GEARING UP FOR 2023 WITH GRATITUDE

- Annie Bothma, January 2023

This post is not a recap of my 2022 or a prediction of what is to come in 2023. As much as I wish I could turn back the clock and prevent some of the heartache of 2022, or as badly as I want to plan out my whole 2023, I know I simply can't! The past is the past and the future will always be unknown...and maybe that's part of what makes it exciting!

Instead in this post, I share a few of "WHAT" thoughts:

• What I learned in 2022.

• What were some of my global running highlights of 2022.

• What is next for me..

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

A word that really resonate with me going into this new year is GRATITUDE.

Last year, my word of choice was Courage or Bon Courage! You can read more about why I chose this word for 2022 and what it means here: BON COURAGE. But it turned out to be a perfect choice! I ended up needing a lot of courage for what I had to endure in 2022...

I already wrote a long reflective blog post on what happened to me in 2022, so I am not going to bore you by writing about it again in this post. You can go read more about that here: THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECE. But, all I can say is: Last year was hell for me! So, there is literally no better word than GRATITUDE to describe my feelings going into 2023, healthy enough to run and without any injuries!

WHAT I LEARNED IN 2022

You can't change what you are not aware of, so without a bit of reflecting we can't learn, grow or get better. Reflection does not only have to happen on a yearly basis, it is a constant process. I like to reflect daily on where I could improve, but also what I did well that will allow me to move forward.

Here are a few key learnings I took away from 2022 that I believe will benefit me in 2023 and beyond...

1. CROSS-TRAINING & STRENGTH-TRAINING ARE NOT JUST BENEFICIAL FOR WHEN YOU ARE INJURED

In 2022, my chronic medication for my Central Diabetes Insipidus was putting me in a state of hyponatremia. As a result of my inappropriate ADH dosage my body was losing all the important minerals needed to maintain and build strong bones. Being chronically hyponatremic was detrimental to my bone health and as a result I suffered a series of bone stress injuries. Aside from the harmful effects it had on my bone metabolism, it was also life-threatening and greatly impacted my life-quality. I felt like I was living in a fog; I was always feeling tired and battled with chronic headaches every day.

Due to the fact that I was unable to run for the most of the year, I mainly did non-impact or low-impact cross training activities, like aqua jogging, indoor cycling, and ElliptiGo. In the past, unless I was injured or struggled with a niggle, I didn't do any cross training. When I was training in Kenya, the option to cross train wasn't there, but I didn't have any injuries for three years straight, so I didn't need to seek out other cross training methods. Why would I cross train, if I can run, right? However, last year I had no choice but to turn to cross-training.

There were many days when I was unable to cross-train or simply going through the motions because of how bad I felt, but I can say with certainty that the cross training that I was able to do has made me a stronger athlete! In fact, at the moment, I have replaced all my double runs with cross-training sessions because I feel it is a way I can reduce the impact while still reaping all the benefits of developing my cardiovascular system and simultaneously working muscles that may be neglected when I run. If you are someone who doesn't utilize cross-training as part of your running program, I would urge you to give it a try. I have found that it has drastically improved my ability to run up hills!

I also did a lot of strength training and rehab in the gym. I was already doing resistance training, but it was more functional training and core workouts. In 2022, I started lifting heavy and really shifted my focus to getting stronger and more powerful as an athlete. I did heavy compound lifts like squats and deadlifts and slowly worked my way up to being able to lift almost twice my body-weight for 4 sets of 4-8 reps. I also improved my upper-body strength and was even able to work up doing a total of 60 pull-ups consisting of 4 sets of 15 reps with minimal rest between. My biggest motivation to do strength training is not just to improve my performance, but rather build and maintain my bone density and reduce my risk of injuries in the future. I believe strength training should be a key component of any athlete's training program.

2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY WITHOUT JUDGEMENT

I never ran through pain last year. That is part of what made my injuries so fucking frustrating. There were never any warning signs. The one day I was still able to run and walk without pain, and the next, I would be stopped dead in my tracks with a sharp unbearable pain.

I would go see my Physio and Chiropractor and they never suspected it to be a fracture. I even passed all the clinical tests, but when I went for a scan it showed up as a bone-stress injury. I don't blame them for not thinking something was wrong, they don't have x-ray vision. I have also been told this is not typically how stress fractures present, however, due to the fact that my fractures were not related to my training-load or a biomechanics issue, but rather due to an inappropriate medication dose, it didn't show-up like one would expect.

I would urge all athletes to listen to their body without judgement. Don't simply push through pain. Don't simply accept a diagnosis either if you feel something is wrong. Investigate it and make sure you get the proper testing done to get an accurate diagnosis.

3. MORE THAN AN ATHLETE

I am more than just a runner. I am a daughter, sister and friend. I am also a running coach and sports nutritionist. In May 2022, I also became a student again. I decided to continue my education and enrolled in a post-graduate program in sports nutrition through the Instituted Of Performance Nutrition (IOPN).

My goal is to equip myself with the tools and knowledge to best help the athletes I work with. I decided to use the time I was unable to train like usual and compete, to read a lot of books on sport nutrition, coaching, running, sport science and psychology. I watched lectures and listened to some of the top researchers explaining complex topics on muscle physiology and fuel utilization. I listened to podcasts with some of the leading experts in the field; all in an attempt to learn as much as I can about running and sport nutrition.

I rebranded and reopened my coaching business. I closed my Fired Fitness personal training business at the end of 2019, and temporarily stopped my running coaching, when I chose to chase my own running dreams. I packed my bags and went to train at 3000m altitude in a training camp in the mountains, located in a small township in Kenya, called Kipsiat. I didn't have any access to wi-fi, and was thus no longer able to continue coaching my athletes online.

However, I always knew I would return to coaching, since it’s such a big passion of mine, and I see it as my way to give back to the sport which has given me so much. I am back in South Africa for the foreseeable future and I was able to restart my business. Over the past two years, during the global pandemic when racing opportunities were scarce and races were being cancelled, a lot of runners also didn't feel the need to seek out coaching services, since they didn’t have any specific races to prepare for. However, the race calendar is finally filled-up with races again, and the running world is back to normal after the negative effects of the pandemic. To learn more, read my post: MERGING MY PASSIONS: ANNIE'S ATHLETES

Fired Fitness is back, but under a new name, a new look, with more services and with a new mission! ANNIE'S ATHLETES now offer personalized coaching services for runners, and sport nutrition services for everyone, including elite athletes, weekend warriors, recreational exercisers, or anyone who wants to improve their health and life quality through fitness and nutrition.

Coaching helped me stay connected to the sport in 2022, when I was unable to line-up and compete myself, I was able to get excited and celebrate the performances of my athletes. It gave me purpose and bought me so much joy to see them achieve their goals and improve their personal best times. I am very proud of every athlete on my program and look forward to continue seeing their progress in 2023!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNIE'S ATHLETES HERE: https://www.anniesathletes.org

SOME OF MY GLOBAL RUNNING HIGHLIGHTS IN 2022

I am not just a runner, I am a big fan of the sport! I breathe and live it! It is part of me and I can't and don't want to imagine my life without it. So, when it was threatened to be taken away from me in 2022, I grabbed onto what I could and became an even bigger fan! I completely immersed myself into every opportunity I got to be closer to the sport!

I watched every single diamond league meet; every single day of the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and most of the European Championships. I watched every single major marathon from gun to tape! I streamed races on youtube and watched post-race interviews of athletes. I listened to running podcasts and got to know the stories behind the athletes.

I now know with certainty, if for some reason, I am not able to run one day, I will always be a fan of the sport. Nobody can ever take that away from me!

1. WORLD CHAMPS 2022 IN EUGENE, USA

Watching my Kenyan teammate, Judith Korir, earn a silver in the marathon at the World championship in Eugene was so special. Judith was one of the athletes who worked the hardest in the camp. She was extremely committed and dedicated. I observed how some athletes often lost focus and just skip training sessions or move in and out of the camp. Not Judith. She was one of the most consistent athletes in our group. I feel privileged to call this amazing athlete my friend and it was so exciting seeing her deliver this breakthrough performance at Worlds!

Shortly after her breakthrough performance at Worlds, Judith also went onto place 4th at the London Marathon. She would have been a pacemaker for Brigid, but when Brigid sadly withdrew with injury, Judith was instructed to finish the race! She accepted the challenge and still managed to improve her personal best time on the day and nearly finished on the podium!

2. COMMONWEALTH 2022

Watching Eilish McColgan winning gold in the women's 10,000m title at the Commonwealth Games - 36 years after her mother. She ran this race with so much grit and determination. The way she finished that race showed she wanted it more than anyone else on the day! Well deserved after all the hard work she has put in over the years and the adversity she had to overcome in her career.

I have always resonated with Eilish. She is an athlete who has been very vocal about body shaming due to her long slender build. She would often get trolled online and receive inappropriate comments after races about the way she looks.

READ MORE: https://athleticsweekly.com/interviews/eilish-mccolgan-i-will-get-trolled-but-i-dont-care-im-here-to-run-1039957990/

Eilish McColgan made the comment on Twitter recently:

“Nothing pisses me off more than someone making a comment that I’m ‘too skinny’. I’m naturally small – always have been. Some people are just slim! I doubt they would comment on someone slightly larger than ‘average’. I’m a healthy athlete and human. Go body shame elsewhere!”

All my life I have been judged and criticized for the way I look. I do not have an eating disorder! I don't judge others who struggle with this, since I acknowledge that it is a serious mental illness that is unfortunately very prevalent in our sport. But, it is simply not part of my story. I have always been skinny due to my medical condition. I have Hypopituitarism, Celiac disease. and Diabetes Insipidus. My body does not produce the hormones of a normal individual and does not function the way a normal individual's body would. I have never liked being skinny or small, and often wish I looked different, but I had to learn to accept my body for what it is and appreciate it for what it can do, instead of focus on what it is not.

Over the years I have received so many hurtful and negative comments both online and in-person, so it is nice when athletes like Eilish stand-up and speak-up about body-shaming! Don't just judge or criticize people based on how they look, there is more beneath the skin than just the way someone looks!

3. BERLIN 2022

Eliud Kipchoge did it again! The GOAT made history once again in the 2022 Berlin Marathon when he ran 02:01:09 to smash his own marathon world record by 30 seconds!

I was glued to the screen for the entire duration of the marathon! I couldn't believe it when he went through the half-way mark under 60:00 minutes and had a projected finishing time of under 2-hours. Are we about to see the first sub-hour marathon in real race conditions?! Unfortunately, he did end up slowing in the second half, but was still managed to break his own world-record by a substantial margin!

Kipchoge is just amazing to watch! He moves with so much ease and fluidity, making running a marathon look comfortable! The way he carries himself with so much confidence, yet so much humility! He is truly an inspiration figure to all runners and someone who has had a very positive impact on the sport. I can't wait to see him take on the Boston Marathon in 2023!

WHAT IS NEXT FOR ME?

I am hoping to open up my 2023 season in February with some shorter road races. One of my biggest goals this year is to improve my times over the shorter distances. I have smashed every single personal best time from 3K up 30K during tempo runs and time trials during the Covid-pandemic. Now, that the races are back and my body is finally healthy enough to compete, it is definitely time to erase those old outdated personal-best times. I am extremely excited and grateful to be able to race again after everything that has happened over the past three years.

I will also be going back to my roots and replacing the roads with grass and dirt from time to time to take part in cross country races. Cross-country was my first introduction to the sport and I will grab the opportunity to compete in a cross country race whenever it presents itself.

However, my main focus moving into 2023 will be the marathon. The marathon has won my heart and I feel I have a lot of untapped potential left over the 42.2km to discover! You can definitely expect to see me on the start-list of a marathon in the near future!

Watch this space!

Thank you for following along on my journey, I appreciate your support.

May 2023 be a great year for you!

- Annie

THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECE

This is probably the most vulnerable and personal blog post I have ever written and shared with the world. It is easy for an outsider to judge or criticize me for what happened to me in 2022. However, without all the inside knowledge, you cannot make assumptions or accusations. For the majority of 2021 and 2022, I didn't know or understand what was happening in my body; in fact, I felt like I lost control.

How could I trust my body when it failed me at times when I needed to perform? It didn't make sense to me that I could no longer carry myself the distance, nor do the smallest tasks. In 2022, I had lost all trust in my body, and in this post I will share how after a year and a half of suffering I was finally able to restore that trust!

BACKGROUND

In September 2021, I was diagnosed with Central Diabetes Insipidus (CDI). This condition occurs when the body can't regulate how it handles fluids. The condition is caused by a hormonal abnormality, in my case, it is directly linked to my hypopituitarism and my body’s insufficient production of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). CDI is not related to type 1 or type 2 diabetes (also known as diabetes mellitus), but it does share some of the same signs and symptoms. The two main symptoms of CDI are extreme thirst (polydipsia) and frequent urination.

Before I got diagnosed and received treatment, I was chronically dehydrated and, as a result, my athletic performance suffered. The main reasons why dehydration has adverse effects on exercise performance are: reduction in blood volume, decreased skin blood flow, decreased sweat rate, decreased heat dissipation, increased core temperature, and an increased rate of muscle glycogen use. My blood pressure would drop and I would end up being dizzy and disorientated. I battled with the cold and often lost feeling in my hands and feet. I frequently fainted, during both training and races.

To manage my condition, I was prescribed a synthetic hormone called desmopressin acetate (DDAVP). This medication replaces the missing ADH, which is supposed to be secreted by my pituitary gland. Gradually my medication was increased with the goal to counteract the amount of fluids I was losing through urine, but it was now more concentrated than before. I was losing a lot of electrolytes, especially sodium.

To top it all off, after 10 years in athletics, I had never had a bone stress injury or a fracture. In fact, I was consistently doing marathon training for three years without getting an injury or niggle that took more than a day to recover.

This year, I suffered through four back-to-back bone stress injuries!

WHAT CHANGED?

How did I go from never having a bone stress injury before and not being injured for three years running the highest mileage I have ever done, doing the longest long runs of my running career, and completing the most intense sessions I could have ever imagined, to a series of bone stress injuries?

Let's backtrack to when the first cracks started to show...

In January 2022, I had a stress fracture in my left calcaneus. I spent 9 weeks doing non-impact or low-impact cross training activities, like aqua jogging, indoor cycling, and ElliptiGo. I also did a lot of strength training and rehab in the gym. I was able to start running pain-free and gradually increased my running distance. I was only able to sustain a quarter of the weekly mileage I used to breeze through.

During a run in April, I felt a sharp, debilitating pain in my back. I cut the run short and rested the next day. When the pain didn’t subside, I went for an MRI scan. Another stress fracture showed-up – this time in my sacrum!

I returned to non-impact and low-impact cross training activities, with minimal strength work this time. After six weeks I was able to very slowly return to running. But, my return was short-lived. After only 8 weeks of low-volume and minimal intensity running, I had a stress response in my right calcaneus.

Something didn’t make sense.

I was already being meticulous with my nutrition, to support my health and optimize athletic performance. I focused on getting sufficient calories and carbohydrates to stay in an energy balance and support my training. I have never done fasted training sessions or deliberately restricted my dietary intake. I increased my protein intake and was taking collagen daily to help facilitate a proper recovery and repair.

I abstained from running for another 6 weeks, and then started on an underwater-treadmill at 70% of my body weight. After only 5 sessions, each less than 30 minutes, I sustained yet another stress fracture, this time in my 4th metatarsal on the left foot.

Something really didn’t make sense!

I was suffering from hyponatremia.

THE WAKE-UP CALL

Every single blood test I did from December 2021 up until October 2022, pinned me as hyponatremic. My blood sodium levels were consistently around 120-30 mmol/L. Normal blood sodium is typically around 140-145 mmol/L. Symptomatic Hyponatremia can occur when the plasma sodium concentration rapidly drops to 130 mmol/L or less. Sustained low levels increases the risk of developing swelling of the brain (delusional encephalopathy) and accumulating extracellular fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). When plasma sodium falls below 120 mmol/L, the risk of a brain seizure, coma, and even death, increases.

I understood that hyponatremia was serious. I was adding salt to all my meals, drinking 1500-2000 mg of sodium through electrolyte tablets in my water, and later, even started taking a salt tablet with my meals, each containing 200 mg of sodium. Nothing was able to raise my levels back to normal. I suffered through the side effects of hyponatremia. I felt foggy and struggled to concentrate for long periods. I was always tired and I always had a headache. I was no longer able to keep up my cross-training intensity. Concentrating on my studies and work became increasingly difficult. I feared breaking more bones and felt extremely depressed, unable to participate in the sport I love so much.

One evening in October, it overwhelmed my body. My head was pounding and my world grew darker. I felt like everything was spinning. Like I was floating and then it just went black. I woke up in the middle of the night, my face covered in my own spit. My head and face felt swollen and my body too heavy to move. I fought against the feeling of fatigue, but ultimately I gave in and just closed my eyes again.

I suffered a seizure...

THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC HYPONATREMIA ON BONE METABOLISM

I started doing research on bone health. I listened to the IOPN’s Podcast WE DO SCIENCE, with Prof Craig Sale on Athlete Bone Health. I listened carefully to Dr. Laurent Bannock and Prof. Craig Sale discussing the important factors when it comes to preventing bone stress injuries and/or the development of osteopenia or osteoporosis. The next day, I downloaded the research paper that was referenced in the podcast – Nutrition and Athlete Bone Health, by Craig Sale, Kirsty Jayne Elliott-Sale (2019) – and eagerly started reading.

I read it over and over; finally, I found the missing puzzle piece!

I finally understood what was actually happening in my body! It finally made sense why I was getting repeated bone-stress injuries.

As I was reading, my eyes grew wider…

“ In line with this, there is also the possibility that the challenge to fluid and sodium homeostasis that would occur under these circumstances might influence bone metabolism and health. This, to our knowledge, has not been directly or well studied in relation to the athlete, but there is some suggestion from the osteoporosis focussed literature suggesting that bone might be negatively affected by hyponatremia. Verbalis et al. [83] examined the effects of using a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion rodent model to show that 3 months of hyponatremia (~ 30% compared with normonatremia significantly reduced the BMD of excised femurs and reduced both trabecular and cortical bone, purportedly via an increase in bone resorption and a decrease in bone formation. The same paper also reported on a cross sectional analysis of human adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, showing that mild hyponatremia was associated with significantly increased odds of osteoporosis, in line with the rodent data presented. This might be explained by novel sodium signaling mechanisms in osteoclasts resulting in the release of sodium from bone stores during prolonged hyponatremia [84].” (Sale, 2019)

Suddenly, I realized my CDI medication was putting me in a state of hyponatremia! As a result of my inappropriate ADH dosage my body was losing all the important minerals needed to maintain and build strong bones. I knew I needed to be on medication to manage my condition, thus not being chronically dehydrated, but I also knew that I needed to get my sodium levels back to normal as soon as possible.

I felt overwhelmed, realizing the damage that the medication has done to my body and that my suffering could have been prevented. Yet, I felt excited. Could this be the answer to turning my situation around? After several months of pain, I finally saw a way out of this dark hole.

I immediately booked an appointment with my endocrinologist. He was alarmed after hearing the news, seeing the latest blood results and just how low my blood sodium levels had dropped. He advised that the dose was too high. Being chronically hyponatremic was not only detrimental to my bone health, but it was also life-threatening!

“Annie, if we don’t adjust the dose right now, you are not only going to continue breaking bones, but you are going to die!”

He adjusted my dosage and for the following few weeks I had to go for weekly blood tests to monitor my sodium and hydration levels. At the beginning of November, I was finally able to start running again without pain. I had only been doing short easy runs for 4 weeks when I received the opportunity to go run at the South African Cross Country Trials where the world cross country team were to be selected to represent the country in 2023 at the IAAF World Cross Country in Australia.

I decided to risk it and booked my ticket to go run at the trials. I knew I wasn’t ready to compete at my best, but I still wanted to give myself the opportunity to race again. With limited fitness, I managed to squeeze my way onto the team coming 4th. I felt intense gratitude for making my third World Cross Country Team after everything I had to overcome this year.

I throw my arms up in the air like I won the race. I feel like crying. I can’t believe it. I made the team. I am going to the world cross championships in Australia! After all those months of living in a fog, feeling confused and not understanding what was happening in my body. I had lost all trust in my athletic ability and thought I would never be able to compete at the same level as before. There were even times when I thought I would never be able to run again, let alone compete at a national or world championship. Overwhelmed by gratitude I walk off the course. I FINALLY HAVE MY BODY BACK!

REFLECTION

This incident taught me an extremely valuable lesson as a professional athlete, but also as a practitioner. Knowledge is power. If you can understand what is going on you can help and equip yourself to make better choices in the future. In my case, discovering what was going on in my body saved my life! Furthermore, it made me realize you should be a student of your body and a student of life. You should always ask questions, and never stop learning or growing! You should take responsibility for your body and situation. Others aren’t always going to be there to help figure things out; sometimes you need to be able to help yourself and in the process you will be able to help others in the future!

This incident has forced me to delve deeper into the research of bone metabolism and how to prevent bone stress injuries in athletes. It taught me about the delicate fluid

and sodium balance that exists in the body and how hyponatremia can be just as dangerous as dehydration. Most importantly, it taught me to not simply accept

things the way they are. I will strive to always ask questions, research, learn, and grow. I will now try to encourage every athlete I coach or help with their nutrition to be curious about their situation and to take responsibility for their body and life.

- Annie

MERGING MY PASSIONS: ANNIE'S ATHLETES

"Allow your passion to become your purpose, and it will one day become your profession." - Gabrielle Bernstein

I closed my Fired Fitness personal training business at the end of 2019, and temporarily stopped my running coaching, when I chose to chase my own running dreams. I packed my bags and went to train at 3000m altitude in a training camp in the mountains, located in a small township called Kipsiat. I didn't have any access to wi-fi, and was thus no longer able to continue coaching my athletes online. I always knew I would return to coaching, since it’s such a big passion of mine, and I see it as my way to give back to the sport which has given me so much.

I am back in South Africa for the foreseeable future and am able to restart my business. Over the past two years, during the global pandemic when racing opportunities were scarce and races were being cancelled, a lot of runners also didn't feel the need to seek out coaching services, since they didn’t have any specific races to prepare for. However, the race calendar is finally filling up with races again, and the running world is slowly moving back to normal after the negative effects of the pandemic.

Fired Fitness is back, but under a new name, a new look, with more services and with a new mission!

ANNIE'S ATHLETES now offer personalized coaching services for runners, and sport nutrition services for everyone, including elite athletes, weekend warriors, recreational exercisers, or anyone who wants to improve their health and life quality through fitness and nutrition.

I focus on creating a program that fits the athlete's unique needs, takes their running history into consideration, and is tailored to help them achieve their goals. I combine the knowledge I’ve gained from some of the best coaches in the world, including Erick Kimayo (coach to the current world record marathon-holder, Brigid Koskei of Kenya), Zola Budd (former South African middle-distance Olympian), Bennie Stander, Gerrie Coetzee, Johan Fourie, and other great mentors who have influenced my thinking, with the experience I’ve gained while training at a high level as an elite athlete over the years.

My passion for nutrition has evolved drastically while being an elite athlete. I realized how much better I’m able to perform if I fuel properly to support my training. ​As athletes we need to fuel for training to reach our full potential. Athletes often neglect nutrition and miss out on a key component of their training.

While growing up, I really wanted to study dietetics. My own journey with nutrition started when I became sick as a young girl. I battled with gastrointestinal symptoms and saw multiple doctors who tried to figure out the root cause to my life-debilitating symptoms. Symptoms included fatigue, weight loss, inability to handle cold, anemia (low iron), low blood pressure, and dizziness, just to name a few. At the age of 17, I was finally diagnosed with Celiac disease, and was forced, as a teenager, to suddenly navigate figuring out a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease (CD) is a genetic, autoimmune disease that mainly affects the gastrointestinal tract when gluten is ingested. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When someone with CD eats gluten, the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged and is unable to absorb nutrients properly.

Battling with Celiac Disease, along with my other health problems, made me realize what a profound impact nutrition can have on your health, life-quality, and performance as an athlete.

Two years after that, I received another diagnosis by an endocrinologist. He told me that I have a rare disorder called Hypopituitarism, which causes the pituitary gland, situated at the base of the brain, to fail in its production of hormones – by producing too little or, in rare cases, none. The hormones secreted by this bean-shaped gland influence nearly every part of the human body, including growth, reproduction, and blood pressure. The absence of these critically important hormones can thus cripple the development of the human body, which was undoubtedly apparent in my case, since I am severely undersized when compared to my family, in both weight and length, and I lack some basic development usually undergone by a growing child. The explanation behind my still reasonable length lies in my genes and normal thyroid gland. As a result of my Hypopituitarism, I also have Central Diabetes Insipidus, due to damage to the pituitary gland that affects the usual production, storage, and release of ADH.

As a result of my conditions, I was very skinny and small while growing up. I was constantly being labelled and judged. People thought I had an eating disorder due to the way I look, and I still get judged often for being small-framed and underweight. However, the way I look has never been a choice or even a result of the way I eat. Rather, it was due to my medical conditions. I let with the judgement stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a dietitian. I wanted to go study nutrition, but I didn't want to amplify the labels that were already being placed upon me. I did not want more emotional pain, neither did I need more rejection, bulling and shaming than I was already dealing with.

But it is true. Sadly, there is a stigma that people with eating disorders often go study nutrition or dietetics. In fact, according to a research paper published in the National Library of Medicine in 2018, Orthorexia nervosa and eating disorder symptoms in dietitians in the United States, researchers found that both ON and EDs are more common amongst dietitians than the general population. The results showed dietitians self-reported symptoms suggesting a prevalence of 49.5% for ON and 12.9% for EDs, and the presence of ON symptoms was associated with all the types of ED symptoms queried.

So, I didn't follow my dream and, instead, went for the second best option. I decided to go study Exercise Science in America, and became a Master Personal Trainer through the International Sports Science Association. I am also a certified coach, and have done kids coaching development courses. However, after returning from the States, I ended up becoming certified as a Sports Nutritionist; while studying exercise science, I realized nutrition is a key part of an athlete's performance, recovery, and health. It is not worth it to not go for the things that makes you excited in life, just simply because of the fear of what others may say or think. Follow your own passions and create your own path - ultimately you are the one who is going to walk it!

I always knew I wanted to be involved and give back to the sport in some way. It is a part of me and will always be! I realized I could merge my passions for running, coaching, and nutrition into one, because they are all connected, and the one cannot really function optimally without the other!

Sports Nutrition is such a new and evolving field, and one often has to seek out other avenues of study, like diplomas or postgraduate programs, to become a qualified sports nutritionist, since a lot of universities only offer dietetics and not sports nutrition. I want to be able to work with the active population as that is where my interests lean most towards. The field is constantly growing and we are learning more about the science of nutrition and its effects on the human body, as well as its practical implications for athletes. It is for this reason that I‘ve decided to continue studying: to broaden my knowledge and better assist the athletes I am working with.

I am currently busy studying to become a Performance Sports Nutritionist through the Institute Of Performance Nutrition (IOPN). The IOPN is an independent professional education institute dedicated to the training and development of sports nutritionists. The course is led by world-class lecturers and tutors who fuel elite athletes and teams. I am very excited and privileged to be a student at such a high-level institution.

My mission is to help athletes reach their full potential and enjoy their sport. I want to give back to the sport, since it is something that gave me so much, and brought so much meaning to my life! Coaching and Sport Nutrition is my way to help other athletes feel the same feeling of freedom that I experience every day when I get to exercise.

Join today, and learn how to TRAIN RIGHT & FUEL FOR THE WORK REQUIRED!

To find out more about the services I will be offering please visit:

https://www.anniesathletes.org/

https://www.anniesathletes.org/services

Alternatively you can also visit my coaching page on my blog: https://www.anniebothma.com/coaching

Lastly, if you have a dream or something you are really passionate about, I encourage you to go for it and never let anyone else decide your path or let your fears dictate your decisions. Follow your heart.

- Annie