A deeply human look at athlete health from Julia Lee, MS(c), CSCS—an endurance researcher, strength coach, and former collegiate runner redefining what holistic resilience truly means.
Introduction
At Strive to Thrive Coaching, we meet countless young adults and athletes who look “fine” on the outside—strong, driven, high-achieving—but quietly unraveling on the inside. They’re performing well in school or sport, yet waking up exhausted, fighting recurring injuries, or feeling disconnected from themselves.
This is especially true for runners, young women, and adolescents emerging from loss, transition, or high-pressure environments. And few people articulate this intersection—of physiology, psychology, and lived experience—better than Julia Lee, MS(c), CSCS, a researcher, strength coach, and former collegiate runner whose career was shaped by grief, chronic stress, and six stress fractures.
In this article, Julia shares powerful insights from her personal and professional journey. We’ll explore:
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Why “normal” labs don’t always reflect true health
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The real reasons athletes experience chronic injuries
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How stress, loss, and perfectionism shape the nervous system
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What holistic health actually looks like beyond Instagram aesthetics
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Actionable strategies families, athletes, and care teams can implement right away
Most importantly, we’ll reframe what resilience truly is—and why healing requires self-trust, not more grit.
Context & Problem Statement
The hidden crisis: Young adults who appear healthy… but aren’t.
Today’s adolescents and young adults are navigating unprecedented demands—academic pressure, competitive sports culture, social media comparison, family transitions, trauma, and a constant expectation to perform. For athletes in particular, the glorification of “grind culture” masks warning signs that something deeper is unfolding.
Julia’s story captures this perfectly. After losing her father at 18, she carried grief she didn’t feel safe speaking aloud—and that unprocessed emotional load shaped how she trained, coped, and pushed through pain as a collegiate athlete.
Many families miss these patterns not because they aren’t paying attention, but because symptoms are subtle:
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“Low energy” becomes normal
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Underfueling looks like discipline
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Anxiety blends into ambition
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Stress fractures get blamed on mileage
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High functioning hides chronic fight-or-flight
This disconnect leaves young adults feeling misunderstood and parents feeling helpless.
Strive to Thrive Coaching exists to bridge that gap—with nuance, compassion, and evidence-based strategies.
Insights & Solutions Featuring Julia Lee
1. Grief, Pressure & the Body: How Emotional Load Becomes Physical Symptoms
Julia describes her father’s death as not only a profound loss but also a catalyst for internal pressure:
“The hardest part wasn’t just losing him—it was feeling like I couldn’t openly hold that grief. Carrying that alone quietly shaped how I learned to cope, push, and perform through pain.”
For many young adults, trauma doesn’t show up as tears—it shows up as:
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Overtraining
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Perfectionism
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Emotional withdrawal
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Hyper-independence
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Suppressed hunger
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A drive to control the uncontrollable
At Strive to Thrive, we see this often in teens and young adults transitioning to independence or navigating treatment aftercare. Their bodies tell truths their words cannot yet access.
Coaching takeaway:
Supporting athletes requires acknowledging their whole story—what happened to them, what they’ve internalized, and how that shapes their physiology.
2. Why “Normal” Labs Aren’t Enough—Especially for Female Athletes
Julia emphasizes a critical point: many athletes receive reassurance from doctors because their labs fall within conventional ranges.
But conventional ranges reflect the general population, not high-performing athletes with high metabolic demands.
“You can fall within range and still be operating in a state of chronic dysfunction from underfueling, training load, and nervous system stress.”
Early signs of chronic stress athletes often overlook:
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Persistent fatigue despite adequate sleep
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Anxiety or mood swings
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Low HRV
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Frequent injuries
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Cold hands/feet
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Poor temperature regulation
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Gut issues
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Waking unrefreshed
Parents and providers often misinterpret these symptoms as attitude, motivation issues, or “normal teenage behavior”—when in reality, they’re physiological distress signals.
Coaching takeaway:
Holistic evaluation requires looking beyond numbers. We encourage families to track patterns—not just lab results.
3. The HolisticLee Stress Fx Model: Why Stress Fractures Are Rarely About Mileage
With six stress fractures behind her, Julia developed her own model to understand why athletes break down.
“Bones don’t break because of mileage alone. Bone is living tissue—it responds to your entire internal environment.”
Key contributors in the Stress Fx Model:
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Energy availability
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Hormonal health
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Cortisol and chronic stress
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Sleep quality
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Fueling patterns
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Gut health and nutrient absorption
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Training load AND recovery capacity
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Psychological drivers: perfectionism, control, trauma, fear
Perhaps most importantly:
“What surprises people most isn’t the physiology—it’s the stories and patterns that led them there.”
At Strive to Thrive, we consistently see that injury cycles are rarely random. They’re predictable when looking at the whole person.
Coaching takeaway:
Athletes don’t need stricter rules—they need awareness and systems that honor their needs, not just their goals.
4. The Nervous System Red Flags Hiding in Plain Sight
Many “high-functioning” young adults are living in chronic fight-or-flight without realizing it. Julia highlights subtle indicators:
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Relying on caffeine to function
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Feeling tired no matter how much you sleep
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Loss of joy in the sport
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Suppressed hunger
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Cold extremities
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Gut issues
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Emotional regulation challenges
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Isolating socially
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Training becoming the only place they feel in control
One of Julia’s most powerful reframes:
“People mistake high output and speed for health—being fast doesn’t automatically mean you’re well.”
Coaching takeaway:
We teach clients to recognize early signs of dysregulation so they can intervene before burnout or injury take over.
5. The Fueling Mistakes Many Doctors Miss—Especially Around Cholesterol
Julia explains that elevated LDL cholesterol in endurance athletes is often misinterpreted:
“In athletes, elevated LDL can be a sign of chronic underfueling—not just dietary fat intake.”
This nuance is crucial for:
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Female runners
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Adolescents in high training volume
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Athletes leaving residential treatment aiming to rebuild strength
The medical field isn’t always equipped to assess athlete-specific metabolic needs. This mismatch leads to athletes being told they’re “fine,” when they’re actually under-resourced.
Coaching takeaway:
We help families ask better questions and seek providers who understand endurance physiology.
6. The Pressure of “Health Performance” on Social Media
Julia critiques the culture of curated wellness:
“Fear-driven content often gains more traction because fear captures attention. Real health should look slower, quieter, and lived for yourself—not an audience.”
Many young women develop confusion and anxiety around food because they try to emulate influencers who are themselves stuck in rigid, unsustainable habits.
Coaching takeaway:
Part of coaching today involves digital hygiene—rebuilding young adults’ relationship with their own instincts rather than outsourced health advice.
7. HOW You Eat Matters: Nervous System-Aware Nutrition
Julia emphasizes something overlooked in mainstream nutrition:
“Foundational shifts like eating within an hour of waking, pairing carbohydrates with protein, chewing slowly, and prioritizing sleep timing can be surprisingly powerful.”
Practical fundamentals often outperform supplements.
And importantly:
Different people regulate better with different environments—some with calm, some with distraction.
Coaching takeaway:
We tailor fueling guidance to nervous system needs, not one-size-fits-all trends.
8. What Holistic Health Actually Looks Like (Spoiler: It’s Messy)
Julia says:
“Being human doesn’t fit neatly into curated content. Holistic health looks like confronting your patterns, asking for help, failing, and returning to the basics.”
This mirrors Strive to Thrive’s philosophy: growth isn’t linear—it’s iterative, relational, and deeply personal.
9. Carbon-Plated Shoes: A Lesson in Readiness and Restraint
Julia’s research shows carbon-plated shoes can change biomechanics significantly.
Readiness indicators include:
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No lingering injuries
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Ability to hop repeatedly on one leg without pain
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A gradual transition without flare-ups
Coaching takeaway:
Technology shouldn’t outpace foundational strength. We help clients build capacity before adding performance tools.
10. Redefining Resilience: Responding, Not Pushing Through
One of Julia’s most inspiring insights:
“Resilience is no longer about pushing through symptoms—it’s about responding to them early.”
This aligns perfectly with Strive to Thrive’s core belief that resilience is built through:
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Self-awareness
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Adaptability
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Emotional honesty
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Nourishment
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Rest
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Support
Not through punishment or perfection.
11. For Young Women Overwhelmed by Symptoms or Comparison
Julia offers a powerful message:
“You’re the author of your story. When you reclaim that ownership, your health journey becomes something you participate in—not something that just happens to you.”
This is exactly the empowerment we cultivate with clients transitioning from treatment, navigating independence, or recovering from burnout.
Action Steps & Practical Checklist
For Athletes & Young Adults
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Eat within one hour of waking
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Pair carbs + protein at every meal/snack
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Limit training when sleep is compromised
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Track mood, energy, and recovery—not just pace
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Seek providers familiar with athlete physiology
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Reduce exposure to fear-based social media
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Practice single-leg hopping/strength tests for readiness
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Ask: “Am I training from fear or from resilience?”
For Parents & Care Teams
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Look for nervous system red flags, not just behavior changes
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Validate—not minimize—symptoms your child reports
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Encourage consistent fueling rhythms
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Focus on long-term development, not short-term output
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Provide emotional language and space for processing grief, pressure, or identity transitions
For Professionals (RTCs, educators, consultants)
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Assess athlete wellness using a biopsychosocial lens
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Support autonomy and self-trust rather than compliance
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Incorporate nervous-system aware coaching practices
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Recognize underfueling and chronic stress in high achievers
The Bigger Picture: From Breakdown to Breakthrough
What Julia’s journey teaches us—and what Strive to Thrive sees daily—is that healing doesn’t begin in the body alone. It begins in the story an athlete tells themselves:
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I have to push.
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I can’t rest.
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I shouldn’t need help.
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Everyone else can handle this.
These narratives shape physiology as powerfully as training plans.
Resilience is built not by outrunning your body’s signals, but by listening to them with compassion.
And when young adults learn to honor their story, fuel their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and reach for authentic support—everything changes.
Conclusion
Julia Lee’s insights shine a light on an important truth: athletes are whole people. Their injuries, symptoms, and struggles are rarely isolated issues—they’re invitations to explore deeper patterns, emotions, and needs.
At Strive to Thrive Coaching, we walk alongside them through that exploration. Our work blends coaching, mentorship, and connection to help young adults and families rebuild resilience—not the kind defined by toughness, but the kind rooted in self-trust, nourishment, and growth.
Whether you’re a parent seeking guidance, a young adult feeling lost in your own symptoms, or a professional supporting athlete wellness, know this:
Healing is possible. Strength is reclaimable. And you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
Strive to Thrive Coaching provides coaching, mentorship, and wellness support. We do not diagnose, treat, or provide therapy for mental health conditions. Our services are not a substitute for licensed psychological or medical care.