118: Team USA Swimmer’s Battle With Anorexia + Medical Retirement

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with former Team USA and NCAA Division I swimmer Eva Merrell. Eva was a high school standout, competing in the US Olympic Trials and named to the US Swimming National Team at 16 years old. After being recruited as the top high school swimmer and committing to The University of Georgia, Eva found herself battling anorexia nervosa. Today, she bravely shares her own eating disorder experience, discussing how her desire to be a “good athlete” led her down a path of restriction, weight loss, and poor performance. We talk about the physical signs and symptoms of eating disorders, debunking the myth that a low heart rate is always a good thing: a slow heart rate could be a sign of a weak and failing heart. Eva talks about receiving the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, recovery and relapse, multiple hospitalizations and treatment while being an NCAA DI athlete.  We discuss the place for sport during eating disorder recovery and the need to sometimes take a break. For Eva, this break was forced upon her and led to her medical retirement from swimming while at the University of Georgia. She opens up about the difficult decision to stop swimming and prioritize her mental health, sharing about the new identity she found outside of sport. This includes a passion in advocating for mental health, and now works for The Hidden Opponent, a non-profit that works to de-stigmatize mental health in athletics. Eva hopes that sharing her story will help struggling athletes and those around them identify disordered patterns, know they are not alone, and that support is out there.   Follow Eva on Instagram @evamerrell and The Hidden Opponent @thehiddenopponent Follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  We have a huge announcement! We are launching patreon! Female Athlete Nutrition podcast patreon is now LIVE and we are excited to offer our community unique perks. Join today and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order In this episode we talk about: 1:00 Exciting announcement! We are on patreon! 7:00 Eva’s introduction to swimming and progression 8:30 Eva’s struggle with anorexia wanting to be a “good athlete” 12:30 Normalizing body changes and puberty 17:00 Physical symptoms of disordered eating  19:00 Learn more about patreon! 23:30 Eating disorders and performance: improving until it all comes crashing down  27:00 Eva’s path to diagnosis 28:45 The athlete’s heart vs the weak and underfuelled heart 33:00 Hospitalization and eating disorder treatment, relapses and inpatient experiences 34:30 Combining sport with eating disorder recovery  38:00 Recovery as a college student-athlete 43:00 Medical retirement and the end of Eva’s swimming career 49:45 Life after sport and expanding your identity 56:30 Eva’s work with the Hidden Opponent to increase eating disorder awareness 59:00 End of the podcast questions