Para Sports Nutrition

Katie Kelly is a Para triathlete with Ushers syndrome (an impairment of both vision and hearing) who won gold in Rio and was 6th in Tokyo. Katie started competing in para triathlon in her late 30's. Katie talks to us about the sport of para triathlon, her impairment, and her experience in becoming an elite athlete at a relatively late age.

Shaun Caven is the National Para Canoe / kayak coach for Australia, having previously coached in the US and UK. Shaun describes the sport of para canoe / kayak, the physiological and physical demands, and how new athletes and coaches can get started in this sport.

Professor Peter Peeling is a sports physiologist at the Western Australian Institute of Sport and researcher at the University of Western Australia. Peter has devoted much of his research time to iron metabolism in athletes, which is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies particularly in female athletes. We talk to Pete about the role of iron, what happens when athletes are deficient in iron, how to diagnose and treat iron deficiency, and why some para athletes may be more at risk of iron deficiency.

Siobhan Crawshay is the sports dietitian for Paralympics Australia, and specifically has worked with the Australian wheelchair rugby team (Steelers) for the past 11 years. Siobhan (Vorny) provides some fabulous insight into the key nutrition issues she covers with the wheelchair rugby players and the strategies she's used to support them.

Steve Serio is a 4 time Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball player, and the co-captain of the USA Mens Wheelchair Basketball team who have won Gold at the last 2 Paralympic games. We talk to Steve about his history, how he got into playing Wheelchair Basketball, his training and how he fits his nutrition around his training.

Bill Hamiter is the USA Womens National Sit Volleyball head coach and high performance director, and Michelle Goodall is the assistant coach to the same team. The US Women's team has won Gold  at the last 2 Paralympic games under their guidance. Bill and Michelle talk to us about the game of Sit Volleyball, the physical demands of the sport, common nutrition concerns and provide advice to potential athletes and coaches.

Iryna Dvoskina is a 7 time Paralympic athletics (track sprint and jumps) coach. Iryna started her coaching career in the early 90's in the Ukraine and moved to Australia in the early 2000's. She has coached a wide range of highly successful Paralympic sprinters and jumpers across many different impairments. Iryna talks about her coaching framework and philosophies, the benefits of balance to ensure long term health and wellbeing, and the importance of mentoring when working with athletes with an impairment.

Lex Gillette is a 5 time Paralympic silver medallist, 4 time world champion and current world record holder in the F11 class for Long Jump. He has been completely vision impaired since the age of 9. Lex talks about his training, his diet, and how he uses artificial intelligence and smart phones to help him navigate life.

Ellie Cole, OAM, is a 4 time Paralympic Swimmer who has won 17 medals and is the most decorated female swimmer in Australia. Ellie was one of the athletes showcased on the Rising Pheonix documentary and is an active member of the #WeThe15 movement. Ellie shares with us some insights into her 17 year journey as a national level swimmer, how she's learnt to adjust her intake according to her training demands, and the importance of developing good working relationships with various practitioners who support athletes.

Dr Joelle Flueck is a sports nutritionist in Switzerland who has spent over 10 years working with, and undertaking research into, athletes with a spinal cord injury. Joelle has recently written several narrative reviews on carbohydrate and protein needs for athletes with a spinal cord injury, as well as nutrition needs for para cycling. Joelle provides her insights into what she's learnt from working with para athletes and on some of the research she has undertaken.