Description

This episode is an interview with UK based runner, Pippa Woolven. Pippa grew up in the UK and found her way into the sport of running. She was offered a scholarship to compete at the D1 level with Florida State University, where she found herself struggling with food and body image. After a decline in her health and performance left her unable to train or compete and with no diagnosis from doctors, Pippa did her own research and discovered she was likely suffering from RED-S. She went on to recover through the help of medical professionals, and went on to have a successful running career at the elite level. Her experience inspired her to found Project RED-S, a resource for athletes, coaches, and parents to help educate people around what RED-S is and how to prevent it and recover from it.

In today's episode, we talk about:

• How sports in the UK are different from sports in the US, and how Pippa's transition to the US was a big culture shock
• What it was like for her suddenly being surrounded by athletics, and how comparison to her teammates led her to make slow, subtle changes to her fueling that resulted in weight loss and RED-S
• What her decline into RED-S looked like, and what it felt like when she finally was able to receive a diagnosis
• Why she decided to start Project RED-S, what it is, and what resources they can offer to athletes, coaches, and anyone who works with or supports athletes
• What her experience with RED-S taught her and why it's so important to her to spread the word about RED-S

You can head to red-s.com to learn more about Project RED-S and checkout their resources like the toolkit and the FAQ section