2017 PINES IOC scholarship: student experiences
With the generous support of Sportsoracle, PINES is able to offer two IOC Diploma in Sport Nutrition Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded annually, based on applications by candidates from all corners of the world. Chai Wen Jin from Malaysia and Liyan Huang from Singapore were the successful applicants in 2016. We asked both, to share their experience in a short report.
Chai Wen Jin – B.Sc. – Malaysia
Starting the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition at the same time being a new mother for a two months old infant is a new life challenge to me. The challenge rose to a higher level after my 3 months maternity leave ended, however, I didn’t regret my decision to take the course and I am grateful for the scholarship awarded by PINES.
2016 is the 11th year I have worked as a sports nutritionist at the National Sports Institute of Malaysia. Providing sports nutrition services to our national badminton athletes (including the Rio Olympic 2016 medallists) has been part of my job. I also played the role of guide to the junior sports nutritionists and dietitians under the Sports Nutrition Centre. The first year as an IOC Diploma student enhanced my critical review abilities and allowed me to be better transfer information from literature to practical application.
Along with experiences above, my portfolio on professional education for the Institute also required me to identify and/or develop my own short courses in various field of sports science and sports medicine. I have organised and been an instructor for 2 ISAK accreditation courses, levels 1 and 2, in 2016. Pursuing the IOC Diploma definitely provided extra mileage on my self-development and has improved the quality and depth of the sports nutrition program or activities where I am involved.
Upon my completion of part one of the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition in 2016, I am looking forward to continuing part two of the study and definitely will contribute more to both the Malaysia sports nutrition community as well as PINES.
Liyan Huang, MSc, – Accredited Dietitian – Singapore
2016 has been a hectic and exciting year not just for me but I believe for everyone in the sports scene because of the Rio Olympics! This is also the year I embarked on year-2 of the IOC Diploma Program and having to juggle full time work, part-time studies and full time parenting made every single day zip by in the blink of an eye.
The year started with an assignment on the LCHF (low carbohydrate, high fat) diet and it got me intrigued enough to try the diet on myself. It was a good experience (both the assignment and the diet!) as I got to try a new eating style. Being Asian, cutting out rice and noodles at meals was difficult – both taste wise and logistically. It helped me appreciate the determination of those who adopt such a lifestyle. I modified the diet along the way, increasing the amount of carbohydrate and found a sweet spot to sustain my energy level and yet lose some weight. Changes in my physical appearance caught the attention of my aesthetic sport athletes and suddenly I had many athletes asking me the secret to my weight loss. Of course I could not tell them to go on the LCHF diet, but I made use of the opportunity to educate them on the importance and relevance of carbohydrate periodization. To convince my clients, I learnt that it is easier to walk the talk.
Teachings from the IOC Diploma Program impacted my practice with athletes. Not only was I able to keep updated on the latest research findings, I also gained in-depth knowledge of a sport (table tennis to be specific!) that I worked with, as a result of the final assignment. The practical nature of the assignments throughout the IOC Diploma course greatly improved my day-to-day work. I appreciate the challenge of the IOC Diploma course and am thankful to PINES for co-sponsoring the course!
