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Todd Raymond: Learning About Supplement Risk the Hard Way

  • July 30, 2019
  • Dietary Supplements, TrueStories, Video
CoachesEducatorsParents
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Video Transcript

My daughter, Abby, found weightlifting when she was 11 years old. She just finished up being a competitive gymnast. As a parent, watching your child be so passionate about a sport they’re involved with, it really took on a whole life of its own. She was a very driven young lady, and she sets very high goals for herself. She has extremely high expectations. We try to be as supportive as we can, but also, try to guide her in the right way. Anti-doping became a part of our journey, involved family discussions about these things. And they all started back when Abby was 13, and she was invited for a training camp at OTC. Abby had lots of questions and ask, and why do they take this? Should I take this? What are the benefits? Is it dangerous? We had many conversations about that. We also asked lots of questions of people.

In December of 2017, we had a family friend of ours who’s been in the fitness business his entire life, and is also a big follower and supporter of Abby. He was in town, and he invited us over. So, we went and met with him. He had just opened up his own nutritional company, and he asked Abby if she would like to be an ambassador and represent his company. And that was a pretty neat thing for Abby. It was the first time someone had ever really reached out to her to be a sponsor type of thing, and his reasoning for developing the product were to stay away from all those fillers and the experiences that he’s had throughout his life with poor products. He wanted to make an all-natural product that was plant-based. So, the three of us sat at a kitchen table, and we looked up all of his ingredients. He assured us that there are no fillers and no additives, and this would be a great thing for her to use.

Abby had taken two of the products for three weeks. And then, all of a sudden, we got a knock on our door from USADA for Abby’s first time being drug tested. When USADA came on February 15th, that was the first time Abby was given a drug test. It was an exciting time for us because in both Abby’s mind and the family’s mind, this meant that Abby was a big deal. Other than Abby was very anxious about peeing in a cup. But there were no worries, no fear, no anything other than we went through the process. The people who came, the two people that came were very nice and explained everything. And Abby went upstairs in the bathroom, and she did her thing. And then, they left, and all was good. And Abby was really excited.

About three weeks later, we were at a competition in Ohio. Abby did very well. She broke multiple American records. I believe she was going to get the best lifter award for her age division. And about an hour before the award ceremony, I got a phone call. And a prosecuting attorney from USADA calling me and explained that my daughter was guilty of taking a drug called ostarine. We went and got her, and we told Abby. She was devastated. And as a parent, who’s number one, very familiar with sports, and number two, very supportive of his daughter, anything she put in her mouth, I bought. I said, “Okay.” There was a lot of guilt and a lot of confusion. And how did I steer her the wrong way?

There were only two supplement products that Abby was taking. One was a pre-workout, and one was a protein powder. I reached out to the owner of the company who I knew personally and explained what had happened. And I explained that I was going to need to send them in for testing. Once we got the test results back, it was found that in the pre-workout, it was contaminated with ostarine. He still was in very much denial and confused. And after some time, he realized that where he had the products manufactured, there were many products that were manufactured, and it was obvious that their machinery or whatnot wasn’t cleaned the right way or something. But somehow, some way, through the manufacturing process, those products were contaminated.

After those results were found, she was given a three-month suspension. Felt very fortunate about that and thankful, but it wasn’t over. We took her to the doctor and we had blood tests run. And it was explained to me that the urine sample detected 10 trillionth of a gram. I don’t know how small 10 trillionths of a gram is. I know it’s very little. Okay. As a parent, that made me feel good that my daughter is safe and that this isn’t going to have any adverse effect long-term. Abby, though, emotionally needed help. At 14 years old, it was very hard to wrap her mind around all this, so we had to get her counseling, and she had to work through these things. Even today, a year and a half later, after every competition, Abby posts something on social media, there’s someone out there that reaches out, and has a negative comment about her getting caught for doping. And she’ll live with that for the rest of her life.

Abby’s continuing to work on being resilient. It’s a process, and it’s hard. Sometimes, in my head, I shake my head. I can’t believe she’s still doing this. Would be so much easier to do something different. And many times, when she sees herself as doing really well, all of a sudden, she gets knocked down by someone else out there, bringing it back a year and a half ago. But she’s continuing to put one foot in front of the other, she’s got big goals, and she’s going to keep doing everything she can to reach those.

As a parent, you watch your child grow and you know that there is going to be lots of dips and valleys in the road. And it’s okay for them to fall down. You have to do your homework, and you can look into it as much as you want. And you can talk to as many people as you want. You can talk to coaches and high-level athletes, and there’s still a risk. And you have to know that, and you have to accept that. We have learned a lot. I think it’s all for the better this happened. And Dad has to face it. Abby has to face it. We need to learn, we need to educate ourselves. We need to continue to ask questions, and we need to continue to move forward. If I have a goal for her, is that my hope is that through all of these dips in the road, I hope that she becomes as strong on the inside as she is on the outside.

Being the parent of a rising star in sports isn’t always easy. From shuttling your athlete long distances to practices and competitions, to making sure they’re consuming the proper nutrients to fuel their sport performance, parents play a major role in helping athletes pursue their passions.

Todd Raymond has embraced those responsibilities for his daughter, Abby, a weightlifter for Team USA and recent addition to the 2019 Junior World team. Through the ups and downs of raising a junior elite athlete, Raymond has taken great pride in watching Abby learn and grow.

As a parent of a highly-driven young athlete whose intensity and expectations of herself constantly increase, Todd believes that it’s a parent’s job to guide their young athlete’s decisions from a distance and help them understand and set boundaries for themselves as they continue to progress through sport. If an athlete progresses far enough, the role of a sport parent can also mean helping with higher-stake decisions.

As an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, Abby is subject to anti-doping rules and testing, which helps ensure that all athletes have access to a fair and level playing field. Athletes are responsible for anything that enters and goes on their body. With this responsibility came new and serious conversations about what Abby could and couldn’t do under the rules.

Despite their diligence and dedication to clean sport, the Raymond family was devastated when they learned that Abby faced an anti-doping rule violation after unintentionally consuming a prohibited substance, which they later learned came from a contaminated supplement from a new sponsor.

Watch the full interview to hear how Raymond supported Abby through this devastating blow and how his family has embraced accountability while also helping others recognize the risks of supplements.

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.