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Featured Athlete - Raychel Shannon, professional athlete, sport recovery specialist, and nutrition coach
Raychel has been playing basketball since she was in 2nd grade. She never felt like she was the most athletic or naturally gifted player so she worked extra hard to compete at each level. This is where her interest in nutrition and recovery stemmed from as she was always looking for ways to gain a 1% advantage. She went on to earn a graduate degree in Nutrition and Exercise science.
Greatest athletic accomplishment - In college her team got the chance to play at Madison Square Garden to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first women's basketball game every played there. "It was an incredible honor to be part of a celebration of such an impactful historical moment and to reflect on how far women's sports have come thanks to the work of many who came before us."
Injuries and Injury Preventation
Over her career Raychel has had nagging back injuries. To some extent they were preventable if she had put more focus on recovery rather than pushing herself to train through the discomfort. She believes that athletes have the tendency to overtrain and don't prioritize recovery to the level they need to. It starts with creating an intentional plan to avoid over doing it. This can include a variety of recovery modalities and always begins with the basics:
- Sleep
- Proper Nutrition
- Cold/Hot Therapy
Properly fueling the body through nutrition helps provide the energy needed to sustain high intensity training. Our bodies need all 3 macro-nutrients -carbohydrates, fats and protein to perform at our best.
Cold and heat therapy can be used to mitigate inflammation from nagging pains or normal wear and tear.
Message from Raychel
"Speaking directly to female athletes, I want you to know you are good enough. You don't constantly have to prove your worth. You have the power inside of you so keep working at your craft and you will attract great things. Be confident and bold in pursuit of what you love. Also, be sure to support and uplift fellow female athletes as much as you can - we build and rise together." #GirlsKick
https://www.raysthebarrecovery.com
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