Carrie Aprik walked into the Olympic Village in Milan surrounded by the best athletes in the world, but she wasn’t there to compete. She was making sure those athletes were healthy, fueled and mentally prepared for competition.
Aprik, a 39-year-old Michigan State graduate, serves as a dietitian for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). She worked directly with Team USA athletes during the 2026 Winter Olympics. She helps manage nutrition before, during and after competition in one of the most demanding environments in sports, where even small details can impact athletic performance.
“There's so much happening at the same time,” Aprik said. “We did so much work ahead of time, planning and shipping and strategizing together as a team that once we got over to Milan, that's where I was stationed. So I had a little bit more hands-on and specific focus with figure skating and hockey… and then just kind of staying connected with the other dieticians.”
Aprik’s role shifted constantly during the Games. She worked with teams and met with athletes based on immediate needs. Some athletes needed help adjusting fueling plans, while others dealt with illness or recovery. She also stayed in contact with dietitians working across other venues to keep support consistent.
The Olympic setting creates problems that do not exist during a normal season. Athletes move between locations and follow tight schedules. Food access can change quickly, which forced staff to adapt.
Aprik and her team spent much of their time responding to those changes. They adjusted plans and found solutions so athletes can stay focused on performance.
“I would say food service is at the top of that list, because we're not able to necessarily influence a lot on the planning,” Aprik said. “A lot of it is mitigating issues that come up along the way that are kind of those panic moments. There's not something available that we need right now that causes us a lot of headaches and that we spend a lot of time on food service issues that were really challenging for us.”
Aprik’s path to this role developed during her time at Michigan State, where she competed on the club figure skating team and discovered opportunities within the university’s dietetics program. Her interest in sports nutrition grew when she discovered the opportunities within MSU’s dietetics program and gained early exposure working with athletics..
“Having a background as a figure skater made sports nutrition an interest for me, and when I got to Michigan State, I learned that the dietetics program was and is one of the best in the country,” Aprik said. “Michigan State showed me what was out there, and that’s how I got involved.”
MSU gave Aprik experience in a field that was still developing at the time. She worked with the football program and learned how nutrition could directly impact performance. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in 2008 and completed her graduate degree in 2011. She completed her internship and returned to MSU for graduate school, and the field expanded soon after.
Aprik joined Team USA in 2014 through work with figure skating. Her responsibilities grew over time as she took on more events and worked with additional teams. That steady progression led to Olympic assignments in 2018 and 2022, before she stepped into a full-time role with the USOPC.
Her current role includes both long-term strategy and day-to-day athlete care. She collaborates with dietitians across national governing bodies, builds nutrition plans for teams and works individually with athletes who need support.
“I would say there's a few different aspects [of sports dietetics],” Aprik said. “One aspect of it is strategy, performance strategy and health strategy for all of our teams, and how we act as a resource for our teams. Another piece is working directly with teams on actual nutrition… and then the individual aspect, where if there are athletes that need nutrition support, we see them individually.”
The Olympic experience brought pressure, but it also created unforgettable moments. Aprik values both the major milestones and the everyday experiences that come with being part of Team USA.
“It's really hard to beat winning Olympic gold, being part of that process and watching people that you care about so deeply get something like an Olympic gold medal,” Aprik said. “But I think just being in the Olympic Village is such a heavy honor. Literally, just walking into the village every day feels special.”
Aprik builds strong relationships with athletes over time, and those connections play a major role in her work. Trust develops through communication and a genuine focus on each athlete as a person.
“I think time, action, space and language are all important in building relationships,” Aprik said. “Just truly showing that you care about athletes as humans first goes a long way, and being consistent with how we show up for them is very important.”
Aprik also gained experience working with Paralympic athletes in 2024, which expanded her understanding of nutrition and introduced new challenges that continue to shape her approach.
Nutrition plays a central role in athletic performance, both physically and mentally. Aprik focuses on helping athletes fuel their bodies while also building plans they trust and can follow under pressure.
“Physically, carbohydrates are muscle fuel, protein repairs and fluids in your body help deliver nutrients, and iron helps transport oxygen to working muscles,” Aprik said. “Then there’s the mental and emotional component… how we create a plan that an athlete trusts, enjoys and can execute consistently. Nutrition is interconnected. It touches so many different aspects.”
Aprik credits MSU as a key part of her journey. Her experience as a Spartan helped shape her career and opened doors that led to Team USA.
“I feel grateful for Michigan State and staying connected,” Aprik said. “It was such a great place to learn about sport nutrition, and I wouldn’t have had some of these opportunities if it weren’t for Michigan State. I’m really proud to be a Spartan.”