Two alumnae from Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources were selected to support Team USA athletes as registered dietitians during the summer 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Carrie Aprik and Kate Davis graduated from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition with a focus in exercise physiology. As dietitians joining Team USA, they will support the health, wellness and performance of the athletes during the Games, which begin on Aug. 28.
“Every day I am inspired by the accomplishments of our extraordinary alumni,” said Les Bourquin, chairperson of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. “We are immensely proud of Carrie and Kate for achieving this outstanding honor. It is testament to their hard work and commitment to excellence in their field. I know the entire CANR community will be cheering them on as they help Team USA athletes compete at their highest level this summer in Paris.”
Both Aprik and Davis were mentored by Lorraine Weatherspoon, a professor and the associate chairperson and director of MSU’s Didactic Program in Dietetics.
“As their former teacher and mentor, I am thrilled that Carrie and Kate have earned this tremendous opportunity to use their talents and training in support of Team USA,” Weatherspoon said. “They exemplify the outstanding strength and attributes of our Dietetics alumni community, and I could not be prouder of both of them.”
Like stars aligning
In 2014, Aprik connected with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, or USOPC, while consulting at Oakland University. She then began contracting with the U.S. Figure Skating and Women’s Hockey teams. In this role, she served as a Team USA dietitian, supporting these teams at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Aprik continued her consulting work with other clients until becoming a full-time USOPC winter sport dietitian in 2022.Davis said it was her connection from MSU with Aprik that helped her begin working with the USOPC. In 2018, the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team needed a last-minute addition to their dietitian group — and Aprik immediately tought of Davis.
“I remember I got this call and it’s Carrie and she said, ‘We need help and I think you’d be great!’,” said Davis. Through this connection, Davis began contracting with U.S. Women’s Hockey. Then in 2018, she responded to a job posting for the team dietitian of USA Men’s and Women’s Goalball, a paralympic sport; she has been working with that team ever since.
For Davis, this will be her first opportunity to travel to the Paralympic Games with Team USA, and the fact that she will be joined there by a fellow Spartan makes the experience even more surreal. “It kind of blows my mind because not many dietitians go to the Games,” said Davis. “And it just so happened that both of us were chosen together.”
Aprik, who has previously attended the Winter Games, said she was also moved by this incredible, seemingly improbable opportunity.
“I felt so emotional when they told me Kate was also coming to Paris,” said Aprik. “I started thinking back to our days working together in grad school. I typically just work with winter athletes, so having the privilege of going to the Summer Games, with Kate, it’s like the stars aligning.”
Putting yourself out there
As graduates of one of the top dietetics programs in the country, both Aprik and Davis said that there is an immediate recognition and respect that comes with being MSU dietetics alumni working in the field. Each said their individual success would not have been possible without the practical training and mentorship they received during their time in the dietetics program at MSU, particularly from Weatherspoon.Aprik was first exposed to sports nutrition through a volunteer opportunity with Joe Carlson and the on-campus sport nutrition program for varsity athletes, which at the time was called the Spartan Nutrition and Performance Program, or SNAPP — one of the first D1 programs to offer registered dietitian services to student athletes. It was her connection with Carlson that brought her back to MSU to pursue a graduate degree. Carlson was also the graduate school advisor for Aprik and Davis, arranging for both of them to work directly with varsity athletes during their time in graduate school — an experience that few young dietitians got at the time.
Reflecting on insights for future Spartan dietitians, both Aprik and Davis encourage students to embrace taking chances. “Don’t put yourself in a box or let anyone else put you in a box,” said Aprik. “A traditional path like clinical hospital dietitian, that’s a wonderful career. But there’s many other things you can do too. Don’t be afraid to try new things, experiment, talk to people — it is important to explore the field.”
To prepare for life after college, Davis emphasized the importance of students building connections and stepping beyond their comfort zones. “Even after being a dietitian for 17 years, I work outside of my comfort zone nearly every day,” said Davis. “It’s good to put yourself out there and learn how to walk up to someone and explain what you do and why it is important, regardless of which area of dietetics you choose to go into.”
An experience that will last a lifetime
Aprik and Davis hope that the millions of spectators who tuned in to the Olympics and plan to watch the Paralympics this summer keep in mind the extraordinary amount of work and planning that goes on behind the scenes for these events. For support staff members, it’s not just about taking care of the athletes’ health and wellness during the three weeks of the Games, but about providing each athlete with an experience that will last a lifetime.“Throughout the Games, we often only hear stories about a handful of superstar athletes, but there are so many other people working just as hard with stories that are just as special,” said Aprik. “All the athletes are important, and we try to treat everyone with that same level of care.”
While the Games only last a few weeks, the preparation starts years in advance and requires an extraordinary amount of time and sacrifice from all those involved. “Everyone works very long hours and is away from family for weeks at a time,” said Davis. “But it’s because they love Team USA and want to see the athletes stay healthy and achieve success. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I always had on my bucket list as a sports dietitian.”