Sarah Bland is a high school senior from Richmond, Virginia, where she lives with her mom, dad, and brother. Sarah runs cross country and track year round, and she has been an active member of her Girl Scout troop for 13 years. In her free time, she loves exploring new restaurants, hiking with friends, baking, and working as a lifeguard. After graduation, she plans to attend university and study health sciences. Several years ago, Sarah experienced iron deficiency, which impacted her performance as an athlete and her health overall. After learning how common it is in female athletes, she decided to dedicate her Girl Scout Gold Project to educating others about iron deficiency in athletes. Her goal was to inform athletes, parents, and coaches about the importance of iron, and how to prevent and treat iron deficiency, so they can be healthy and reach their full potential.

https://www.energetichealthyathlete.com/

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/iron-deficiency-jan-18-2024

Key Takeaways from this episode:

1. Iron Deficiency in Athletes: Sarah's Gold Award project focused on spreading awareness about iron deficiency in athletes, particularly female athletes. Up to 35% of female athletes may experience this condition, which is often overlooked by doctors. Sarah's project aimed to educate coaches, parents, and athletes about the signs and importance of getting tested for iron deficiency.

2. Creating Awareness through Infographics and Videos: Sarah utilized tools like Canva to create infographics and Doodly to make videos to explain the key information about iron deficiency. These visual aids helped in effectively communicating the message and educating the audience about the importance of iron levels in the body.

3. Persistence and Passion in Achieving Goals: Sarah's project took over 200 hours to complete, highlighting the time-consuming nature of the Gold Award process. Despite the challenges faced in creating a website, video, and conducting research, Sarah's passion for informing others about iron deficiency kept her motivated. She learned that with dedication and persistence, she could achieve her goals and make a positive impact in her community.

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Editing by https://www.offthewalter.com/ Walter’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0wFZRVaOpUd_nXc_8-4yQ