Sports RD Snippets

Hosted by Liz Wluka Michaels

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102

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Sports dietitians all have different career paths that have led them to where they are today. Join Liz Wluka Michaels, MS, RD, CSSD and her sports dietitian colleagues talk about their career paths to becoming a sports RD. Collegiate, professional, tactical and private practice sports dietitians will share "snippets" of their career path including advice, insight, challenges and the rewards of the profession. If you want to become a sports RD this podcast is for you!

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October 12, 2026Episode 10251 min

Motherhood, Career Changes & New Opportunities w/Christina Weidman

Part-Time RD, Full-Time Mom! Christina Weidman shares her career path along with amazing advice and insight on how she transitioned from full-time to part-time in the collegiate setting, while raising a family. Christina specializes in eating disorders in sport along with supplement safety. Whether you’re a mom, mom to be, or hope to start a family in the future, this episode is for you! Christina Weidman is a veteran sports dietitian having worked in collegiate athletics for over a decade. She has been a member of the Northwestern University Performance Nutrition team since 2014 and has worked in a variety of roles serving over 500 student athletes. She is currently an Advanced Clinical Dietitian in Athletics specializing in REDs, eating disorders, female athletes, and dietary supplements. She plays an active role in driving policy development for the Performance Nutrition team and Sports Medicine Unit. She is dedicated to helping athletes nourish their bodies while fueling their athletic and academic success. Christina is actively in the Sports and Human Performance Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (SHPN) E3 mentor program meant to guide and educate future sports nutrition dietitians. She also recently authored the paper National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Evaluation of Dietary Supplements for Athlete Safety and Performance which was published in August of 2026. Outside of work, Christina loves spending time with her husband and three energetic kids going on weekend road trips or family bike rides. She can always be found with one or more books stacked around her. Christina earned her bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed her dietetic internship through the Loyola University Chicago Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and obtained her Master’s in Exercise Science from Concordia University. Her professional affiliations include active involvement in the American Sports and Performance Dietitian Association (ASPDA), the Sports and Human Performance Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (SHPN), Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Notably, she has served as the President of the Chicago Academy in 2016-17, leading an organization of over 200 Registered Dietitians and nutrition students in Chicago. Looking to learn more about supplements? Check these out! National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Evaluation of Dietary Supplements for Athlete Safety and Performance https://nata.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/attr/61/8/article-p525.xml IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5867441/ This episode is sponsored by La Bella Famiglia. La Bella Famiglia. Better for you Italian. 🍕💛 If you're ready to talk products or pricing for your program, reach Chris directly at cdisanto@bellafamiglia.com.

September 17, 202656 min

The Sports RD Mom: Jessica Hylander TCU

Super MOM! Jessica Hylander shares what life is like as a new sports RD mom, how to prepare your staff for maternity leave, what it takes to be a good leader, and so much more! Jessica Hylander is in her 7th year at TCU currently serving as the Assistant Athletics Director of Sports Nutrition since 2022 and prior to that, Assistant Director and Graduate Assistant. Additionally, she has experience from the University of Florida (SNIP) and Northwestern University. Jessica is responsible for all sports at TCU but personally works with the Baseball and Swim and Dive programs. She is passionate about creating a positive and sustainable working environment for her staff and assisting her athletes in being successful not only in their sport but also as a healthy human. Outside of work Jessica loves to be outdoors with her husband, daughter and their two dogs (Maddux and Sadie) doing pretty much anything. She also loves to try new coffee and food spots wherever she is! Hylander received her bachelors of science in Dietetics with a minor in chemistry from Olivet Nazarene University. She went on to do her dietetic internship and receive a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Dominican University. Lastly, she received an additional master’s degree in Higher Educational Leadership (M.Ed) from TCU. This episode is sponsored by La Bella Famiglia. If you're ready to talk products or pricing for your program, reach Chris directly at cdisanto@bellafamiglia.com. Again, that's cdisanto@bellafamiglia.com. La Bella Famiglia. Better for you Italian.

August 12, 2026Episode 10043 min

10 Lessons, 10 Years & 100 Episodes

Episode 100! My very first guest, Meredith Price is back on the pod. We have both been sports dietitians for 10 years and we share 10 lessons we have learned over the past decade! Fun Fact: I became an RD on August 9, 2016 and got my first full-time job offer at UConn August 9, 2017! August 9th has a special place in my heart! Meredith Price is the Assistant Athletic Director, Performance Nutrition at the University of Utah where she leads the nutrition department and works primarily with men’s basketball, gymnastics, ski, and baseball. Prior to Utah, she was the Associate Director of Performance Nutrition at the University of Washington and worked with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, including supporting athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Meredith holds a Master’s in Sport Nutrition from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and a Bachelor’s in Dietetics from the University of Georgia. Liz Wluka Michaels is the Assistant Athletics Director, Sports Nutrition at Boston College, where she leads performance nutrition services for 30+ teams. Previously, she was the first full-time Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Connecticut. Liz is also the founder and host of Sports RD Snippets , launched in 2020 to help guide and inspire future sports dietitians. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of sports RDs and helping them navigate their careers. Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you!

June 29, 202646 min

Hector H. Martinez: Princeton University

Ivy League Sports RD! Hector H. Martinez, RD, CSSD, ISAK1 is the Clinical Sports Dietitian at Princeton University, where he leads sports nutrition services for more than 1,100 student-athletes across 38 varsity teams. He specializes in high performance nutrition, REDs, eating concerns, body composition, weight descent, and rehabilitation nutrition. Hector is also the founder of Fueling Intentionally LLC, a private sports nutrition practice focused on helping athletes optimize health and performance. He is passionate about bridging clinical sports nutrition, physiology, and practical fueling strategies to support athletes at every level. Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you! This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order! https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

May 6, 202624 min

G2G: A Founder’s Journey with Casey Child

Building the Bar! A Founder’s Journey Casey Child is the founder and owner of G2G Bar ("Good To Go"), a Utah-based company that produces refrigerated, fresh-ingredient protein bars. A former professional baseball player, Child developed the bars to provide a healthy, preservative-free snack option. G2G bars are known for being sold in the refrigerated section and contain 18 grams of protein. Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you! This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? G2G has also got you covered : Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order! ⁠ https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

April 27, 202654 min

From Student Athlete to Dietitian & Therapist: Kate Daley

Full circle moment! My former student-athlete, Kate Daley, is on the pod talking about her journey from college athlete to dual clinician—and how she now helps athletes navigate nutrition, mental health, and recovery. Kate Daley is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Registered Dietitian (RDN), and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS). She earned her master’s degree from the University of Denver and her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut (UConn), where she was a member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams. Her clinical training included specialized work treating athletes with eating disorders, serving as both a clinical mental health clinician and registered dietitian. Throughout her career, Kate has worked across a variety of treatment settings, including hospitals, athletic departments, private practice, and higher levels of care for both eating disorders and substance use disorders. She currently serves as the Primary Therapist at one of only two residential eating disorder facilities in the country that treat athletes, and she also works with athletes in her private practice, providing both therapy and nutrition services. Kate has presented at conferences and other professional settings on topics including eating disorders, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), Safe Exercise at Every Stage (SEES), sports nutrition, sport psychology, and mental health in the context of sport at all levels—from recreational to Olympic. She has experience working with individuals, families, and groups. Her clinical approach is strength-based and rooted in a humanistic, person-centered philosophy. She utilizes evidence-based modalities including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In her dual role as a sport and eating disorder therapist and dietitian, Kate specializes in working with athletes seeking treatment for eating disorders, helping them pursue recovery while continuing in the sport they love. Check out Kate's story here! https://www.thehiddenopponent.org/post/kate-daley-my-un-conventional-comeback-story Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you! This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? G2G has also got you covered : Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order! https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

April 1, 202653 min

Valarie Hannahs: IMG Academy + & Private Practice

Anything is Possible! Valarie Hannahs has an amazing story on her path to becoming a sports dietitian. If you’re a clinical dietitian looking to transition into sports nutrition, this episode is for you! Val Hannahs is a sports dietitian with 20 years of experience helping athletes fuel for performance. She holds a Bachelor’s in Dietetics and a Master’s in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and has worked across both clinical and sports nutrition settings since 2006. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles from Manager to Director, including her most recent work with IMG Academy +. While she has worked with athletes across a variety of sports, Val has a strong focus on ice hockey, helping players optimize energy, recovery, and consistency on and off the ice. She is also a mom of three, and when she’s not working with athletes, you can find her training for triathlons, coaching her kids, or attending their games. Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you! This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? G2G has also got you covered : Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order! https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

February 26, 202642 min

5 Years Later! From Student to Full-Time Sports RD w/Nancy Siegel

5 Years Later! Nancy is back on the podcast to share how she went from being a volunteer to a full-time sports dietitian at Ohio State University. She shares valuable lessons on navigating the transition from volunteer to graduate assistant to full-time professional. Nancy reflects on her experiences as a student and how those lessons now shape the way she practices and supports her teams today. If you’re a student or entry-level dietitian, you won’t want to miss this one! Nancy joined the Performance Nutrition Staff at The Ohio State University in December of 2024 and is a two time graduate from OSU. She completed her bachelors of science in Dietetics in 2023, and her Masters of Dietetics and Nutrition in December 2024. Team assignments include wrestling, women's ice hockey, field hockey, men/women's golf, and dance. She held various roles during her time as a student at OSU such as graduate teaching assistant, graduate performance nutrition dietetic intern, and performance nutrition operations assistant. She spent the summer of 2022 at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a performance nutrition intern gaining valuable professional sports experience in combat athletics which translated to her graduate research on investigating the changes in resting metabolic rate and respiratory quotient in collegiate wrestlers. This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? G2G has also got you covered : Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order! https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

February 6, 20261 hr 1 min

Breaking Into Pro Sports with Petra Rack: Chicago Fire FC

Petra's Journey to the Pros! Petra Rack, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN is a Performance and Sports Dietitian with extensive experience fueling elite and high-performance athletes. She currently serves as the Head Dietitian for Chicago Fire FC, where she leads nutrition strategy to optimize player performance, recovery, and overall health through evidence-based fueling protocols, education, and daily performance support. Petra holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and is a Registered Dietitian (RD), Licensed Dietitian (LDN), and Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)—a credential representing advanced expertise in sports nutrition. In addition to her work in professional soccer, Petra is the Founder of Petra’s Eats RD LLC, where she provides individualized nutrition consulting, team education, meal planning, and performance-focused programming for athletes and active individuals. Her background spans collegiate and professional sport environments, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the demands placed on athletes at every level. Petra’s approach emphasizes translating nutrition science into practical, sustainable strategies that enhance performance, support recovery, and promote long-term health. She is deeply committed to empowering athletes with the confidence and knowledge to fuel their bodies effectively, both in sport and in life. Looking to break into the field with confidence! Check out my 1:1 mentoring services! www.sportsrdsnippets.com⁠ This episode is sponsored by G2G Protein Bar! If you’re a sports RD and are interested in samples, email me at liz@sportsrdsnippets.com or DM Sports RD Snippets on instagram and I’ll connect you with Coby Childs for your samples. Looking to try for yourselves? G2G has also got you covered : Use the code sportsrd15 for 15% your order https://g2gbar.com/discount/sportsrd15

December 18, 2025Episode 9357 min

Katie LeMair: Twin Mom, Full-Time Sports RD!

Katie LeMair is back on the podcast—and this time, she’s joining us as a mom of twins! 🎉 Katie opens up about the real, unfiltered experience of navigating motherhood while working full-time as a sports dietitian and serving as the first full-time registered dietitian at her alma mater, South Dakota State University. In this episode Katie covers an array of topics about working in the collegiate setting as a Sports RD mom, leaving and returning to collegiate athletics, balancing a new director role with a family, and how her mindset and priorities have shifted throughout the last 5 years. This honest conversation is packed with insight for anyone juggling big life changes and professional growth. This episode is a must-listen for sports RD moms and future sports RD moms navigating career growth, motherhood, and everything in between. Katie LeMair, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is the Associate Athletic Director for Kvistad Nutrition at her alma mater, South Dakota State University, where she is proudly building the sports nutrition department as the program's first ever Sports RD. Katie has previous career stops at: Kansas State, University of Texas (Gatorade SNIP), and the University of Nebraska, as well as owning her private practice from 2022-2025. Outside of her career endeavors, Katie is a mom to 3.5 year old twin boys: Owen and Myles. *Sports Nutrition Models-Discussed in the episode! Interassociation Consensus Statement on Sports Nutrition Models for the Provision of Nutrition Services From Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Collegiate Athletics https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9661935/ Looking to start your career with confidence? Check out the website www.sportsrdsnippets.com to learn more on how I can help you! Use code RDSNIPPETS30 at checkout for 30% off product online at www.2before.com . For teams specific pricing, reach out to info@2before.com for more information.