Olympic and Paralympic champions Jack McMillan and Bethany Firth OBE joined leading sports nutritionists in Belfast this week where the latest research on sports nutrition and practical insights were presented to a local audience at W5 in Belfast.
More than 150 sports and health professionals heard from King’s College London academic Dr Oliver Witard on dietary protein recommendations for endurance athletes, before Lucy Wainwright, Lead Performance Nutritionist for the Women’s Team at the Football Association, shared ‘Lessons from the Lionesses’ following her involvement with the England women’s team and their historic win in this summer’s EUROs.
Lucy also brought an athlete’s perspective as an accomplished sports person in her own right, reaching the final at both the Athens and Beijing Olympic games in Sprint kayak singles.
Event chair Professor Sharon Madigan, Head of Performance Nutrition at Sport Ireland Institute, later hosted a conversation with gold medallists Bethany Firth and Jack McMillan who each offered perspectives from the pool, spanning their history-making performances including in Paralympic and Olympic Games.
The annual seminar is part of the ‘Milk It for All it’s Worth’ programme, designed to communicate the importance of nutrition for sport and a healthy, active lifestyle, including the potential role of milk and dairy foods.
Speaking at the event, Dr Carole Lowis Nutritionist with the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland said, “Each year, our sports nutrition seminar serves as a dynamic platform for local professionals to access not only the latest research, but also the lived experience of high-performance athletes like Bethany Firth and Jack McMillan.”
Just over a year from giving birth to her daughter, Bethany Firth’s remarkable career continues to go from strength to strength after bringing home silver and bronze individual medals, and a gold in the mixed relay, from September’s World Para-Swimming Championships in Singapore adding to the medal haul for this multiple world recording-holding Para swimmer.
Meanwhile, Jack McMillan made history as one of four NI athletes to medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris securing gold with Team GB in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, a feat repeated at this summer’s World Aquatic Championships. He is now looking ahead to competing at the 2028 Olympics in LA with Team GB.
“It was a real highlight to host a pair of pool powerhouses in Bethany and Jack and hear first-hand about their training and particularly their diets as they continue to achieve remarkable success,” continued Dr Lowis.
“We are extremely grateful to all this year’s guests for taking the time to offer sports nutrition professionals here unique access to their knowledge and lived experience.”
Stay up to date with ‘Milk It’ activities on the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland website: www.dairycouncil.co.uk/milk-sport
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