WASHINGTON – Every athlete understands the importance of a well-balanced diet.  They constantly hear that their bodies need fuel to compete at the highest level.  Despite this knowledge, nutrition is often the last thing on the mind of a student-athlete as they race from class to film to practice in a typical day. 
 
Georgetown alum Drew Fine (MSB '84) and his family are looking to change that by establishing two endowments in support of nutrition, the Fine-Cook Current Use Nutritionist Fund, and the Fine-Cook Capital Fund. Their recent commitment to Georgetown Athletics has allowed the department to both hire a full-time dietician for student-athletes and also build out a dedicated nutrition space in the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center.
 
"We have always been impressed with how much Georgetown focuses on the health and well-being of its student-athletes, both on and off the field," said Fine.  "We identify with Georgetown's emphasis on serving the whole person, and we feel that student athletes will perform better on the field or court and in the classroom if they are properly nourished."
 
Fine graduated from McDonough School of Business with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1984.  After graduating from Georgetown, he attended the Northwestern School of Law and joined Milbank LLP, a global law firm headquarter in New York in 1987.  He and his wife of 25 years, Susan Cook have two children, Dylan, a Georgetown senior on the track and cross country team, and Marissa, a freshman at USC. At the heart of their decision to support this important initiative was thinking about the positive impact it would have on the experience of student-athletes like their son.
 
"I had an incredible experience at Georgetown, both educationally and socially, and have stayed connected to the school since graduation," said Fine.  "Having served on the Board of Regents Athletics Committee, I was able to understand how supporting nutrition would have both an immediate and lasting impact on the department."
 
It was all of these factors that led the Fine family to pursue this initiative. 
 
"We fully appreciate that balancing being a student and an athlete as well as the other demands of being a student at Georgetown is not easy," remarked Fine.  "Nutrition, whether it be skipping meals or relying on unhealthy snacks, often gets lost in the equation.  The nutrition initiative is a positive step in addressing this important piece of the student-athlete puzzle."
 
In 2014, the NCAA passed legislation deregulating restrictions on how much and how often Division I schools could feed college athletes.  This allowed universities to hire registered dieticians and set up fueling stations within their athletic departments.  It also prioritized nutrition nationally as a key factor in athletic success, encouraging schools to study the impact of food and the role it plays in the lives of student-athletes.
 
Per the NCAA's website on nutrition, "Athletic performance and recovery for college athletes is enhanced by attention to nutrient intake. Developing an ideal nutrition plan for health and performance includes identifying the right quantity, quality and proper timing of food and fluids needed to support regular training and peak performance."
 
"With this investment, we are able to expand our student-athlete health and wellness resources," said Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Shawn Hendi.  "We are taking these important steps by hiring a full time sports dietician and implementing a fueling station in the Thompson Center, where all varsity student-athletes can go to help supplement their nutritional choices.  We aim to educate all student-athletes in ways to make positive fueling choices and to offer these services with understanding of their time constraints.  These changes will positively affect their daily lives as it will enable student-athletes to perform at their peak both on the field and in the classroom."
 
This dedication to student-athlete nutrition is part of a larger initiative focusing on all-around student-athlete health and wellness.
 
"Nutrition is such a vital part of being an athlete, so this gift will really transform how our student-athletes see food and their access to healthy, quality snacks that will enhance their daily activities," said Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed.  "A well-balanced diet does not only improve performance on the playing field, but it will ensure that our student-athletes are properly fueled for the remainder of their day.  We are so grateful to the Fine family for spearheading this initiative and hope that the positive choices learned through this program will put our student-athletes on the path toward a lifetime of health."

The first step is complete as Taylor Barros joined the staff as a full-time dietician.  Barros comes to the Hilltop from the University of Texas where she was an assistant sports dietician working the men's and women's golf, soccer, rowing and men's and women's swimming and diving squads.  Barros previously worked at IMG Academy and was one of the ten individuals in a fellowship program through Gatorade called the Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP). It was during this fellowship that she spent time at Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute working closely with other dietitians, physical therapists, sports scientists, strength coaches and athletic trainers. 
 
Thanks to the Fine family, Georgetown's student-athletes will now be equipped to make sound nutrition decisions, thanks to an in-house dietician and fueling station. It is their hope that others will be inspired to support Georgetown Athletics in a way that both speaks to them and also helps define the future of the student-athlete experience.