Blog Takeover: Meet Mikaela.

Navigating the World as an Athlete with Celiac Disease

My name is Mikaela Eppard. I played college basketball for 4 years and now work as a speech therapist. I have been gluten free since my junior year in high school, and I wanted to share some of the barriers and successes I have experienced as an athlete with Celiac disease.

When I had to switch my diet 8 years ago, gluten free options were difficult to adjust to as there were not many options to choose from, and the choices I did have were, to be honest, gross. I can remember eating lunch in high school looking at my disintegrated gluten free bread and cardboard like crackers thinking, is this actually the food I have to eat for the rest of my life? Fortunately for me, I had a dad who was dedicated to my dietary needs and he invested time and energy into ensuring I had yummy meals to look forward to. As soon as I had figured out a nice routine at home, I soon left for college.

When I started my collegiate career, I was not totally aware of the changes and adaptations I would have to make. Lucky for me, the dining services at my school provided me with decent gluten free options. Looking back on my career, I wish I had more knowledge into the importance of my diet as a collegiate athlete. I am thankful I had a coach who was aware of my needs and wanted to fuel her players with adequate meals before and after games. Restaurants were chosen based on whether or not they had gluten free options. For long bus rides and away games, I packed a variety of snacks that I could eat. I needed to make sure I had adequate nutrition for myself, even though I wasn’t totally sure what that looked like.

Fast forward 8 years, gluten free options have increased immensely and the taste has actually become enjoyable for me. As a retired (lol) athlete, I feel like I have just now figured out how to properly fuel myself throughout the day, thanks to people like Brooke and her incredible knowledge. Some of my favorite meals to cook are ones that are simple! I recently got an air fryer which makes it easy to make omelettes, vegetables, chicken and fish. It also makes cooking quick and easy so I don’t feel the pressure to meal prep, which never worked for me because I got bored quickly. I’m currently obsessed with making salmon with quinoa and brussel sprouts or fish tacos (which are once again easy with the air fryer). For snacks, Trader Joes has some delicious gluten free snacks, and the best GF bread! KIND bars, nut thins and cheese, and apples and peanut butter have been my “go to” for snacks throughout my day.

Each day I feel like I learn something new about my diet and the changes I can make to ensure I feel the best. I am thankful today that gluten free diets are 100X better than it was 8 years ago and I am always on the lookout for new brands or bakeries that meet my needs.

-Mikaela