PIASECKI Jess

General
HEALTH ISSUES
She has struggled with numerous injuries throughout her career. A number of her health issues have related to a condition called relative energy deficiency in sport [RED-S] and the female athlete triad, which is the combination of osteoporosis, disordered eating and the absence of a menstrual cycle. "At the start of 2008 I came away with foot pain. This pain was eventually diagnosed as a navicular stress fracture of my left foot and not a small one. From here everything seemed to spiral. I was 18 and I'd had no menstrual cycle. I was only informed of the term 'female athlete triad' once my fracture was diagnosed, but I felt I ate well - albeit very healthily and controlled - and I was strong, so I never took much notice. As an athlete I have experienced a significant number of issues related to RED-S and the female athlete triad. The pain on occasions was unbelievable. I wouldn't be able to sit up straight, my breathing was laboured and I was tired all the time. I couldn't sleep in any position due to the pain." She has regular blood tests and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry [DXA] scans to monitor her bone density levels. (runnersworld.com, 26 Nov 2019; athleticsweekly.com, 10 Jun 2018; fastrunning.com, 19 Dec 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has been an ambassador for FitrWoman, an app aimed at helping female athletes understand their menstrual cycle, and she has also done talks on the subject. "I have reached a stage where my body can now have a regular menstrual cycle, at the age of 28. If I had known more about the severity of bone issues and the importance of good nutrition and regular cycles, if my coach had known, if my parents had known, I may not be in the position I am in now. I may not have had all those injuries and I may have even been to an Olympic Games by now." She is also a co-host of the 'Female Athlete Podcast', and offers tailored training programmes for athletes. (fastrunning.com, 19 Dec 2018; athleticsweekly.com, 10 Jun 2018; blandontherun.com, 25 Apr 2020)

BREAK FROM SPORT
In 2018 she took a break from running due to injury problems, an extended honeymoon, and her studies. "I'd found it tough getting back into training, it felt forced for a while and I wasn't enjoying running in the cold weather. However, I persisted with cross-training, the fitness came back and when I got the job I really wanted in Nottingham my running picked up again." After returning to competition she won the 2019 Florence Marathon in Italy, which was her marathon debut, in a time of 2:25.29. (fastrunning.com, 19 Dec 2018; moyo-sports.com, 24 Nov 2019)

OCCUPATION
She is a lecturer in exercise physiology at Nottingham Trent University in England. "I love how my job helps balance out my running life, I enjoy doing both. I often leave early from home to enable me to train in Nottingham before I start work at 09:00 at the university, or work then run. I am very lucky to work with people who understand what I do." (Twitter profile, 24 Apr 2021; fastrunning.com, 19 Dec 2018; blandontherun.com, 25 Apr 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She began studying human biology at Loughborough University before completing her bachelor's degree in anatomical sciences at the University of Manchester. She then studied for a master's degree and became a senior research assistant at Manchester Metropolitan University, before completing a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University between 2016 and 2018. (Twitter profile, 01 Apr 2021; scholar.google.co.uk, 01 Jan 2018; mmu.ac.uk, 13 Oct 2016; ntu.ac.uk, 01 Jun 2018; stockportgrammar.co.uk, 24 Nov 2019)