Chair
Sharon Madigan
Secretary
Alex Cook
Alex has a BSc in Sports Science and this, coupled with dietetics provided her with the obvious route into specialising in Sports Nutrition. Her experience is diverse and she has been exposed to many different work environments.
Alex has sound experience in military performance nutrition having worked with the British Army over the years, predominately in injury rehabilitation, army sports and pre-deployment training support. She has also worked with the Institute of Naval Medicine in a research post to the Surgeon Generals Armed Forces Feeding Nutrition project, a three-year research programme that examined in training, in unit and operational UK Armed Forces feeding.
Also, as a freelance practitioner she has vast experience with a variety of athletes. Being an ultra marathon runner, she specializes in endurance sports, in particular running and triathlon and works closely with a number of age group triathletes and running clubs and coaches. She is a regular contributor to various magazines such as Trail Running, Athletics Weekly and Ultra Magazine.
Treasurer
Victoria Prendiville
Website Co-ordinator
Cara Sloss
Cara is a Clinical Dietitian, a current MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition student at Leeds Beckett University and graduate on the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr). With a background in Sport and Exercise Science and a competitive runner herself, Cara is passionate about helping athletes of all levels. Working on an athlete centred basis to develop individual, practical nutrition strategies to optimise performance she has a particular interest in fuelling endurance and ultra-endurance events.
As a specialist Dietitian, recent work has included developing and implementing a structured 12-week weight management programme involving specific motivational interviewing and behaviour change techniques which can also be applied in the sporting context.
Cara is a media spokesperson for the BDA and in the role of website coordinator for the SNG, she hopes to work with the committee to develop the site as an active resource. Helping to raise the profile of the group and create a place for members to interact, share practice and keep up to date with recent and upcoming events.
Social Media Officer
Georgina Wort
Georgina has a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and an MSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition from Leeds Beckett University. She is a current graduate on the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr), looking to pursue a career within sports nutrition. With a background in Sports and Exercise Science and passion for Sport, Georgina previously played competitive hockey and now enjoys running, Georgina is very keen on supporting both individual or team athletes of any level.
Aware of the importance of both the research and practical application of sports nutrition, Georgina is looking to pursue both areas of interest. Currently volunteering to provide nutritional support to her local rugby club, she enjoys working within a team environment. She also volunteers assisting the applied physiologist in field and laboratory testing at Bath University.
Georgina is a social media officer for the SNG, and hopes to promote the profile of the group, distribute resources, engage members, keeping them up to date with events, whilst also creating a space to interact and share expertise and practice.
Website & Social Media Officer
Liam Oliver
Liam is an SENr-registered Sport and Exercise Nutritionist (Graduate), having completed his undergraduate degree in BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at Sheffield Hallam University and MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University. He has now relocated and enrolled in a PhD in sports nutrition at Queensland University of Technology.
With three years of experience so far, Liam started working with British Diving in Sheffield before moving to Leeds Beckett University and engaging in the Applied Practice Programme alongside postgraduate study. This led to experience working as a performance nutritionist with a para-powerlifter, regional rugby players, female sports teams and Team GB Racewalking. Before moving abroad, Liam worked in the NHS as a Dietetic Assistant with the Type 2 Diabetes team in Leeds.
Within the committee, Liam is the Editor of, and contributes to, the group’s online blog and social media accounts. He regularly presents at conferences and events, such as the SENr Showcase 2019, and encourages networking and member engagement.
Sponsorship & Events Co-ordinator
Yvonne McKenzie (Sponsorship & Events)
Yvonne McKenzie is a clinical dietitian specialised in gastrointestinal nutrition and IBS in adults, based in Oxford and Gloucestershire. Within her role for the SNG (2018 - 2020), Yvonne will work with the Committee, the membership, and the BDA office to help raise the profile of the SNG, as she did for the Gastroenterology Specialist Group between 2008 - 2012 in their Committee. She will also be involved in securing sponsorship for the SNG’s study days.
What brought her to volunteering for the SNG? Many adults with GI symptoms are unable to be as physically active as they would like to be, and the importance of physical activity in IBS management seems to be a neglected area. Also, elite athletes are not immune to getting GI diseases and disorders. For these reasons she turned to enhancing her knowledge on nutrition and diet in sport performance and exercise, and in 2017 she successfully completed a PG Certificate in Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University, the first course of its kind in the UK specifically for healthcare professionals (initiative by Dietitian and principal lecturer, Louise Sutton). This has enabled Yvonne to extend her nutrition and dietetic role, and she aims to become SENr qualified, and continue her research interest in gut health and physical activities. She loves to run outdoors across the Cotswolds with her Samoyed dog, no matter what the weather. Her indoor sports are: spinning, rowing, ballet.
She has worked with NICE on four projects, most notably in the publications of Quality Standard, IBS in adults (Feb. 2016), and the update of Clinical Guideline 61 on the diagnosis and management of irritable bowel syndrome in Primary Care (2015) For the BDA, she helped develop their first clinical practice guidelines (2010), and this led to further publications – all in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics.
Yvonne has contributed to the IBS chapters in the BDA’s MDP (5th and forthcoming 6th Ed.), the Dietetic and Nutrition Case Studies. She is also an editorial board member for Dietetics Today, and contributor, her most recent writing being on the SACN report and dietary fibre (Jan 2017). She completed an MSc in Nutrition (1996) and a Diploma in Dietetics (1997) at King’s College London.
Meetings Co-ordinator
Kirsten Ward
Kirsten has a BSc in Nutrition from MMU & MSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition from Leeds Beckett Uni. She is a current graduate on the SENr. Previous roles include working as a Nutrition Advisor for England Cricket Board (ECB) on the Disability Talent Development Programme. This involved working with disabled cricketers on both a one-to-one basis and group based setting to develop their nutritional knowledge & skills to enable them to make informed choices around nutrition in order to maximise their performance. She is a keen runner and has been lucky enough to have completed the London Marathon for charity and has assisted a number of runners in developing nutritional strategies for training & participation in endurance events.
She is currently working as a Senior Nutritionist in a weight management setting working as part of a MDT to offer nutritional, lifestyle & psychological support to GP referred clients. She is also a qualified Yoga Teacher and is teaching a number of classes in her local community and is in the process of setting up her own consultancy business offering one-to-one and group based yoga and nutrition support.
Ordinary Member
Louise Sutton
Louise is currently a principal lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition at Leeds Beckett University and has a diverse applied work profile alongside her academic role. With a background in sport science and clinical dietetics Louise has a particular interest in the practical application of sport dietetics in elite and extreme environments having applied her dietetic knowledge and skills into a range of contexts including Himalayan expeditions, Polar challenges, Atlantic rows and round the world solo-ocean racing record attempts.
With a more mainstream sport nutrition focus she has advised many elite sports professionals from a range of sports, both Olympic and Professional, including athletics, cricket, cycling, football and rugby. She is currently lead nutrition consultant for Leeds Rugby providing support to Leeds Rhinos Rugby League and Yorkshire Carnegie Rugby Union, as well as the National Race Walking Squad based in Leeds.
Known for her very practical approach, Louise has extensive experience in delivering nutrition education programmes, particularly aimed at supporting junior athlete development. She currently holds a Deputy Chair position on the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) Board with responsibility for Registration and Accreditation and has twice been awarded the British Dietetic Association Roll of Honour for her contribution to the development of the SENr.
In her role with the SNG Louise is keen to raise the profile of the group and that of the practitioners it serves. She will look to work with the committee to create continuing professional development opportunities for the membership that will raise standards of practice within the profession.
Ordinary Member
David Dixon
David is currently a senior lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition and exercise physiology at University of East London and has a varied applied work focus alongside his academic role. With a background in sport science and nutrition, David has a particular interest in the practical application of sport nutrition and immunology in elite and extreme environments applying his knowledge and skills into a range of contexts including ultra-endurance runners and cyclists.
More broadly, his applied work spans both Olympic and Professional sport, including athletics and team sports. Having developed experience in delivering nutrition education programmes aimed at supporting youth athlete development he is currently lead performance nutritionist for a premier league Youth academy, as well as supporting high performance athletes at UEL.
David brings a different perspective to the committee in being a professional member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists. David is keen to work with the committee and members to support continuing professional development initiatives for the membership that aim to raise the profile of sport and exercise nutrition practice.