Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Sowards.
Hi Dana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a youth athlete, I was misguided in what it meant to fuel as a female athlete. I became obsessed with food, exercise and “looking” like an athlete and developed an eating disorder. In my recovery, I worked with a phenomenal sports medicine team and my dietitian completely changed my relationship with food. I knew in that moment that I wanted to help female athletes understand how to work with their bodies and support their health so they can reach their peak performance potential.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
All things great in life come with some of the biggest sacrifices. Building a business with a science brain was a big learning curve, and I have been so grateful to have many phenomenal mentors and business coaches along the way. But, it was most certainly not all smooth sailing. I had to come out of my shell and ask people I saw doing what I wanted to do for help; I had to fail MANY TIMES and learn to pivot ideas to things that made sense in my business today; I had to learn not to ride the highs of great months and the lows of quieter months; because all of that is part of the picture of owning a business. And, I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A Dash of Dana?
I’m a board-certified sports dietitian and owner of A Dash of Dana and endurance coach with Zeal Endurance Coaching, specializing in triathletes and ultra-distance runners. I help endurance athletes break free from diet culture, understand their unique nutrition and training needs, and build sustainable habits that support both performance and longevity.
My approach is holistic and human-first. As a dietitian and coach, I help athletes understand the why behind their nutrition and training so they can develop skills, routines, and strategies that fit their individual lives. Using evidence from labs, biofeedback, and the training process, we work together to build resilience and create sustainable change.
When nutrition, training, recovery, and the human behind the athlete work synergistically, that’s when you perform your best.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I would say I take calculated risks rather than spontaneous risks at this point in my life. I do feel that there is value in taking risk rather than thinking “what if”. At the end of the day, any big change or life event is deemed as a risk. To move forward in life and to grow you have to take that risk and get a little uncomfortable in the process.
Pricing:
- 1:1 nutrition coaching – $297.00 monthly
- 1:1 endurance coaching – $280.00 monthly
- Team talks – pricing starts at $100.00 hourly
- Team camp menu planning and food prep – pricing starts at $100.00 hourly
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adashofdana.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.dash.of.dana/
