Hi! Thanks for being a part of the Fueling Forward community. My name is Maddie, and I’m the registered dietitian and former professional runner behind Fueling Forward. A few quick facts about me:

Hear More from Me

3 ways you can get more from Fueling Forward:

1. Follow me on Instagram 

2. Upgrade your subscription to Sunday Brunch Club so you can receive weekly newsletters on Sunday mornings with a menu plan, recipes, accountability challenges, nutrition myth busters, and more! It’s only $5/month (the price of 1 cup of coffee), and you get 2 weeks free to try it out!

3. Listen to the most recent episode of The Fueling Forward Podcast where you can find interviews with athletes or listen to me answer questions submitted by listeners

My Running Story

I don’t consider myself to be someone with a lot of raw running talent, but I managed to claw my way up from a mediocre high school runner, to a collegiate walk on come All-American, to an Olympic Trials finalist as a pro. My story is one of a lot of hard work and dedication, mistakes and lessons learned, and ultimately one that lead to my passion for sports nutrition and career as a sports dietitian.

I was born and raised in Louisville, Colorado where I grew up playing soccer. I found running by accident, partly because my friends were doing it and partly because I wanted to stay in shape for soccer. Although I was initially resistant to the idea of running “for fun” and not to chase a ball, by my junior year I fell in love with the sport, made the switch to running and never looked back!

After high school, I walked on to the University of Colorado Boulder track and cross country team. I ended up going from a walk on to earning a full ride scholarship and becoming an All-American by my 5th year, largely due to my personal experience with nutrition. After working with a dietitian myself and making some changes, I experienced fewer injuries, while also being able to train harder and recover better. This experience is what inspired me to go on to become a sports dietitian, with the goal of empowering other athletes with this life changing knowledge.

After graduating from CU where I double majored in pre-med and psychology, I went on to get my Master’s in Nutritional Sciences from San Diego State University. While in San Diego, I worked at the United State Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, where I helped the Team USA dietitians fuel Olympic and Paralympic athletes competing in a wide variety of sports.

Following graduate school, I went on to Lipscomb University in Nashville to complete the 1200 hours of supervised practice required to become a registered dietitian. I specialized in sports nutrition and worked specifically with the track/xc team to provide nutrition education and support to the athletes.

Throughout these experiences, I continued training at a high level and competing in elite races. Managing a very busy school and work schedule while training was challenging, but I was able to learn how to manage proper fueling with the limited time that I had. This experience has allowed me to better connect with the athletes I work with, because I’ve been in their shoes and know how difficult it can be to balance fueling with the rest of life’s demands.

I moved back to Colorado in 2019 after passing my licensure exam, and started Fueling Forward in order to give myself the opportunity to pursue two passions at once: running and sports nutrition. Being in private practice not only allowed me to work with other endurance athletes, but also gave me the flexibility to train and compete at a high level. I trained with Team Boss (coached by Joe Bosshard) for 5 years with the goal of competing in the Olympic Trials. In 2021, I ran 15:19 in the 5k to achieve that goal, where I went on to place 12th overall.

After a fulfilling career as a professional runner, competing in 5 US championships, racing everything from the 1500 to the half marathon, and competing all across the US and in 5 different countries, I retired from elite running in June of 2024 to focus on Fueling Forward full time. I truly believe proper fueling is what allowed me to exceed my wildest expectations in the sport, stay healthy while running 80 mile weeks, and leave the sport with a healthy body and relationship with running. I still run today, although instead of 80 miles per week I barely run 80 miles per month 😆

I absolutely love what I do and love that it allows me to combine two of my greatest passions. My favorite part of my job is getting to see other athletes achieve new levels of success once we start working together. I love helping athletes break free of food rules and learn what proper fueling means for them, all while navigating different phases of training and racing. I know what you’re going through as an athlete because I’ve been there! Being able to relate to my clients on that level is something very special, and I really enjoy learning about each athlete’s unique journey. I know from my own journey that anything is possible if you take care of your body!

About Fueling Forward

Fueling Forward is a sports nutrition consulting business geared towards helping endurance based athletes of all levels unlock their full potential and optimize their health through fueling.

I offer a variety of sports nutrition services, including:

• 1:1 nutrition coaching: we meet regularly to create an individualized fueling plan and schedule, taking into account any health and performance goals, and utilizing functional lab testing to help you feel and perform your best

• Group coaching programs: I offer a variety of group programs to provide support for high school and college runners

• Team nutrition education sessions: these presentations, tailored towards your team’s needs, can help give athletes a brief overview of sports nutrition for performance in a team setting

• Self-paced programs: not ready to commit to working 1:1 with a dietitian? I have a self-paced program that helps you build sustainable healthy habits at your own pace

If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit my website to get more information about each of these options!

Thanks so much for being here, and I hope reading The Fueling Forward Newsletter brings you as much joy as it does to me when I write it!

Stay fueled,

Maddie