For nearly a decade, the sports dietitian Sarah Wick ran a one-woman operation at Ohio State. She oversaw the eating habits of 1,000 athletes, most of whom paid little attention to her efforts.
“My first years were just knocking on coaches’ doors, asking if I could do a prevent presentation,” said Wick, who joined the Ohio State staff in 2003. “It had nothing to do with what we’re serving them.”
Today, she leads a full sports nutrition department that includes four registered dietitians, interns, a logo and a food budget of more than $1.5 million, an increase that is more than double what Ohio State paid to feed its athletes only a year ago.