Fuelling excellence: transforming athletic performance through dietetics

Jessie’s love for sports inspired her to specialise in sports dietetics.

“I enjoy being both a participant and a spectator, and I find sports dietetics to be an exciting and dynamic environment. No day is the same! It’s so rewarding when athletes implement your recommendations and it translates to helping them achieve their goals.”

Through her practice Sustain Speed Nutrition, Jessie is the current performance nutritionist for Avis Magic Netball Team, Northern Districts Cricket and Artistic Swimming New Zealand, including the duo who competed in the Games in Paris last month. She says she loves working with a diverse range of high-performance athletes, sports teams and schools.

“It keeps me on my toes by learning and upskilling in each situation. I love being organised and planning my weeks to fit in 1:1 sessions, team trainings and presentations – each week is different.”

Originally planning to become a Chartered Accountant, Jessie completed an accounting degree after high school. However, she discovered a new path and enrolled in summer school at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University to study chemistry and biology, which she had left behind in year 10. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from Massey in 2022, Jessie pursued her master’s, saying she was driven to become an expert in nutrition and differentiate herself in the workforce.

“I chose Massey because of the personable staff, campus experience and the research areas that interested me. Completing my master’s was a huge achievement. It was a full-on experience, and looking back I’m grateful for the experience and my cohort. Submitting my thesis and finishing my last hospital placement were both amazing feelings!”

Jumping straight into her career after finishing her master’s, Jessie says her studies with Massey set her up for success.

“The vast array of teamwork, placements and coursework during my master’s provided me with essential people skills, adaptability and the capacity to build quality relationships, which are all essential in a sporting environment.”

During her master’s programme, Jessie recognised her dream of owning her own practice, leading to the establishment of Sustain Speed Nutrition.

“I still enjoy the business side of things and have found it to be an awesome learning experience. Building relationships with clients and the community has been incredibly rewarding. I’m constantly reflecting on how to improve my practice, whether by creating new client resources, making my documentation more efficient or updating my website. It’s an evolving journey that I’m enjoying.”

The 26-year-old’s key passion is helping people perform at their best in all areas of their lives and she says her aim is supporting her clients in recognising the full potential of nutrition.

“Social media trends around fad diets can be hugely detrimental, especially for athletes. I work to help athletes create a positive relationship with food, where all foods can be enjoyed while achieving peak performance.”

She hopes to see the field of sports nutrition continue to grow and strengthen in the coming years.

“I see sports nutrition becoming increasingly recognised as being just as important as training itself. I hope that in the future our sporting environment will place a greater emphasis on the resourcing of nutrition support and prioritise the overall wellbeing of each individual athlete.”

A piece of advice from her current practice supervisor continues to motivate Jessie in her career.

“I was told, ‘You’re not faking it ‘til you’ve made it – if you’ve got the opportunity, you’ve worked hard and are meant to be there’. So, for anyone considering a similar career, I say go for it! Step outside your comfort zone, send that email, reach out to a senior in the field to be your mentor and create your own opportunities!”