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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

pressures included those of performing better and trying to maintain her

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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

understand the commitments that collegiate athletes have.

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is an association made to

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

public. It discourages people from partaking in eating disorders while encouraging

people who have eating disorders to get the help needed.

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.

3. Warning Signs and Symptoms. National Eating Disorders Association,

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/warning-signs-and-
symptoms.

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/.