A Benzie Central High School senior is starting a nonprofit to help fellow female athletes stay healthy. It started the cross country season, last year, when the athlete, Maya Musgrave, noticed she wasn’t performing her best.
“I found out my iron was low, and basically I was just having a hard time breathing and running and feeling like I had enough energy throughout the day,” says Musgrave. “My coaches suggested that I get my blood tested and my iron was low.”
Musgrave is starting the non-profit, , to raise awareness about the affects of low iron in female athletes and help girls get tested before an issue starts. Musgrave had approached her coaches about her concerns when she first experienced symptoms.
Coaches Asa and Traci Kelly considered it be an iron deficiency, having seen it in other athletes.
“I am one of those athletes that has dealt with that her entire life from high school,” says Traci Kelly. “I was in the lucky position that my parents could deal with that and could get me the blood test when I need it, but not every kid has that, and not every kid has the means to do that.”
Know If You’re Low will help cover costs for tests, which can be up to $75. Musgrave even found a way to have her own teammates tested.
“I got everyone together and we went through the clinic in Frankfort, and the doctor there volunteered her time and took all of our blood and sent it to the lab and had all the tests done so that we can get it and it turned out half our team was low,” says Musgrave.
Maya Musgrave is working with a lawyer to finalize the non profit and hopes to be able to provide services beyond her school.
“We focus so much on getting good sleep, eating well, training well, but if you don’t know what’s in your blood, what’s actually in your system, that can have an effect on your performance too,” says Musgrave. “It’s better to be on top of things and to just know that you aren’t low so that you can make sure you’re the best you can be.”
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