Women's Health
The USOPC is committed to supporting the well-being of Team USA athletes throughout their careers. With women representing half of Team USA’s athlete population, the USOPC is focused on the unique challenges and opportunities women athletes may face. In 2022, the USOPC launched the Women’s Health Taskforce, comprised of 16 world-class clinicians, athletes and service providers across various specialties, focus on identifying the needs, developing the resources and solutions, and creating action plans to support the women of Team USA – before, during and after competition.
The knowledge that is centered around female Olympic athletes and pregnancy is so helpful because there's so much information out there. It's hard to know who to trust and I know I can trust the USOPC.
Athlete participant in women's health webinars.
Education and Outreach
The taskforce is focused on education and outreach on a variety of topics designed to empower and support female athletes and their support networks. Each month, the taskforce hosts a webinar on women’s health topics open to athletes to learn and ask questions.
Topics have spanned:
- Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs)
- Trauma/Abuse/Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)
- Menses
- Pelvic pain/dysfunction
- Hormones
- Fertility
- Pre- and Postnatal care and exercise
- Pregnancy
- Nutrition
- Training guidelines
Webinar Resource Handouts#
Women's Health Webinars#
Resources#
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
- Your Attention Please - Breast Screening
- Breast Research Australia - Sports Bra Fitting
- Mayo Clinic - Navigating Pregnancy with a Disability
- Journal of Women's Health - The Impact of Physical Disability on Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Team USA New Family Fund - Grant designed to support EAHI-eligible Team USA athletes who are new parents; Can assist with expenses, including: postnatal recovery care , infant supplies (e.g., diapers, formula), lactation or bottle-feeding support, and childcare.
- RESOLVE
- Colorado Fertility Advocates
- US Fertility
- Win Fertility
- Carrot Fertility
- CNY Fertility - Offers many military discounts/grants
- USOPC Psychological Services
- USOPC Mental Health & Mental Performance Directory
- USOPC Mental Health Assistance Fund
- National Institute of Mental Health - Women & Mental Health
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office of Women's Health
- Mass General Brigham - Why We Need To Pay Attention to Women’s Mental Health
- Massachusetts General Hospital - Women's Mental Health Across the Life Cycle
- Postpartum Return to Sport
- Postpartum Athlete
- Female Athlete Voice Project - Collaboration with Stanford University, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University and the University of Washington to conduct a focused athlete survey, which captures the voices and perspectives of 40 Team USA female Olympic and Paralympic athletes. This yielded 14 priority topics important to Team USA female athletes, including the impact of menstrual cycles on training and performance, the impact of female physiology on recovery processes, mental skills and the effects of specific types of birth control options.
USOPC Women's Health Taskforce#
Thank you to the 16 individuals dedicating their expertise and time to the USOPC Women’s Health Taskforce.
Kathryn Ackerman, MD, MPH, FACSM; Co-chair
Amber Donaldson, DPT, MPhysio (Manip), SCS, CSCS, FACSM; Co-chair
Jessica Bartley, PsyD
Erika Brown, PA
Ellen Casey, MD
Cindy Chang, MD
Kelsey Dickinson, Olympic Biathlon
Amanda Fleece
Sarah Gibson, Olympic Swimming
Lindsay Golich, MSc.
Sara Hendershot, Olympic Rowing
Rikki Keen, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS
Emily Kraus, MD
Chimson Oleka, MD, FACOG
Mallory Weggemann, Paralympic Swimming
Gail Wetzler, PT, DPT, EDO, BI-D
