In this episode of the Pain Free Athlete Podcast, host Dana Jones speaks with Jen Oliver, the operations and athlete manager at Switch 4 Good. They discuss the importance of plant-based nutrition for athletes, the challenges of fueling for endurance sports, and the significance of training the gut for optimal performance. Jen shares insights on advocating for dairy-free options in schools and the future of plant-based nutrition in athletics, emphasizing the need to normalize these choices in society.

About Jen:

Jen Oliver is the Director of Operations and Athlete Manager at Switch4Good, where she thrives in organized chaos and leads with purpose. With decades of experience building and guiding high-performance teams, Jen draws on her background as a Division I collegiate golfer and former professional women’s cycling team captain to mentor athletes with clarity, steadiness, and intention.

A lifelong endurance athlete and committed plant-based competitor, Jen supports Switch4Good’s athletes in balancing the demands of training, career, and life — helping them cultivate resilience, confidence, and alignment in both performance and purpose.

Website: www.Switch4Good.org

@Switch4Good (IG)

Podcast: Switch4Good Podcast

Dana’s Links:

⁠⁠https://www.painfreeathletepodcast.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠10 Day Journaling Journey⁠⁠

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

In this episode of the Pain Free Athlete Podcast, host Dana Jones speaks with Nadia Ruiz, an accomplished athlete and coach, about her journey in fitness, the evolution of her mind-body connection, and the importance of recovery. Nadia shares insights on the emotional aspects of racing, her teaching and coaching philosophy, and how to help athletes overcome past traumas. She emphasizes the significance of small steps in achieving fitness goals and encourages listeners to embrace their journey, regardless of age or experience.

As a Los Angeles native, Nadia Ruiz is an educator, coach, and community advocate aiming to support positive change in her community by inspiring individuals of all backgrounds to achieve their fitness goals. She is the daughter of two immigrant parents from Ecuador, who always wanted her to pursue her education, passions, and remember where she came from. Nadia’s fitness journey began when she completed her first marathon at the age of 14 with her dad, age 40 at the time. Twenty-nine years later, Nadia has completed 163 marathons with 84 Boston Qualifications, 145 half marathons, 21 ultra marathons, 18 half/full Ironmans, and several adventure / stage races, frequently in the top of her age group or overall women. She has traveled to 30 countries exploring challenging events, cultures, and connecting with people around the world to reach over 650 lifetime races.

Graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in Biology and Master’s in Education, Nadia has worked in education, coaching, marketing, and event production for the past 20 years. She devoted ten of those years in the classroom teaching high school Biology and coaching high school and youth programs. Nadia is an educator-turned-advocate who is passionate about writing, education, and sport. In 2013, Nadia was named the Youngest Female to Run 100 Marathons in the World and Fastest Frequent Marathon in the Nation from 2010-2013. Since then, Nadia has expanded her online coaching business and educational resources to support others on their fitness journey at any stage of their lives. Her passion continues to support inner city youth sports programs. Nadia’s goals are to continue to motivate her community and make an impact demonstrating we each have it within us to follow our biggest dreams and leave a positive impact in our communities.

IG @irongirlnadia // same as threads, FB, TT, and YT

Blog with free race reports and training tips

Linktree with coaching services and free discounts

Dana’s Links:

⁠⁠https://www.painfreeathletepodcast.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠10 Day Journaling Journey⁠⁠

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

In this episode of the Pain Free Athlete Podcast, host Dana Jones speaks with Nida Tansinsin, a physical therapist and chronic pain coach, about her journey from athletic training to physical therapy. They discuss the neuroplastic mind-body approach to pain management, the importance of understanding pain sensations, and the role of mental health in physical recovery. Nida shares insights on navigating fear and anxiety in sports, the significance of compassion in healing, and reframing pain as 'sore but safe.' The conversation concludes with Nida's future plans for sharing resources and strategies for healing.

Nida began her career in athletic training over 25 years ago at Indiana University Bloomington and went on to earn her degree in physical therapy from Sacramento State in 2000. She started in sports medicine, working with professional, collegiate, and high-school athletes alongside Al Biancani, former strength and conditioning coach for the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs.

Over the years, her work as a physical therapist has spanned acute care, post-operative rehab, skilled nursing, home health, and outpatient practice, where she focused for the last decade. In the past seven years, her work has shifted toward a neuroplastic, mind-body approach after completing advanced training with Howard Schubiner and Charlie Merrill through Beyond Pain Education. She recently presented at the ATNS conference and currently work at Kaiser, as well as alongside Dr. Becca Kennedy as a chronic pain coach specialist.

Nida’s Links:

https://resilience-healthcare.com/

Dana’s Links:

⁠⁠https://www.painfreeathletepodcast.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠10 Day Journaling Journey⁠⁠

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.