has watched Alli’s climbing mature, as she’s built up her stamina, patience, ability to multitask, and proprioception – a sense of your body in space. Alli worked on these skills over time, but she’s always easily interpreted Vásquez’s calls, he says: “Throughout the years, it’s gotten to the point where I can just give her a string of information and she will nail it.”

For Alli, climbing is about growth, and growth comes from falling. “Growth looks like those moments where I don’t quite make it,” she says. “Even when I do, it’s really about: What did I learn about my body on this climb? Or how did my coach and I learn to collaborate better as a team? It’s really just being able to take every climb and think, ‘What did I learn from this?’”

Alli doesn’t consider herself the fiercest competitor. At most events, she’s just happy to have an outlet for focusing on her own growth as a climber and to meet other differently abled athletes. But since she’s begun competing nationally, Alli has found she’s not only the rare B1 climber, but also the rare teenager among older athletes.

She and her mother point to climbing’s costs and hesitation toward a lesser-known sport as barriers to entry for youth. Competitive climbers and their families pay for specialized gear, gym memberships, and national or international travel. And because blind and low vision climbing isn’t well known, parents may not have a clear concept of the sport’s relatively safe practice of top roping on routes set for static movement.

That’s where the Paralympics come in. Exposure by way of the biggest stage in sports could drive up participation and usher in resources, says John Muse, vice president of sport at USA Climbing. “When sport climbing became part of the Olympics, it shifted things in the US,” Muse says. “There was a lot of excitement around it and increased interest in competition rock climbing. Paraclimbing is going to see the same influx.”

When Alli competed at the 2023 IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships in Bern, Switzerland, she had a taste of the community that comes with taking part in international competitions. She was able to meet more B1 athletes and other climbers from around the world. Alli listened to their varying strategies for hard moves.

In fact, one of her favorite moments was waiting in isolation with her competitors before climbing. “That’s when you can really feel the energy,” Alli says. “There is a genuinely encouraging energy of: we’re competing, but we’re all in this together.”

Alli hopes for more of that connection throughout her competitive climbing career. She plans to compete for as long as she can, and one day, she’d like to mentor young adaptive climbers.

After graduating from Atlanta Girls’ School in May, Alli now works for the Partnership for Southern Equity and is studying at Georgia Tech. She hopes to bring her experiences moving through the education system as student who’s blind to a career advancing social justice and equity. Alli wants to find ways to fill the system’s gaps in training and services for differently-abled students. She has similar hopes for her sport: “The goal now is just to spread the education, spread the knowledge, and hopefully get more uniquely abled people involved,” Alli says.

Suzie Hodges is a freelance writer drawn to stories in science, environmental conservation, and outdoor sports. In addition to POPSUGAR, her work has appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors, and The Daily Beast. Previously, she was a writer at an environmental conservation organization called Rare and at the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.

Related: These 3 Women Climbers Overcame Surgery, Grief, and Self-Doubt to Make Rock-Climbing History

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July 12, 2024
How Gabby Thomas Handles the Pressure Of Being the Next Big Thing In Track – POPSUGAR Australia

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At the age of 27, New Balance athlete Gabby Thomas has racked up a lifetime’s worth of accomplishments. She’s a Harvard University graduate, a two-time Olympic medalist (in the 200 meter and the 4 x 100 meter relay), a World Champion (in the same track and field events), and an NCAA Champion.

Any one of these feats would be considered impressive; taken together, they’re almost unbelievable. To go the extra mile: as an undergrad at Harvard, Thomas studied neurobiology and global health. During those same years, she set the school and Ivy League records in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the indoor 60 meters. Thomas won 22 conference titles in six different events during just three years of college track and field, before she ultimately forwent her last year of college eligibility to go pro with New Balance.

Not to mention, she went on to get a master’s degree in epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Austin).

To say that Thomas’s schedule must have been busy during her college years would be an understatement. But the truth is, in 2014, after her sophomore collegiate track season, Thomas found herself on the cusp of burnout and struggling with the idea of powering through her junior year track season.

“I had gotten to a place in my college career where I felt like I had given so much to track. I was feeling a little bit less whole in other areas of my life,” Thomas tells PS, acknowledging that being a college athlete “can be very intense . . . It requires so much from you in terms of discipline, energy, and mindset,” she says.

This was all happening in the mid-2010s, when high-profile athletes weren’t having the types of conversations about mental health that they are today. It was still years away from Naomi Osaka skipping a press conference to protect her mental health; Simone Biles withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics while battling “the twisties;” Michael Phelps opening up about his experience with depression.

Without the examples of other athletes to follow, Thomas ended up following her own instincts. And they were telling her to make a bold choice: to say yes to studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal for a semester, even though that meant missing summer regionals, NCAA national championships, and the USA Championships – the track and field competitions that had, until that point, defined her college experience.

While many student athletes may hesitate to study abroad for an entire semester – and risk missing out on competitions and events and falling behind on training – Thomas says Harvard was uniquely encouraging.

“Thankfully I was at Harvard, which is a place that kind of encourages self-discovery in other avenues, and so I didn’t have to worry about losing and sacrificing scholarship money, or my coach holding a grudge forever, or people wondering what I was doing,” she tells PS. “That said, my coach was not excited about it! But he accepted it and he understood where I was coming from.”

Thomas still felt apprehensive about the choice she was making. She took an entire summer off training, one of her longest breaks ever. What if she lost her fitness? Would she come back and lag way behind her training partners? Or more pressingly: What if she lost her emotional edge? What if she loved not being a track athlete so much that she couldn’t recommit when it was time to come home?

But she knew “if I was going to have longevity in the sport, I needed that breathing room. I needed to be able to let things go,” she tells PS. “We sacrificed a lot for track – whatever you love, you sacrificed a lot for it. And so I needed that [time] for me.”

Ultimately, she credits the time abroad as providing the mental reset she needed to continue dominating in track and field, eventually setting the table for her entry into professional track and field.

“I think that trip really helped me with my track career at the end of the day, because I came back from it feeling very refreshed. By the time I came back, I was really happy with my life and what I was doing, so I was really excited to get back to Harvard, go to school, and go back to the track and get to training. And I don’t think it was a coincidence that literally that next season I ended up winning NCAAs and breaking the collegiate record,” Thomas says.

“I just think I needed that time to really reflect on what I wanted in my life and what I wanted to do. And that’s why I feel like having that balance is so important. You need to really be enjoying the entirety of your life and really have the sense of purpose to have success in what you’re doing. And I really found that just by taking that break and going abroad,” she adds.

Years later and with even more accolades and degrees under her belt, Thomas is able to look back at the choice that felt so monumental and potentially disastrous at the time with fondness. She can also see she’s continued to choose “balance” over and over again, throughout her career.

She talks about living between two worlds that she tries to integrate as much as possible. “I have my track world, and those are my teammates, my coaches, and people who are in that elite sports world and understand what it takes. Those are people you can confide in, hang out with, and do things that are appropriate for your lifestyle. And it’s really helpful to have that sense of community,” she says.

The other world includes everyone else. And while her non-athlete friends may not understand her lifestyle as well, they’re just as crucial for her mental health. “You need those types of people that remind you to not take life too seriously, and are a refreshing reset from that world. So having both and being able to split my time with them is just really helpful,” she says.

Make no mistake, Thomas’s schedule as a Team USA track and field athlete during an Olympics year is about as jam-packed as you can imagine. Her training is intense, and the mental pressure is on. But she remains committed to truly listening to herself on what balance looks like for her. “You need to really be enjoying the entirety of your life and really have the sense of purpose to have success in what you’re doing,” Thomas says. “As long as you are happy and loving what you’re doing and passionate about it, then you will find success.”

Sierra Chanell Patrick is a former dual-sport Division I collegiate athlete turned writer, producer, and digital strategist. You may also recognize Sierra from hosting a variety of content for POPSUGAR, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hearst Media, and more.

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May 24, 2024
What’s Going On With the Leotards in Women’s Gymnastics? – POPSUGAR Australia

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The leotards in women’s sports are playing a dangerous game. As female athletes continue to break down barriers and rake in record-high ratings, their outfits seem to grow smaller and smaller. It’s a trend that appears to affect several branches of women’s sports – from swimming to track-and-field – but it’s sparking the most conversation in women’s college gymnastics.

“Why do the college gymnastics girls not have to wear leotards that fit, and why don’t they have to wear GK briefs under their leo?” asked content creator and former gymnastics coach BayouBrandi on TikTok, referring to the high-cut briefs often worn under leotards. Commenters said they’d also noticed this progressive sexualization in women’s sports, noting that there’s a difference between an outfit you pick out yourself (like a bikini at the beach), and an outfit designed for you. “I’ve literally opted out of certain sports [because] of how exposing the uniform is,” one commenter wrote. In fact, a study published in the journal Sport, Education and Society found that 75 percent of the women surveyed had seen girls drop out of school sports due to concerns about uniforms or body image.

While we support women in whatever they feel most comfortable wearing, personal autonomy is a component that seems to be missing here. In the NCAA, leotards are primarily designed by the individual coaches and their leotard reps, according to College Gym News. Assistant coaches keep an eye on trends and dig up inspiration on social media, possibly talking to the athletes about their preferences. But otherwise, NCAA leotard regulations are relatively vague, saying that “a student-athlete must wear a one-piece leotard and is allowed to wear any undergarments that are the same color of the leotard or are skin tone in color.”

When you consider that these young women athletes lack any significant agency over what they wear (beyond a casual conversation with their assistant coach), the discourse around their leotards feels especially one-sided. And as former college gymnast Natalie Wojcik pointed out in a recent TikTok, the leotards aren’t the only issue. Her video highlighted a slew of comments she had received on social media, all of which discussed the skimpiness of her leotard rather than her athletic prowess. “Being a woman in sports is hard sometimes,” she captioned the post. “I am a 23 year old woman. My body is different than when I was a kid,” she replied to another comment, remarking that not all leotards have changed, but the bodies wearing them have.

On an Olympic level, women’s leotards have also been used as a political statement. In 2021, German gymnasts wore full-length unitards to the Tokyo Games in order to push against the rampant sexualization in women’s gymnastics. “We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and we [want to] show everyone that they can wear whatever they want and look amazing, feel amazing,” said German gymnast Sarah Voss. This push for empowerment was especially powerful given gymnastics’s history of sexual abuse, setting the tone for more female athletes to wear what they truly feel best in.

Beyond gymnastics, in 2021, the Norwegian women’s beach handball team was fined for refusing to play in bikinis, eventually causing the rule to change. And more recently, the US track-and-field world had a polarizing leotard moment after some of the kits for the 2024 Paris Olympics went viral. While the male uniform included a tank and briefs, the featured option for the women’s uniform was essentially a leotard with little-to-no coverage around the gusset. “Wait my hoo haa is gonna be out,” commented Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall. The long jumper has since stated at the Team USA Media Summit that the leotards don’t looks as drastic in person, plus there are other options for women athletes to wear, including shorts – but that doesn’t take away from the larger conversation.

“I’ve never been consulted in the design,” Davis-Woodhall said during a roundtable interview including PS at the media summit in April. “For the next Olympics, let’s go ask the athletes. How do you feel when you compete in our uniforms?” Davis-Woodhall added. “All women’s bodies are different and I say the same thing for men. Let’s make the uniforms for the people instead of for the views of ‘Oh, this is gonna look cool on TV.’ Well, that might not look cool on my body. So let’s just adapt to the athletes instead of a show,” she told the group.

Whether or not you believe the outfits in women’s sports are getting smaller, athletes are there to compete, and their uniforms should serve as an asset, not a point of discomfort. We can start by including athletes in the design process in a more meaningful way, listening to their preferences (be it tinier leos or full-on unitards), so that they can perform to the best of their ability. All women in sports deserve to be dressed like champions, but that can’t happen until the athletes actually feel comfortable in the outfits they’re competing in. And yes, for some athletes that might mean adding a little more coverage.

– Additional reporting by Alexis Jones

Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for POPSUGAR Health & Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she overshares on the internet, creating content about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.

Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.

Related: The WNBA Deserves Pay Equity. Here’s What That Actually Means.

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April 26, 2024
How Much Protein Is Too Much? Wrong Question.

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One of the key articles of faith of modern sports nutrition is that your body can only use a certain amount of protein at a time. Opinions differ on what that amount is. It might be as little as 20 grams; it might be as much as 40 grams, particularly for older adults whose bodies are less sensitive to the muscle-growth-stimulating effects of protein. Maybe it needs to be expressed relative to body size, like 0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight, rather than as a fixed number. Those details don’t matter here; the point is that there’s a maximum.

The reason that’s important is that most North Americans eat lots of protein, but don’t spread it evenly throughout the day. A typical pattern might be 10 to 15 grams at breakfast and lunch, then 65 grams or more at dinner. That means that at breakfast and lunch, you’re not getting enough protein to max out the synthesis of new muscle protein. At dinner, on the other hand, you’re getting too much, so the excess will simply be burned for energy. The better solution, according to this logic, is to smooth out your protein consumption so that you’re getting at least 20 grams (or 40 or 0.4 grams per kilogram or whatever) at each meal, adding a protein-rich snack sometime during the day, and perhaps even another one right before bed.

That’s the conventional wisdom. So a recent study in Cell Reports Medicine from researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, led by noted muscle physiologist Luc van Loon (whose vivid, no-nonsense advice I’ve written about previously), has generated plenty of buzz. In short, van Loon’s new data suggests there’s no upper limit on protein after all, and that huge doses of protein—they use 100 grams in the study, because that’s about how much protein they figured they could eat at a barbecue without force-feeding themselves—produce proportionately larger increases in the formation of new muscle.

A Unique Kind of Protein Study

The study involved 36 volunteers split into three groups. They each did a one-hour weight-training workout and then immediately downed a drink containing either 0, 25, or 100 grams of protein. The protein came from the milk of a Holstein cow that the researchers injected with a special carbon isotope tracer. This meant that one of the amino acids in the milk had a slightly different chemical form than usual, enabling the researchers to track the progress of the protein drink as it was digested and incorporated into new muscle proteins in the subjects’ bodies. (I once interviewed one of van Loon’s postdocs about an earlier “glowing cow” experiment, and he described the unexpected responsibilities he had to take on: “My job was to talk to them, brush them, and basically keep them in a good mood,” he recalled. “If the animal becomes stressed, milk production declines, so we treated them like princesses.”)

Anyway, the next part of the experiment basically involved sitting around for 12 hours and taking a bunch of blood samples and muscle biopsies to figure out what was happening in the subjects’ muscles following the exercise-protein combo. That combination is important: both resistance exercise and eating protein boost the formation of new muscle protein, but putting them together within a window of four to six hours produces a muscle-building effect that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The full suite of measurements and analysis is extremely complex (and free to read about, if you’re interested), but the most important parameter is how much new muscle protein is being synthesized, because that’s what (more or less) dictates how much muscle you’ll gain over time.

There are two key things about the study. One is the time frame: most previous studies only monitored muscle protein synthesis for six hours or less, so 12 hours provides a much longer window for the effects of a big protein dose to show up. The second is the protein dose: previous studies topped out at 45 grams, so it may have been hard to see big differences compared to, say, 20 or 30 grams.

Here’s the key result, showing protein synthesis over the 12 hours following the workout and protein drink. Black circles are the 100-gram group; grey circles are the 25-gram group; and white circles are the 0-gram control group:

The effect of more protein isn’t subtle. (Photo: Cell Reports Medicine)

The effect isn’t subtle: the 100-gram group is getting way more protein synthesis than the 25-gram group right away. And the biggest difference comes after the six-hour (i.e. 360-minute) mark: by that point, the 25-gram group is back to baseline, while the 100-gram group still hasn’t gone back to baseline even after 12 hours. The extra protein synthesis isn’t exactly proportional—that is, four times more protein doesn’t give you four times the synthesis—but it’s substantial.

What the New Protein Findings Mean for Athletes

There’s a straightforward conclusion here, which is that the idea of a maximum protein dose—at least, one at 40 grams or less—was wrong. You always want to be cautious about chucking away a whole bunch of seemingly settled science on the basis of a single study. But this study seems solid, and it has identified some clear gaps—in duration and protein dose—in the earlier studies that it’s overturning. So let’s assume for now that it’s correct. The question, then, is what it means for how athletes should eat.

For practical purposes, the real apples-to-apples comparison would have been 100 grams of protein versus four doses of 25 grams spaced four hours apart. Which pattern would produce more protein synthesis in that comparison? Nobody knows at this point. There are a bunch of other reasons that I’ll be sticking with three meals a day, including the fact that I really enjoy all my meals. As an endurance athlete, I’m also as conscious of my carbohydrate supply as I am of protein. And even for protein and muscle-building, there are lots of unanswered questions—like whether you’d need to time your workout around your 100-gram protein bomb. If I lift weights in the morning then get all my protein in the evening, or vice-versa, does that still work?

There are certainly people who are into the one-meal-a-day thing, and for these people this is an important result. In their discussion, van Loon and his colleagues note that their findings suggest that time-restricted feeding shouldn’t necessarily lead to muscle loss. For me, the main takeaway is that it’s probably not as important as I once thought to spread my protein perfectly throughout the day. That won’t change how I actually eat, because getting 25 grams of protein at every single meal has always been more aspiration than reality—but at least I’ll feel less guilty about it.

For more Sweat Science, join me on Threads and Facebook, sign up for the email newsletter, and check out my book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

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April 18, 2024
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Sued For More Than $10 Million For Dallas Six-Car Crash Involving Lamborghini He Was Driving

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Rashee Rice’s legal troubles continue from his involvement in a Dallas six-car pile-up because two of the victims are suing the Kansas City Chiefs player for more than $10 million.

Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty

As BOSSIP previously reported, authorities determined Rice owned a Corvette that was wrecked in the crash. Rice later apologized for his role in the incident. He admitted to driving the now-totaled Lamborghini. Police discovered both luxury cars abandoned on the highway after dashcam footage showed them initiating the highway high-speed chain reaction.

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Now, Edvard Petrovskiy and Irina Gromova are suing Rice for allegedly causing their serious injuries in the crash. In addition to Rice, the suit names his friend, SMU football player Theodore Knox as the alleged driver of Rice’s Corvette.

According to TMZ, the plaintiffs accuse Rice and Knox of recklessly racing the sports cars, losing control, and colliding with other vehicles. Petrovskiy and Gromova want more than $10 million for damages.

They claim the March 30 collisions left them with brain trauma, internal bleeding, deep lacerations, and other injuries. The lawsuit also seeks the eight-figure sum for the resulting medical bills and property damage.

Petrovskiy and Gromova claim the pile-up left multiple people “severely injured, bleeding, and visibly distressed.” The complaint states that despite this, neither of the ballers checked on victims before leaving the scene. The recent Super Bowl champ offered to make the other motorists whole when he took responsibility. However, he probably didn’t expect that to cost $10 million.

Honoring his agreement to cooperate with cops, he and Knox turned themselves in following warrants issued for their arrest. The men each face one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, one count of aggravated assault, and six counts of collision involving injury.

Dallas PD released Rice and Knox on bond shortly after their arrests last week.

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April 15, 2024
No, the Hate Angel Reese Keeps Getting Isn’t “Normal” – POPSUGAR Australia

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Angel Reese appeared on billboards in New York City for her Reebok endorsement. Flau’jae Johnson signed a rap contract with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and an apparel deal with Puma. Mikaylah Williams recently inked a deal with Jordan Brand. And several other Louisiana State University women’s basketball team players as well – a squad mainly made of Black collegiate athletes – have excelled just as strongly in the outside world as they have on the court. Witnessing it all has ushered in a new era of Black Girl Magic for myself and many other Black women I know.

It’s the same joy and insane pride I felt as a Black woman when Reese and her team won the NCAA tournament last year with their edges completely intact, when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman and Black vice president in 2021, and when I screamed front row as Beyoncé became the first Black woman to headline Coachella back in 2018. Things are changing. Awareness is growing. In each of these iconic moments, I thought: people are celebrating us, and soon marginalized communities will no longer be marginalized.

But similarly to last year’s hard-earned win, LSU’s celebration has been short-lived during this year’s March Madness tournament. Instead of relishing in their success and additional fame, Reese and the rest of the team’s experience has been marked and stained with discrimination, misogyny, and racism.

“I’ve been through so much. I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened,” Reese said tearfully in a post-game interview after their 94-87 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday night, which took LSU out of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

“I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats.”

Reese was referring to the public’s relentless interest in attacking her every move. You might remember how she was ridiculed last year for throwing up John Cena’s infamous “you can’t see me” gesture to Hawkeyes star player Caitlin Clark while pointing to her own ring finger to indicate where the championship ring would land. More recently, The Los Angeles Times, which primarily covers UCLA sports, received backlash for an opinion piece that stated LSU is “seemingly hellbent on dividing women’s college basketball” and that Reese is a “taunter.”

But despite the media painting a picture of Reese as a villain who is undeserving of praise, the people who take the time to get to know her are continuing to back her. In the post-game interview, Johnson strongly defended her teammate: “Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’t know her. I know the real Angel Reese, and the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person. But the crown she wears is heavy.” Teammate Hailey Van Lith also came to her defense and said, “I think Angel is one of the toughest people I’ve been around. People speak hate into her life. I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her, and it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day. She lives her life every day.”

While sisterhood is a beautiful necessity (and I’m happy to see Reese’s teammates stand up for her), the support needs to go more mainstream. In addition to blatant racism, it seems much of the public has failed to realize Reese is a 21-year-old woman. And the most intense bashing of someone so young has come from the likes of white, middle-aged men. It’s the David Portnoys of the world who can shamelessly rattle off “classless piece of shit,” or white sports commentators like Keith Olbermann who utter, “What a fucking idiot.”

History has taught Black athletes, especially women, to be strong and hold their head high amid adversity. “There are so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time,” Reese said on Monday night. “I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them.” The fact that Reese and other Black athletes feel they need to curb their emotions, trash-talking skills, and other elements of the game exemplifies the double standards placed on Black women athletes. As writer Sumiko Wilson recently put it: “When Black women use their voices, the lightheartedness tends to disappear and the professional consequences and impact to their reputations can be significant. So who is actually allowed to engage?”

Reese and many other Black women athletes are symbols of hope for me, Black women, and many other misrepresented communities. What she does on the court is a reflection of what can be achieved for those of us who are so often othered. And to continuously overlook her talent and humanity because of her skin color is a disservice to our hard, tireless battle toward equality for Black women athletes.

Although I am glad that women’s sports viewings have gone up significantly in the last decade – with more new fans understanding that women’s athleticism can be just as exciting as their men counterparts’ – I am growing very weary waiting for the majority to come around. Reese, like so many Black people in the eye of discrimination, is determined to turn the other cheek and take one for the team. “I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that,” she said. “Hopefully the little girls that look up to me, hopefully I give them some type of inspiration.”

Black women, like all other people, should have the freedom to show up how they choose, despite preconceived standards that have not been set by them. For Black people, our unwavering resilience is the byproduct of this constant adversity. Although I too take pride in this character trait, I wait with eager anticipation for the day where navigating the sports world doesn’t force us to show our resilience.

As Reese concluded for us all: “Hopefully it’s not this hard and all the things that come at you, but keep being who you are, keep waking up every day, keep being motivated, staying who you are, staying 10 toes down, don’t back down and just be confident.”

Natasha Marsh is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Prior to freelancing, she held styling staff positions at The Wall Street Journal, Burberry, Cosmopolitan Magazine, British GQ, and Harpers Bazaar.

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April 2, 2024
LeBron James Fast Facts | CNN

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Here’s a look at the life of basketball player LeBron James.

Birth date: December 30, 1984

Birth place: Akron, Ohio

Birth name: LeBron Raymone James

Father: Anthony McClelland

Mother: Gloria James

Marriage: Savannah (Brinson) James (September 2013-present)

Children: Zhuri Nova, Bryce Maximus and LeBron Jr.

James also played football in high school.

Runs a non-profit organization called The LeBron James Family Foundation, which helps children in his hometown area.

Co-founder of production company SpringHill Entertainment.

Has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013).

Has been to the NBA All-Star Game every year since 2005.

Named the NBA Finals MVP four times (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020).

Is nicknamed “King James.”

Is the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points.

Has played for the US national team in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics. They won gold in 2008 and 2012.

Owned a very small stake in Beats Electronics, which was sold to Apple, Inc. for $3 billion in June 2014, reportedly netting him around $30 million in cash and stocks.

James and a host of other Black athletes and artists founded the political organization More Than A Vote in the run-up to the 2020 election, providing James and others with a vehicle to help register Black voters and turn them out in the November election.

2000 – Helps lead high school team to the state championship. They won the championship three of the four seasons he played.

February 18, 2002 – James is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the words, “The Chosen One.”

June 26, 2003 – Is chosen No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA draft.

2004 – Earns the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as NBA Rookie of the Year.

August 2004 – Makes his first Olympics appearance for the US national team.

November 27, 2004 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 2,000 points in their career.

February 8, 2005 – Is named a starter for the NBA’s Eastern Conference All-Star Team.

February 19, 2006 – Is named to the All-Star Team again and becomes the youngest MVP of the game.

July 10, 2010 – Announces he is leaving the Cavaliers to become part of the Miami Heat.

June 21, 2012 – The Miami Heat win the NBA Finals, marking James’ first championship.

January 16, 2013 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points.

June 24, 2014 – Chooses to become a free agent.

July 11, 2014 – James tells Sports Illustrated that he’ll leave the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

December 7, 2015 – Nike confirms that it has signed a lifetime deal with James.

June 19, 2016 – The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in a deciding Game 7 to win the NBA Championship. James is unanimously named the Finals MVP; his performance helps the Cavaliers capture the first major sports championship that a Cleveland team has won since 1964.

May 25, 2017 – James passes Michael Jordan as the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 5,995 points. Jordan’s record of 5,987 held for 20 years.

May 31, 2017 – Police tell CNN that a racist slur was spray-painted on the front gate of James’ Los Angeles home. At a press conference in Oakland, California, James comments on the state of race relations in the United States. “No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough.”

January 23, 2018 – Becomes the seventh, and youngest, player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

June 29, 2018 – James decides not to pick up his option for next season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple reports.

July 1, 2018 – James, now a free agent, agrees to a four-year, $154M contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a press release from his agency.

July 30, 2018 – James’ foundation teams with the Akron Public Schools system to open a school that supports at-risk children. Third and fourth graders will make up the inaugural class at the I Promise School, with plans to expand to first through eighth grade by 2022.

November 4, 2019 – James announces that a historic apartment building in Akron, Ohio, is being renovated and turned into transitional housing for families in need at his I Promise School, so students have a stable place to live while they get their education.

August 11, 2020 – “I Promise,” a children’s book written by James, is published.

October 11, 2020 – After the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Miami Heat, James becomes the first player in NBA history to be named NBA Finals MVP with three different teams.

March 16, 2021 – It is announced that Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, has added James as a partner. It becomes official on March 31.

July 16, 2021 – “Space Jam: A New Legacy” premieres, in which James plays intergalactic basketball with the Looney Tunes.

November 21, 2021 – James is ejected during a game against the Detroit Pistons after making contact with Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face. The ejection is only the second in James’ career – the first coming in 2017 for comments made to a referee. Both players are suspended the next day – James for one game and Stewart for two.

March 19, 2022 – Passes Karl Malone (36,928 career points) on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, to become second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).

August 17, 2022 – James signs a new two-year contract with the Lakers, worth $97.1 million, making him the highest-earning NBA player ever.

February 7, 2023 – James breaks the NBA’s all-time scoring record, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar.

January 25, 2024 – James is named to his 20th NBA All-Star Game, passing Abdul-Jabbar for most of all time.

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January 26, 2024
What Exactly Is Pickleball, Everyone’s New Favorite Racquet Sport? – POPSUGAR Australia

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If you’ve previously ignored pickleball because of its funny name or the fact that your parents were the ones asking for pickleball gifts over the holidays, it’s time to get properly acquainted. The sport is on a rocket ship, rising in popularity thanks in large part to the pandemic. In fact, pickleball has been named the “fastest-growing sport in America” for the second year in a row, according to The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2022 report. And as of August 2022, Google searches for “pickleball” reached an all-time high.

But . . . what is pickleball, exactly? We get into the details below, but the short answer is that it’s a mash-up of ping-pong, badminton, and tennis. And while the average age of a pickleball player was 43.5 years old in 2019, in the midst of the pandemic, it began to catch on among a younger crowd. Now, the biggest age group of pickleball players is 18 to 34 years old, according to USA Pickleball, the governing body of the sport. It’s also attraction attention from top-tier athletes, like LeBron James and Tom Brady.

“We’re all still learning and discovering new aspects of the game every day, and that’s so exciting,” Catherine Parenteau, one of the top-ranked professional women pickleball players, says. “The growth of the sport in the past two years has been incredible, and I can’t wait to see where it is in five.”

If you’re not already a pickleball fan, hopefully by now you’re at least curious about the sport. We’ve gathered everything you need to know about pickleball, including how to play pickleball, why it’s called pickleball, and how pickleball scoring works.

What Is Pickleball and Why Is It So Popular?

Pickleball is a racquet sport played by either singles or doubles on a court (similar to a tennis court, but a quarter of the size) with paddles and a badminton net. You hit the ball back and forth over the net, trying to score points against your opponent.

Pickleball is shockingly easy to pick up – even for those who haven’t played racquet sports – and you can play as casually or as intensely as you like. Because it’s so accessible and also played in groups, there’s a really engaging social element, too. There are even venues popping up that tap into that, pairing pickleball courts with a full-service bar (think: Topgolf, but for pickleball), as well as resorts that cater to pickleball-focused travelers, says Laura Gainor, founder of Vossberg Gainor, a pickleball marketing agency that works with USA Pickleball.

“That’s why everyone loves this game and why it’s growing so much, because it has such a fun, social atmosphere,” says Gainor. “Plus, you’re getting exercise, but you don’t really realize it . . . the game’s easy to learn, and so it’s fairly easy, no matter what level you are, to have a good time.”

Gainor, who picked up pickleball in 2019, now plays quad-generational pickleball with both her parents, grandparents, and her kids – living proof of the wide audience that pickleball can attract.

Related: Game, Set, Match! We Found 16 of the Cutest Tennis Clothes

“At first, there was this stigma that it was a retirement community sport, a senior citizen sport, but we’re really quickly getting over that – and in the past three years, it’s really picked up,” says Gainor. “I’ve stopped getting comments about that because people are seeing that it is an athletic sport.”

Case in point: you can play competitively. There’s a series of qualifiers that can grant you admission to the National Championships, which are played in Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs, CA, in November. There are also two pro pickleball tours as well as the newly formed MLP league, which is expanding from 12 to 16 teams. And even if you’re not pro-level good, you can play in local pickleball tournaments in your area.

The growing popularity of the sport among millennials and Gen Zers, especially, has given rise to a sort of “pickleball aesthetic,” too – like “tenniscore” fashion but a bit more whimsical (just like the game itself). Brands like Nettie Pickleball Co., Recess Pickleball, Luxe Pickleball, and Picklish Pickleball are bringing trendy prints and updated style to pickleball gear, while Real Dill Pickleball Clubs does the same to entire pickleball venues, and Civile Apparel and Devereaux aim to level up pickleball fashion.

“The sport feels a lot more ‘real’ now, in a way, because there’s a lot more money coming into the sport than there was a few years ago,” Parenteau says. “And people are playing professional pickleball as a career now, where three or four years ago, it was more of just a fun hobby. Players are starting to take it more seriously.”

Why Is It Called Pickleball?

Pickleball’s origin story is just as quirky as its name: In 1965, on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, three dads were tasked with keeping their kids entertained, according to USA Pickleball. Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum cooked up a new game using handmade equipment and simple rules pulled from other sports – and somehow, it stuck.

But why is it called pickleball? Like most urban legends, there’s no clear answer. In the early years of play, the sport had no official name; it wasn’t until it grew in popularity that it became known as pickleball. Joel Pritchard’s wife, Joan, says she started calling the game pickleball because, “the combination of different sports reminded [her] of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats,” according to USA Pickleball. However, according to McCallum, the game was named after the Pritchards’ dog, Pickles, who would often chase the ball. Other people claim both stories may be true.

How to Play Pickleball, and How Does Pickleball Scoring Work?

Pickleball is played on a 20′ by 44′ court; you can find pickleball-specific courts in certain tennis or recreation centers, but it can also be played on a tennis court, badminton court, volleyball court, or basketball court as long as the correct markings are present (whether painted or taped on temporarily), according to USA Pickleball.

The game is played with a lightweight plastic ball with holes (very similar to a Wiffle ball) and paddles (similar to ping-pong paddles, but a bit larger and more rectangular).

The basic rules of pickleball are as follows:

Players serve underhand or via a “drop serve” from the right side of the court. Paddle contact with the ball must be made below waist level.

After a serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it. Then, the serving team must let it bounce once before returning.

After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke). If the ball bounces more than once on either side of the court, it is a fault (any rule violation that stops play).

A point can be scored only by the serving team when the receiving team makes a fault, such as hitting the ball out of bounds or missing a return shot. If the serving team makes the fault, the other team then gets to serve, but they do not earn a point off the fault.

If a point is scored (by the serving team), the server switches sides. This means if the serving team scores a point off the first volley, the server will initiate their next serve from the left side of the court. That server continues switching back and forth after each point until they make a fault and it’s the other team’s turn to serve. That team can serve from whichever side the server happens to be on.

The non-volley zone (aka “the kitchen”) is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net. You are not allowed to volley the ball from within this area. If you do so, it’s a fault.

Games are normally played to 11 points, and you must win by 2.

While this all sounds a little confusing, fans attest to the fact that it’s incredibly easy to pick up once you’re playing. You can read more detailed rules and official competition rules on USA Pickleball.

The Mind-Body Benefits of Playing Pickleball

Pickleball will make you feel like a serious athlete – all while you’re having fun and getting a pretty good workout.

“Pickleball significantly improves cardiovascular health,” says Katie Easter, pickleball coordinator at Life Time Bloomington North. “It has a much lower impact on the body than other racquet sports.” That’s in part because the court is much smaller and thus requires less running and also because the ball moves slower. “You gain also strength and agility playing pickleball, as it utilizes a lot of muscles and changes in direction,” she says.

The American Council on Exercise conducted a small study of the effects of pickleball on middle-aged and older adults (age 40 to 85 years) and found that in just 15 minutes of pickleball play, the participants’ heart rates easily reached the threshold of moderate-intensity exercise and even peaked into the vigorous-intensity range. After six weeks of playing pickleball for 60 minutes, three times a week, the researchers saw improvements in cardiometabolic markers including cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

That said, “the intensity of a Pickleball match is really up to the participants,” wrote the researchers – so if you’re a beginner or need to take it slower, you absolutely can.

Aside from the physical benefits, pickleball can also positively impact your mental health, Easter says. “It can lighten your mood and make you feel happier, and it can also lower your risk of dementia. The social interaction that comes with pickleball is good for your brain.”

How to Play Pickleball For Beginners

“One of the reasons I love pickleball is because it’s easy to pick up, even if you’ve never played any sports before,” Parenteau says. “You can play with all ages, too. (For example, I can play with my grandfather.) And it’s inexpensive to play!”

To get started, you’ll need some solid pickleball gear, too, including some solid pickleball shoes, a wood or composite pickleball paddle (find them on Amazon, at a sporting goods store, such as Dick’s, or at a local racquet sports store near you), and a few pickleball balls, which will run you about $10 for a three-pack on Amazon.

To find a place to play pickleball near you, head to places2play.org. Or grab a portable pickleball net from USA Pickleball or Amazon and create a court in your driveway or cul-de-sac using chalk or tape. (USA Pickleball has specific instructions on how to DIY your own pickleball court.)

If you’d like to take a lesson or find some people to play with, find a pickleball club near you using USA Pickleball’s club finder.

Either way, it shouldn’t be long until you’ve made friends and gotten hooked on the sport. As Easter says, “Pickleball players are notoriously friendly and just want to play!”

– Additional reporting by Maggie Ryan and Mirel Zaman

Related: Want to Take Your Strength and Stability Training Up a Notch? Let Leylah Fernandez Demonstrate

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Lauren mazzo

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January 26, 2024
Achilles, Ankle Rehabilitation Machine Used by Stars and Athletes, Receives United States Patent

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Press Release
•

Jan 10, 2024

Achilles is currently being used by sports teams, celebrities and over 350 professional athletes and active people all over the world.

MCALLEN, Texas, January 10, 2024 (Newswire.com)
–
Achilles, the ultimate ankle rehabilitation machine used by many active people, professional athletes, and celebrities, just received their official United States patent. Trey Villarreal, a young entrepreneur and creator of Achilles, just announced that their flagship product known to build “bulletproof ankles” received its United States patent, a huge landmark for him and the company. Achilles is currently being used by many professional sports teams, celebrities and over 350 professional athletes and active people all over the world.

“This is an exciting day for Achilles and something we have been waiting on for a while. Our machine has changed the lives and built bulletproof ankles for hundreds of professional athletes and now with this patent we are going to be able to help even more athletes,” said Trey Villarreal, the founder and creator of Achilles.

The science behind the Achilles machine and the reason why it has become a sensation in the professional sports world is that it is the only product on the market that offers a 360 resistance workout for the ankles and lower leg muscles, which expedites recovery and prevents future injury.

“I’ve been using Achilles with my patients for almost a year, it has been a game changer. The foot and ankle is the base of support and your foundation in any sport. It is so simple and easy to use, it strengthens every muscle and tendon in the lower leg and ankle, working the full range of motion. I started using it as a rehab tool with Jeremy Renner, who had both ankles crushed in an accident, but now use it with all my professional athletes as an injury prevention tool. The Achilles should be part of every athletes training,” said Dr. Christopher Vincent, Chiropractic Sports Physician for athletes and celebrities.

To get more information about the Achilles machine and also the United States patent you can visit www.anklerepair.com or on social media @achilles_nation

Source: Achilles

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January 10, 2024
Survey: Majority of Sports Medicine Doctors Have Favorable Attitudes About MJ Use | High Times

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Looking at recent cases like that of Sha’Carri Richardson, who was barred from competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics over a failed THC test, it’s clear that cannabis use among athletes is still a somewhat taboo topic. Still, looking at the slowly changing regulations in institutions like the NBA and NFL, the sports world is steadily embracing the potential benefits that cannabis has to offer athletes in regard to recovery and chipping away at the penalties for cannabis use of years past.

And it’s evident when we look beyond these large stages that the status quo is beginning to shift. Namely, a new anonymous survey of physicians from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) looking to assess opinions on the use of CBD and cannabis found that these doctors generally have favorable attitudes toward the substances, though there are still varying views.

The study, which appears in the journal Translational Sports Medicine, also found that most sports medicine physicians from the survey showed support for legal medical and recreational cannabis use.

Exploring Sports Physicians Views on Cannabis Reform, in Sports and Beyond

The study begins noting the “growing evidence regarding cannabinoid use in sports medicine and performance,” highlighting CBD as a particular point of interest. Authors note that cannabis and cannabinoid use has been studied through other areas of medicine, though data in regard to sports medicine is sparse.

To analyze sports physicians’ views on cannabis, physician members of the AMSSM received a survey via email on two separate occasions, with a total of 333 completed responses.

According to the results, 72% of the respondents supported the 2018 removal of CBD from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list, while 66% supported its removal from the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) banned substance list. Fewer, 59%, supported removing cannabis as a whole from the WADA banned substances list, though 81% said that sports physicians should have formal training on cannabis and cannabinoids and an overwhelming 93% majority were interested in continued medical education for cannabinoids.

A majority of respondents also showed support for medical cannabis legalization, 77%, and recreational legalization, 57%.

Cannabis and CBD Relating to Sports Performance

As many conversations around cannabis use in sports, including those surrounding Richardson back in 2021, revolve around its potential as a performance-enhancing substance, the survey also recorded physicians’ opinions on that topic.

A majority of respondents said that CBD and THC are not performance enhancing (approximately 76% and 66%, respectively). Most physicians also agreed that CBD was not detrimental to athletic performance (approximately 61%), though the opinion shifted when it came to THC, at approximately 37% saying it was not detrimental to athletic performance.

The survey also examined demographic information, finding that women, older doctors and rural respondents were less likely to favor legal adult-use cannabis. Authors note that these factors were also associated with a higher likelihood of disagreeing with the WADA removing cannabis from the prohibited substances list and the NCAA allowing college athletes to use cannabis.

Men and younger physicians were also less likely to identify cannabis as performance enhancing.

An Invitation For Further Research on an Understudied Topic

The study concludes noting that a number of sports doctors are already recommending CBD and cannabis products, noting that they are often used for chronic musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain. Authors also claimed that this was the first study to reveal that providers are recommending these products for sports-related concussions and performance anxiety.

“This advancing cultural shift motivates ongoing research and education for sports medicine providers to better answer questions posed by athletes about the safety, dosing, and potential effects of CBD and cannabis in sports,” researchers wrote.

When looking at data from the survey showing that more doctors would recommend CBD (40.8%) instead of cannabis (24.8%), authors said that the reasons “are not entirely clear.” Though, “given the overall safety profile of CBD, its lack of ‘intoxicating’ effects, and the general infiltration of CBD into mainstream consumer products, providers may see CBD as a safer option for patients compared to Cannabis and THC-containing products.”

Similarly, authors said that the reason more doctors believe that cannabis is detrimental to performance than CBD is unclear but that these perceptions could influence how sports medicine providers counsel athletes using these products.

“It is important to note that the ergogenic versus ergolytic effects of CBD compared to cannabis are still largely unknown,” the authors said. “Therefore, these perceptual differences can largely, if not exclusively, be attributed to marketing and advertising. In addition, one must recognize the seemingly ubiquitous addition of CBD to countless consumer products, which may also contribute to this evolving distinction.”

Authors also acknowledged the small sample size, accounting for only about 7% of the membership in the AMSSM, and due to the data coming from a single point in time, the study also can’t describe changing opinions.

“Lastly, although the survey was anonymous, this is still considered a fringe topic by many in sports medicine and medicine in general, which may limit the divulgence of actual behaviors and attitudes of respondents,” authors conclude.

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Keegan Williams

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December 27, 2023
An Elite Fitness Trainer Unveils the Transformative Impact of Coaching | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

From overcoming back pain without surgery to building a thriving gym from scratch, Durkin’s journey is a testament to the power of determination and the impact of having coaches in our lives.

Durkin recently joined The Jeff Fenster Show to talk about his journey.

In 2000, Durkin opened a gym in San Diego with no clients, no money, and no business plan. But through sheer tenacity and a relentless pursuit of his passion, Durkin turned his gym, Fitness Quest 10, into a thriving business. Durkin works with a high-profile clientele of elite professional athletes. This includes NFL MVPs, Super Bowl Champions and MVPs, Heisman Trophy Winner, and Olympic and X-Game Gold Medalists.

One of the key lessons Durkin imparts is the importance of having coaches in our lives. He attributes much of his success to the guidance and mentorship he received from influential figures. Coaches provide valuable knowledge, expertise, support, and accountability, pushing us to reach our full potential.

Four core values

Durkin built his success on four core values: taking action, conditioning for greatness, tenacity, and impact. He encourages individuals to step out of their comfort zones and pursue their dreams by taking action.

Conditioning for greatness involves consistently working on personal growth and physical and mental development. Tenacity is the unwavering determination to overcome obstacles and setbacks. Lastly, impact refers to the profound effect we can have on others by sharing our unique stories and experiences.

Deep work

Deep work is another concept Durkin emphasizes. By diving deep into our passions and purpose, we can uncover our true potential and make a lasting impact. He encourages listeners to embrace their unique stories and use them as a catalyst for creating positive change in the world.

Durkin also introduces his upcoming product, the God Sized Dreams Planner, designed to help entrepreneurs maximize their potential and achieve their goals. This planner offers a structured approach to planning and executing strategies, ensuring individuals stay on track and make the most of their year.

About The Jeff Fenster Show

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Fenster embarks on an extraordinary journey every week, delving into the stories of exceptional individuals who have defied the norms and blazed their own trails to achieve extraordinary success.

Subscribe to The Jeff Fenster Show: Entrepreneur | Apple | Spotify | Google | Pandora

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Jeff Fenster

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December 18, 2023
Para Athletes May Face a Greater Risk of RED-S – but Not Enough People Are Talking About It – POPSUGAR Australia

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Eating disorders have a long-held grip on sport. While athletes of all genders grapple with disordered eating behaviors, women have been hit the hardest. Research has found that disordered eating is almost twice as prevalent in female athletes compared to male athletes (62 percent and 32 percent, respectively). And a new report from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suggests that a significant population of athletes have previously been excluded from discussion and research of EDs in professional and recreational sport.

In September, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published a study finding that Paralympians may be fighting a silent battle against disordered eating. It looked specifically at RED-S – which stands for relative energy deficiency in sport and was previously identified as the “female athlete triad.” RED-S refers to poor athletic performance and declining health due to inadequate caloric intake and/or burning too many calories.

“When you boil it down, RED-S is not having a sufficient amount of fuel to provide energy for exercising and the body’s essential functions,” says Susannah Scaroni, MS, RD, a three-time Paralympics gold medalist. If left untreated, RED-S can lead to poor immunity, interrupted menstrual cycles, weakened bones, depression and anxiety, and even severe cardiovascular issues.

Related: Can Too Much Exercise Really Make Your Period Late – or Totally MIA?

The research raised concerns that RED-S may be even more prevalent in para athletes than in non-disabled athletes. Of the US para athletes surveyed in the study, 62 percent attempted to alter their weight to increase performance, 44 percent said they’d experienced menstrual dysfunctions, and 32 percent received elevated scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (a 28-item self-report designed to evaluate the severity of eating disorder diagnoses). Together, all these factors pave the road to RED-S.

Given these frightening statistics, we spoke to two Paralympic athletes about what may be contributing to them – and what more needs to be done to center para athletes in the conversation around nutrition and body image in sport.

Nutrition’s Central Role in RED-S

At its core, RED-S is caused by an imbalance of energy in and energy out. In non-disabled athletes, eating disorders are often sparked by pressure to lose weight by training constantly and eating a “lean” (read: insufficient) diet. As American long-distance runner Kara Goucher told The New York Times in a 2019 op-ed, “When someone proposes something you don’t want to do, whether it’s weight loss or drugs, you wonder, ‘Is this what it takes? Maybe it is, and I don’t want to have regrets.’ Your careers are so short. You are desperate. You want to capitalize on your career, but you’re not sure at what cost.”

Capitalizing on a career opportunity by shrinking your body often comes at a great cost. (Remember, everything from increased stress fractures to depression has been tied to RED-S.)

Para athletes face their own, seldom discussed, array of pressures when it comes to nutrition and body image – first and foremost because there is little research on how much food they need to perform at a competitive level.

“There are many limitations when using a single equation to calculate [energy requirements] for able-bodied athletes,” Scaroni explains. “In para athletes, different amounts of muscle mass are being used, and muscle groups are performing in ways that [able-bodied] athletes may not use them.” For instance, she says, someone who races marathons in a wheelchair relies on their arms to cross the finish line much more than a non-disabled athlete. Thus, they may require distinct quantities of energy to achieve their best performance.

“Society doesn’t like to see disabled individuals as complex people.”

“Para athletes may even have different gastric motility rates, which refers to how efficiently someone’s body can use the food they eat,” Scaroni says. “Someone’s body may use the food that they eat differently because of a spinal cord injury, for example. Or, people with cerebral palsy or those with amputations may have a different type of gait when they’re ambulating in their competitions that may be less efficient than someone who is able-bodied.”

These factors and many more present a challenge for para athletes deciding what to put on their plates. And it doesn’t help that research on energy requirements for people with disabilities is nascent to nonexistent, making trial and error (and sometimes, nutritional deficiencies) a necessary step in discovering exactly what fuel is necessary for health and performance.

“The whole support system around an athlete – from parents to coaches to physical therapists to doctors – really needs to take an individualized approach to questioning an athlete about how they’re consuming and what they’re experiencing,” Scaroni says.

Body Image and the Pressure to Perform

Research has indicated that lean body mass is an asset in many sports. But despite the fact that the vast majority of studies on this topic have excluded disabled athletes, many para athletes still incorporate these findings into their own body image and athletic standards. Pursuing this aesthetic may prompt folks to tack on extra miles or increase other forms of fitness, according to Lacey Henderson, CMPC, a Paralympian and certified mental performance consultant. Over time, this overtraining can contribute to developing RED-S.

“There are so many old thought processes about what an athlete needs to look like in order to perform in para sports,” she says.

Many para athletes Henderson has spoken with feel that they must maintain a certain body size for functional purposes. As she explains, “What I’ve seen with disordered eating and disordered eating behaviors is that [the size of a para athlete’s body] is something that they feel like they might have some semblance of control over.”

Henderson also says there’s a homogenous idea of how “inspirational” para athletes should look and behave – despite the fact that disabilities encompass hundreds of thousands of different experiences. “We talk about ‘inspiration porn’ a lot in Paralympics, seeing this disabled person who overcame all these obstacles and then won a gold medal,” she says. “Society doesn’t like to see disabled individuals as complex people.”

The desire to fit into prosthetics can also “become a huge trigger for RED-S,” Scaroni adds. “You’re afraid your body will change because that’s another $10,000, or more, expense if you have to buy a new customized piece of equipment,” she explains. “I’ve seen this issue for younger athletes. After adolescence, their bodies start growing, and they don’t fit into their racing chair or their basketball chair anymore.”

As Scaroni begins to take on the dual role of Paralympian and dietitian, she hopes to contribute to research that centers many types of bodies and experiences. And, of course, it’s crucial to spotlight the lived experiences of para athletes and the challenges they face.

“We’re seeing non-disabled athletes coming forward and talking about RED-S, but it’s something that we also need to be included in, too,” Henderson says. “Because society paints a picture of disabled people as an ‘inspiration,’ it almost feels like you’re letting people down if you show weakness.”

Henderson hopes that someday soon, the sports community will stop holding para athletes to standards that force them to wear a veneer of perfection. What lies beyond the pearly perception of parathletic resilience is a much more complex and human experience – one that deserves just as much discussion, research, and media attention.

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Kells mcphillips

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December 16, 2023
Muscle Shrinkage and Bone Loss on Keto Diets? | NutritionFacts.org

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Ketogenic diets have been found to undermine exercise efforts and lead to muscle shrinkage and bone loss.

An official International Society of Sports Nutrition position paper covering keto diets notes the “ergolytic effect” of keto diets on both high- and low-intensity workouts. Ergolytic is the opposite of ergogenic. Ergogenic means performance-boosting, whereas ergolytic means performance-impairing.

For nonathletes, ketosis may also undermine exercise efforts. Ketosis was correlated with increased feelings of “perceived exercise effort” and “also significantly correlated to feelings of ‘fatigue’ and to ‘total mood disturbance,’” during physical activity. “Together, these data suggest that the ability and desire to maintain sustained exercise might be adversely impacted in individuals adhering to ketogenic diets for weight loss.”

You may recall that I’ve previously discussed that shrinkage of measured muscle mass among CrossFit trainees has been reported. So, a ketogenic diet may not just blunt the performance of endurance athletes, but their strength training as well. As I discuss in my video Keto Diets: Muscle Growth and Bone Density, study participants performed eight weeks of the battery of standard upper and lower body training protocols, like bench presses, pull-ups, squats, and deadlifts, and there was no surprise. You boost muscle mass—unless you’re on a keto diet, in which case there was no significant change in muscle mass after all that effort. Those randomized to a non-ketogenic diet added about three pounds of muscle mass, whereas the same amount of weight lifting on the keto diet tended to subtract muscle mass by about 3.5 ounces on average. How else could you do eight weeks of weight training and not gain a single ounce of muscle on a ketogenic diet? Even keto diet advocates call bodybuilding on a ketogenic diet an “oxymoron.”

What about bone loss? Sadly, bone fractures are one of the side effects that disproportionately plague children placed on ketogenic diets, along with slowed growth and kidney stones. Ketogenic diets may cause a steady rate of bone loss as measured in the spine, presumed to be because ketones are acidic, so keto diets can put people in what’s called a “chronic acidotic state.”

Some of the case reports of children on keto diets are truly heart-wrenching. One nine-year-old girl seemed to get it all, including osteoporosis, bone fractures, and kidney stones, then she got pancreatitis and died. Pancreatitis can be triggered by having too much fat in your blood. As you can see in the graph below and at 2:48 in my video, a single high-fat meal can cause a quintupling of the spike in triglycerides in your bloodstream within hours of consumption, which can put you at risk for inflammation of the pancreas.

The young girl had a rare genetic disorder called glucose transporter deficiency syndrome. She was born with a defect in ferrying blood sugar into her brain. That can result in daily seizures starting in infancy, but a ketogenic diet can be used as a way to sneak fuel into the brain, which makes a keto diet a godsend for the 1 in 90,000 families stricken with this disorder.

As with anything in medicine, it’s all about risks versus benefits. As many as 30 percent of patients with epilepsy don’t respond to anti-seizure drugs. Unfortunately, the alternatives aren’t pretty and can include brain surgery that implants deep electrodes through the skull or even removes a lobe of your brain. This can obviously lead to serious side effects, but so can having seizures every day. If a ketogenic diet can help with seizures, the pros can far outweigh the cons. For those just choosing a diet to lose weight, though, the cost-benefit analysis would really seem to go the other way. Thankfully, you don’t need to mortgage your long-term health for short-term weight loss. We can get the best of both worlds by choosing a healthy diet, as I discussed in my video Flashback Friday: The Weight Loss Program That Got Better with Time.

Remember the study that showed the weight loss was nearly identical in those who had been told to eat the low-carb Atkins diet for a year and those told to eat the low-fat Ornish diet, as seen below and at 4:18 in my video? The authors concluded, “This supports the practice of recommending any diet that a patient will adhere to in order to lose weight.” That seems like terrible advice.

There are regimens out there like “The Last Chance Diet which consisted of a low-calorie liquid formula made from leftover byproducts from a slaughterhouse [that] was linked to approximately 60 deaths from cardiovascular-related events.” An ensuing failed lawsuit from one widower laid the precedent for the First Amendment protection for those who produce deadly diet books.

It’s possible to construct a healthy low-carb diet or an unhealthy low-fat one—a diet of cotton candy would be zero fat—but the health effects of a typical low-carb ketogenic diet like Atkins are vastly different from a low-fat plant-based diet like Ornish’s. As you can see in the graph below and at 5:26 in my video, they would have diametrically opposed effects on cardiovascular risk factors in theory, based on the fiber, saturated fat, and cholesterol contents of their representative meal plans.

And when actually put to the test, low-carb diets were found to impair artery function. Over time, blood flow to the heart muscle itself is improved on an Ornish-style diet and diminished on a low-carb one, as shown below and at 5:44 in my video. Heart disease tends to progress on typical weight-loss diets and actively worsens on low-carb diets, but it may be reversed by an Ornish-style diet. Given that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, “recommending any diet that a patient will adhere to in order to lose weight” seems irresponsible. Why not tell people to smoke? Cigarettes can cause weight loss, too, as can tuberculosis and a meth habit. The goal of weight loss is not to lighten the load for your pallbearers.

For more on keto diets, see my videos on the topic. Interested in enhancing athletic performance? Check out the related videos below.

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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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December 12, 2023
Chris Evert Fast Facts | CNN

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Here is a look at the life of tennis great Chris Evert, who won at least one Grand Slam singles championship 13 years in a row (1974-1986).

Birth date: December 21, 1954

Birth place: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Birth name: Christine Marie Evert

Father: James “Jimmy” Evert, pro tennis instructor

Mother: Colette (Thompson) Evert

Marriages: Greg Norman (2008-2009, divorced); Andy Mill (1988-2006, divorced); John Lloyd (1979-1987, divorced)

Children: with Andy Mill: Colton, Nicholas and Alexander

By age 14, she was the number one nationally ranked player in the Girls’ 14-under Division.

At 15, she beat the number one ranked player in the world at the time, Margaret Court.

Holds the highest winning percentage, male or female, in “Open Era” tennis history (.900).

Her rivalry with Martina Navratilova began in 1973 and lasted until 1988, and has been called the greatest in sports history. They faced each other in 14 major finals.

Ranked number one in the world for seven years: 1974-1978, 1980 and 1981.

Holds 157 singles titles.

In 52 of 56 Grand Slam tournaments over the course of her career, she reached at least the semifinals.

Holds 18 Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam doubles titles, two of which are with Navratilova.

1971 – At 16 she reaches the US Open semifinals, losing to Billie Jean King.

December 21, 1972 – Turns professional on her eighteenth birthday.

1973 – Announces her engagement to men’s tennis star Jimmy Connors. They end their engagement in 1974.

March 22, 1973 – Faces Navratilova on the court for the first time, beginning a long lived professional rivalry and personal friendship. Evert defeats Navratilova (7-6, 6-3).

1974 – Wins the French Open, her first Grand Slam title.

November 1975 – Signs with the World Team Tennis (WTT) Phoenix Racquets.

1976 – Sports Illustrated names her “Sportswoman of the Year.”

1976 – Becomes the first female athlete to earn $1 million in career prize money.

January 1980 – Announces she will take an indefinite leave after fulfilling her upcoming tennis commitments, and plans to travel with her husband, John Lloyd.

May 7, 1980 – Five months after announcing her plans to take a break from tennis, she competes in the first round of the Italian Open. Evert defeats unseeded Adriana Vilagran of Argentina 6-0, 6-1.

1982 – Simon and Schuster publishes her autobiography “Chrissie: My Own Story.”

1983-1991 – President of Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

April 1985 – The Women’s Sports Foundation names her the “Greatest Woman Athlete in the Last 25 Years.”

1988 – Member of the US Olympic team.

September 1989 – Retires from professional tennis after the US Open tournament after her defeat in the quarterfinals by Zina Garrison.

November 11, 1989 – Becomes the first female athlete ever to host “Saturday Night Live.”

1989 – Launches Chris Evert Charities, Inc. to fight substance abuse and children born into drug addiction.

1990-2003 – Analyst with NBC Sports.

January 1991 – President George H.W. Bush appoints her to serve as a board member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

July 16, 1995 – Becomes a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She is only the fourth player to be elected unanimously.

1996 – Opens the Evert Tennis Academy with her father, Jimmy, and brother, John.

1999 – ESPN honors her as one of the “Top 50 Athletes of the 20th Century.”

March 2001-2013 – Publisher of Tennis magazine.

2011-present – Commentator and analyst for ESPN.

November 2014 – Launches her tennis wear line, “Chrissie by Tail.”

July 11, 2015 – Stars as herself in the HBO tennis mockumentary, “7 Days in Hell.”

January 8, 2019 – The United States Tennis Association announces Evert has been appointed Chairwoman of the USTA Foundation’s Board of Directors.

January 14, 2022 – Announces she has been diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer.

May 9, 2022 – Announces that she has completed her sixth and final chemotherapy session to treat stage 1 ovarian cancer.

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December 5, 2023

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