‘Stronger. Faster. Fueled.’ to spotlight athlete health, nutrition, and recovery at PCHS

"Sis" Stouffer helps Miners at away, varsity volleyball tournament. Photo: courtesy of Team Parent Shari Noteware

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City High School senior Sierra Darling is bringing a difficult but increasingly urgent conversation in youth sports into the spotlight.

Darling, a varsity track athlete headed to Yale next fall, is organizing “Stronger. Faster. Fueled.,” a March 26 community event at Park City High School focused on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and low energy availability. The program is aimed at female athletes, coaches, and parents and will focus on performance nutrition, recovery, and long-term athlete health.

The event stems from Darling’s PCCAPS project, which began in AP Statistics and expanded through health-related internships and EMT training, according to the Park City School District. Her work centers on a problem that often goes unrecognized in competitive sports: when athletes do not take in enough energy to meet the demands of training, the effects can extend well beyond fatigue.

The International Olympic Committee defines RED-S as a syndrome of impaired physiological and psychological functioning caused by low energy availability. Research shows it can affect multiple systems, including bone health, menstrual function, metabolism, and performance.

Darling’s goal, the District shared, is to challenge harmful misconceptions that still circulate in sports culture, including the idea that missing a menstrual cycle is a sign of fitness or commitment. Instead, the event will emphasize evidence-based strategies that support both health and performance over time.

The speaker lineup brings together expertise in sports medicine, nutrition, performance, and elite competition.

Among the featured speakers is Dr. Carrie Jaworski, a sports medicine physician in Park City who serves as Intermountain Health’s medical director of sports medicine for the Wasatch Back and head primary care sports medicine physician for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. She also serves in leadership with the American College of Sports Medicine.

Also scheduled to speak is Tyler Roof, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics with Momentous; Dr. Jen Wagner, a physician and former Division I soccer player now working in performance and longevity; Lauren Segal, a sports dietitian and founder of Intuitive Athlete Nutrition; Nikki Dotter, a former University of Utah cross country and track athlete and coach; and Liz Stephen, a U.S. Olympic cross-country skier.

More broadly, the evening reflects a shift underway in sports culture: a growing recognition that underfueling is not a marker of toughness, but a health risk that can undermine both development and performance. By centering on education, recovery, and sustainable training, Darling’s event aims to give athletes and families better tools to support long-term success.

“Stronger. Faster. Fueled.” will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in the Park City High School lecture hall. The event is open to the community.