In this exciting new episode of The Genetic Coach Podcast, we delve into the elite world of Pro Beach Volleyball Player and FIVB medalist, Evan Cory, and Sports Genomics Dietitian Sarah Amidon of Root & Fruit Nutrition.

Genetics in Sport: How personalized genetic testing revealed Evan's heightened inflammatory risk and shaped his recovery strategies.

Recovery as a Competitive Advantage: Why understanding individual genetic pathways can elevate recovery, prevent injury, and improve adaptation.

The Role of Mindset in Elite Sport: Insights on mental strategies, mentorship, and the psychological intensity of solo/team competition in high-stakes environments.

Wearables & Data Synergy: Integrating genetic data with tools like WHOOP and Oura Ring to contextualize performance metrics.

Challenges of Global Travel: Balancing performance nutrition with regional food risks; strategies for packing smart and supplementing effectively.

Team Collaboration in Genomic Sports Medicine: How dietitians, coaches, and strength professionals can use DNA data to personalize training.

The Future of Performance & Prevention: Using genomics to reduce overtraining, optimize NIL investment outcomes, and prevent costly injuries.

In this episode of The Genetic Coach, host Di White sits down with Olympian Emma Chelius. Emma reflects on her incredible journey as a competitive swimmer, from her early days in KwaZulu-Natal all the way to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In this compelling episode, listeners gain insight into the role of genetics, mental resilience, and recovery strategies in elite sport. Emma also takes the opportunity to open up about her training evolution, challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she balanced talent with hard work to reach her peak. Discover how genetic insights could revolutionize personalized athletic performance.

In this episode of The Genetic Coach, host Di White sits down with endurance athlete Jeff Hsu, an early adopter of Genefit. Jeff, a lifelong cyclist and software development manager, shares how genetic insights have reshaped his approach to training, nutrition, and recovery - leading him to shave 30 minutes off his marathon time. Discover how personalized genetic data, paired with technology and smart wearables, can optimize performance and prevent injuries. If you’ve ever wondered how genetics can fine-tune your training, this episode is for you!

•Former high school athlete turned endurance cyclist and now a marathon runner.

•Balancing training with a full-time tech career at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and PayPal.

•Transitioned to running for efficiency—easier to fit into a busy schedule than cycling.

Genetic Testing & Key Insights

•Initially interested in 23andMe-style testing, but discovered the power of sports genetics.

• Test revealed strong endurance genes and fast recovery ability, yet Jeff wasn’t recovering well due to deficiencies.

• Identified B-vitamin & vitamin D deficiencies, leading to a personalized supplementation strategy.

Data-Driven Training & Recovery

•Early adopter of power meters & wearables to track training load.

•Used GeneFit run program to train for his second marathon—improving by 30 minutes.

•Session Scores & Load Balance from GeneFit helped fine-tune daily workouts.

Preventing Injuries & Overtraining

•Struggled with cramping issues, tried different nutrition strategies.

•Monitored connective tissue injury risk through GeneFit and adjusted training.

•Incorporated yoga & cross-training (tennis, hiking, cycling) to maintain fitness while reducing injury risk.

The Future of Personalized Training

•Genetic insights validate and refine traditional training plans.

• Genetic data helps personalize nutrition, recovery, and workout intensity.

•Advocates for more athletes integrating genetic testing & wearable tech into their training for sustainable performance improvements.

In this episode of The Genetic Coach, host Di White sits down with Margaret Floyd Barry, a functional nutritionist, educator, and real food advocate, to explore the intersection of autoimmunity, athletic performance, and functional health.

Margaret shares her personal journey - from witnessing her mother battle multiple autoimmune diseases to reversing her own Hashimoto’s diagnosis - and how these experiences shaped her mission to help others heal through root-cause nutrition and lifestyle interventions.

Whether you’re an athlete managing autoimmunity or simply looking to optimize your health, fitness, and longevity, this episode is packed with science-backed strategies to help you train smarter and recover faster.

In this episode of The Genetic Coach, host Di White sits down with two-time Olympic open water swimmer Michelle Weber, one of South Africa’s top endurance athletes. Michelle shares her journey from competitive pool swimming to dominating the open water scene, her self-coaching experience, and how she prepared for iconic challenges like the English Channel and Robben Island crossings. They explore the role of genetics in athletic performance, discussing how understanding her genetic profile might provide insights into her endurance capabilities, recovery strategies, and nutrition. Michelle also reflects on her motivations, including her personal journey through loss, and how swimming became both a competitive drive and a means of healing.

Introduction to Michelle Weber

Michelle’s Early Beginnings in Swimming

Transition from Pool Swimming to Open Water

The Role of Genetics in Performance

Self-Coaching and Training for the Olympics and Channel Swim

Recovery and Injury Prevention

Nutrition and Cross-Training for Endurance

The English Channel Swim: A Personal and Physical Challenge

The Logistics of a Marathon Swim

Coaching Others and the Growth of Open Water Swimming

Closing Thoughts

In this episode, professional triathlete Michelle Krebs shares her remarkable journey from aspiring track and field athlete to a top-performing long-distance triathlete. She opens up about the challenges she faced, including injuries, an eating disorder, and mental struggles, and how she ultimately found her passion in triathlon. Michelle discusses her transition from short-distance racing to long-distance endurance sports, how she discovered her true athletic strengths, and the critical role of nutrition, training, and mindset in achieving peak performance.

Michelle also dives into her race-day strategies, her best performances in Kona, and the support systems that helped her succeed. The conversation highlights how genetics, environment, and personalized training can make a significant impact on an athlete’s career. Whether you’re a triathlete or just interested in high-performance endurance sports, this episode is packed with insights on resilience, dedication, and self-discovery.

In this podcast episode of The Genetic Coach, the discussion focuses on how genetic testing is transforming health, fitness, and performance. Host Di White and guest Annelie Smith, an expert in nutrigenomics and functional nutrition, explore a real-life case study of a 52-year-old ultra-endurance runner recovering from cancer treatment. They delve into the genetic insights that helped craft a personalized approach to his training, nutrition, and recovery to enhance his fitness while addressing potential health risks.

The runner’s genetic test revealed significant insights, including his low endurance, slow recovery profile, oxidative stress issues, and predisposition to high cholesterol and blood clotting. The genetic insights guided specific interventions, such as incorporating high-intensity power workouts, tailoring his nutrition to include polyphenol-rich foods, and strategically supplementing with omega-3s, CoQ10, and creatine. The episode emphasizes how genetic testing enables a more holistic and individualized approach to health and fitness, moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions.

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In this enlightening episode of The Genetic Coach, clinical psychologist Neil Tuck, based at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town, shares his expertise on the often-overlooked mental aspects of athletic performance. While physical training is essential, Neil emphasizes that an athlete’s psychological resilience, mental fitness, and emotional health play an equally critical role in achieving success.

He discusses how mental performance accounts for at least 50% of an athlete’s success, regardless of skill level. Drawing from his extensive experience in both clinical and sports psychology, Neil explains how addressing mindset, overcoming limiting beliefs, and managing performance anxiety can help athletes unlock their potential.

He shares real-life examples from elite sports and how athletes can build mental strength, enhance resilience, and adopt healthier self-narratives. Neil also highlights the evolving role of coaches in fostering both physical and psychological development.

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In this episode of The Genetic Coach, sports dietitian Pippa Mullins delves into the critical role of nutrition in endurance sports. With expertise in dietetics and sports nutrition, Pippa explores how athletes can optimize performance and recovery by fueling their bodies effectively. From addressing common pitfalls like restrictive eating to discussing the significance of protein and carbohydrate consumption, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to smarter nutrition strategies. Pippa also highlights the importance of genetic insights in personalizing nutrition plans and recovery approaches, empowering athletes to reach their full potential.

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In this episode of The Genetic Coach, Kimberly Clark, widely known as “Track Club Babe” on Instagram, shares her inspiring story of finding resilience, balance, and performance optimization as a runner, coach, and mother. From her beginnings as an overtrained and injured high school athlete to rediscovering running in adulthood, Kimberly’s journey is one of self-discovery and adaptation. She highlights how genetic testing has given her a deeper understanding of her body’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing her to tailor her training, recovery, and nutrition more effectively. Now a passionate advocate for personalized insights, Kimberly discusses how she integrates genetic data into her coaching to help athletes maximize their potential while avoiding burnout.

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