In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I speak to the 2020 Olympic Champion in the pole vault, Katie Moon (née Nageotte). Katie will be looking to defend her Olympic title in a few days at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games! She touches on her bumpy build up to the Olympics, overcoming food poisoning and underperformance before winning gold. Katie details her steady progression in the pole vault from high school beginnings to NCAA D2 success and into her professional career. College was a big transition, and Katie opens up about the fear and anxiety that she’s dealt with for years. She explains how going back to the basics and focusing on the process allowed her to reach higher heights. We dive deep into Katie’s relationship with food and body image, something she’s had to work on throughout her career. From unflattering pictures, social media comparisons, observing other athletes, and competing in a bikini, Katie talks about handling these triggers by focusing on her body’s strengths, feeling good in training and competition, and learning that lighter is not better: to reach higher heights, Katie has had to gain strength, and yes, that meant gaining weight! We can all learn from how Katie has improved her body image, by caring more on performance and what the body can do rather than on what it looks like. Katie now embraces weight fluctuations and body changes throughout the year, and enjoys eating without restrictions. We discuss the impact of coaches and culture on nutrition and mindset, advocating for a healthy environment and support team that cultivates good habits around food, weight and training. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 3:30 Winning an Olympic gold medal in the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics 9:00 Falling in love with pole vaulting  11:20 NCAA Division I vs II athletics experiences 12:30 Dealing with mental blocks and fear 19:30 Overcoming failures, underperformances, and unexpected challenges 23:00 Katie’s relationship with food and body weight 26:50 How body weight impacts pole vaulting  31:50 Body image insecurities and comparisons among elite athletes 41:55 Coaches’ and culture’s influence on nutrition and mindset  45:40 Improving body image; Embracing weight and body changes 53:20 End of the podcast questions Follow Katie on Instagram @ktnago13 and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  Natural Cycles: Check out Natural Cycles here and 20% off subscription plus free thermometer! Our NEW Website is NOW LIVE! Check it out here: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/  Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition   THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store  THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order