Have you Ever wished you had someone that understands what you are going through?
And who was diverse and current with the latest knowledge to help?
Ding, ding ding!
You have found that Someone!
Dr. Katie Schofield here, at your service. People in the know call me Katie. I hold a PhD that specializes in Low Energy Availability (LEA) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), and spans across exercise physiology and socio-psychology + registered nutritionist + former international elite track cyclist + avid learner and communicator. Man…that was a glorious mouthful of info! So in short:
I take a multi-dimensional approach to health, nutrition, and athletic performance, specifically to those suffering from Low Energy Availability.
With this multi-dimensional philosophy, I coach individuals in a range of areas that will improve their health and wellbeing, nutrition, which then will play out in their physical performance. AND I provide them with the tools to continue their progression, instead of services who are unfamiliar with LEA and RED-S and provide online cookie-cutter athletic programmes or nutritional plans, that contradicts what you REALLY need.
You are not alone, I felt this way too…
My story
I’m speaking from experience because….
I had dreams, BIG Olympic dreams.
Yet, they didn’t pan out…
After 2y as a professional track cyclist, my performances plateaued, and rightly so I was removed from the National programme. At the ‘older age’ of 30y, I was at a cross-road - was this the end of my professional athletic career, and an end of that Olympic dream?
I had to really look hard at myself, question everything I was doing, feeling, seeing, believing and wanting…
The biggest task was questioning my health and the way I was training…
You see, I was not healthy. I may have looked healthy (?) and looked the part of an elite athlete from the outside (muscular and lean) but internally, functionally, I was deteriorating.
For one, I didn’t have a menstrual cycle for over 2y, I had major digestive issues, I was easily irritated or emotional. I experienced night sweats, cold hands and feet, pimples on my jawline, niggles, napping, fatigue and never feeling refreshed after a good 9-10h sleep.
I thought:
“This is a part of being an athlete. I’m just pushing my body to the limit.”
In 2014 I was given the diagnosis of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport or RED-S. At that time I had not heard of the syndrome before. But I read the literature and gathered as much information that I could get my hands on.
I realized that there was so much more to learn about this syndrome, my training, myself and the environment I was in.
There IS MORE to athletic performance than just the numbers, there IS MORE more to health than blood results, and IS MORE to nutrition than your macro percentages.
Because LEA is complex and we as individuals are also wonderfully complex, we must approach LEA from many angles to have a greater understanding of the condition, and the right recovery plan. That is why I created ‘k-s’. My aim is to educate and inform ALL exercising populations, using the experiences I’ve had as an elite high-performance athlete and the scientific and research knowledge I have attained. I am continually enhancing my understanding of LEA and in other relatable areas of sport-science, nutrition, health and wellbeing, and athletic performance. This, allows me to provide YOU with the latest information and practices to get you back to feeling your normal self, and rocking out kick-ass training sessions and performances. YAS!
I believe in a holistic approach, in that that we must look at many aspects to get the most out of ourselves, to the root of areas we can improve. I believe it is the key to success. I have a range of skills that will cater to all your needs. My knowledge expands across nutrition, athletic performance, coaching, athlete health, and athlete education. As a former elite athlete, I understand the demands of the sport both physically and mentally.
WHY? What I do not wish anyone to experience was the path I paved. I experienced LEA during my time as an elite athlete. It was rough, I understand EVERYTHING about LEA, personally. I was able to return to the sport in the best form I’d been in for a long time, but it did hinder my progression. My story shows how a disruptive athletic career did not allow me to fulfil my athletic goals and ambitions. I have learned a lot about the human body, exercise physiology and sport science and nutrition through my personal experiences, my university studies, and my research pursuits. As I approach the completion of my doctorate in the field of athlete health and RED-S, I am passionate about passing on the knowledge I have developed and experienced to individuals, groups or teams in a fun and digestible way.
My skills are diverse. I am your go-to-gal to get the most out of your body and your performances. At ‘k-s’ you will be provided with recommendations that are backed by science to reach your athletic goals. I work with male and female athletes from all levels, and also teachers, coaches, parents, fitness trainers and sporting clubs and organizations for educational presentations and workshops.
A powerful combination that you Get to have access to!
Testimonials
Katie is always friendly and conducts herself with great professionalism. She is a great listener, and always provided sound advice.
-TORI - T&F athlete
As a career Firefighter, my job can be very physically demanding. Katie's holistic approach helped me achieve my fitness goals through nutrition and Firefighter functional exercises, to increase both strength and stamina. Her suggestions of training through job related tasks has prepared me to work physically for longer when called upon.
-ALEX - Firefighter
Want to see results yourself?
But, my story doesn’t end there…
After taking a year to improve my health and the decision to continue in the sport, I was back in the National squad and competed at the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships in Paris. SHE WAS BACK!
However, my BIG dream of competing in the Olympic Games was never fulfilled. A hard and painful pill to swallow - if only I knew what I knew now. I felt that year I had to get healthy, put me behind schedule that was never going to be made up in such a short time-frame.
What could be good about this?
My experiences were to lead me to help those not go down the path I took.
After I decided to hang up the bike, my intellectual curiosities kicked in and I was keen to embark on another ambition. A PhD. Had I not been through the RED-S experience, I would have not found my research interest and passion in the area of athlete health. And I wouldn’t have seen the coaching gap that I can fill - Intersecting athletic performance, nutrition, and athlete health.
So, maybe your performances are not heading in the direction you expected and more like:
plateauing and you don’t know why
inconsistent due to illness or injury
pressured to hit goals
wondering if you will ever reach your goal
You have everything to gain…
Are you ready to get the most out of your performances that you are working so hard for?
Are you ready to make sure you have the key performance and health enchancing pillers dialled in?
Are you the best athlete you dreamed of, or you are meant to be?
Do you coach or teach a group of athletes that you want to get the most out of?
You (or your athletes) are destined to be shine and skyrocket!
Let me help you get there
‘k-s’ values
understand the individual first, performances later
to educate others
to use my scientific and research knowledge and personal experiences to enhance the understanding of sport-science, health, nutrition, and athletic performance
help uncover healthy happy athletes that can rock out amazing performances
Bio
In 2021, Katie Schofield completed her PhD at the University of Waikato, where she researched the physiological and socio-psychological aspects of energy availability in elite athletes. She has completed degrees in exercise science, nutrition, and a Master of Physical Education at the University of Otago. Katie also is a Registered Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of New Zealand. Katie has many years of personal experience in the application of scientific theory to track cycling performance, as a former member of the NZ elite track cycling team between 2012-2016. A diagnosis of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in 2014 was the catalyst for her doctoral studies which will contribute to research in athlete health. She is also a member of the HPSNZ WHISPA group.
But who is she really?
You will see on various social bio’s that I’m an exerciser, learner and doodler. Hold on…make that a varied exerciser, an avid learner and communicator, and a hobby doodler.
But did you know…
Nature is my muse and feeds my soul
Gluten is my kryptonite
Regular dog sitter for friends (I mean, it really should be on my CV)
I’m American born, but I call New Zealand home
Peanut butter is my obsession, no wait…brownie…
Scratch that, I can’t go past peanut butter brownie (GF of course!)
We can be like what peanut butter is to
(GF) brownie
What a pair…
You bring your story, your goals, your pain points, and your curiosities, and I’ll show up with my scientific nouse to interpret, strategize and guide you in a personable, relatable and holistic manner to get YOU achieving those rocking performances you know you have in you.
