Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Cortnee Bowser
Professor Beckelhimer
English 2089
20 October, 2017
Genre Analysis
America alone is being affected by 30 million cases of eating disorders each year,
while 70 million people are affected by eating disorders worldwide. Out of these 100
million cases about 23.9% of them are student athletes. (Craig, et al Page Number 1).
Student athletes have the daily struggle of balancing their daily life and their athlete life.
Ways to spread awareness on eating disorders are through interviews of people who have
been affected by an eating disorder during their college career as an athlete. Through
these interviews, other athletes can then realize that they arent alone, there is help out for
them, and they shouldnt be ashamed of what they are going through.
Interviews by victims who are able to tell their story are critical because they
help show others they arent alone. Its not only very powerful, but also extremely
heart touching. For example, Mary Wright, a former cross country runner at UCLA
shared her story of how college athletics affected her life so much that it pushed her
to an eating disorder, which soon took over her life. I was just tired from restricting
myself. I was hungry. I didnt have the energy to be social or talk with anyone. I was
tired, she explained (Tucker 1). With Mary being a former collegiate athlete, it is
easy for her story to be related back to other athletes that are suffering for the same
problem that Mary had. She talks about the pressures she endured in her life. These
scholarship. These are pressures that current athletes Quote Here have and
pressures that are causing 23.9% of student athletes to suffer from eating disorders
(Craig, et al Page Number 1). This type of interview empowers current student
athletes to want to get better. Hearing someone elses story may give them hope
about getting better, and the will to want to talk to someone about it. The interview
can be understood easily by student athletes, especially when Mary talks about the
commitments that athletes have in college. Until someone experiences it, no one will
protect the athletes rights, to help balance their academic, social and athletic
experience (Warning Signs and Symptoms Page Number 1). The NCAA makes
regulations and rules regarding the athletes life. Sometimes those rules and
regulations arent followed, which can cause an impact on the athletes life. A
regulation that is often broken is the amounted time for practice in a week, because
coaches have a tendency to go over the time that they are allowed. Going over in
time causes the athletes life to be more hectic with less time to study, do homework
or finish other activities that they have on their agenda. A Michigan State athlete
named Rachele Schulist shared her story on how to pressure to win and constantly
get better ended up overpowering her life and forced her into an eating disorder. I
didnt realize what kind of spot I was in and that it was so bad, Rachele explained
(Tucker 1).
Racheles story is one that is very emotional and heart touching for readers.
She talks about how winning was the only thing she was focused on, running then
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turned into something that she didnt enjoy anymore, it was more a job than
something she enjoyed to do. Over time Rachele grew smaller and smaller. In the
2015 season she had an injury occur to her, from not properly feeding her body and
overworking her body. Over time her bones became brittle and fragile causing a
stress fracture in her patella. Athletes with eating disorders, and those with injuries
can relate to the story that Rachele shared. Her story is very real and eye opening. It
talks about how people such as her coach and father noticed that she was getting
extremely thin but never said or took action to help her. She talks about how people
noticed, but she doesnt blame them. She goes back to the fact that winning was
everything for her, which caused her to develop an eating disorder. Her story is easy
to follow along with, as well as very easy for people to relate back to her. She doesnt
use language that would be confusing to someone who wasnt an athlete or doesnt
understand eating disorders. This genre of interviews is definitely for the general
Eating disorders are more and more prevalent because athletes want to
improve their game, but have the constant pressure to balance their daily life and
athlete life. With former athletes putting their stories out there, it then has the
chance to affect the athletes that are currently struggling with the same things that
many athletes struggle with. This gives the athletes a chance to realize that they
arent alone and that there are people out there that are going through the same
thing.
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Work-Cited
1. Tucker, Cody. Star MSU Runner Takes a Stand on Body Image. Detroit Free Press,
Detroit Free Press, 19 Dec. 2016, www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-
state/2016/12/19/rachele-schulist-msu-track-body-image/95605886/.
2. n, Craig, et al. Athletes and Eating Disorders: The National Collegiate Athletic
Association Study. NBC Bay Area, 15 Mar. 1999, pp. 19.
4. Athletes and Anorexia Nervosa: An Elite Athlete's Story. Dr. Sari Fine Shepphird,
Ph.D., 26 June 2015, www.drshepp.com/athletes-and-anorexia-nervosa-an-elite-
athletes-story/.