New Direction
Science classes, grandfather help Mosher connect with career.
When she started to compete for the Carson-Newman University‘s women’s cross country and track and field teams, Sarah (Sharp) Mosher (WC ’14) sensed something inside her was off.
Mosher was just not sure what it was.
“I didn’t know what was wrong,” said Mosher, who is a medical safety analyst for Abbott Laboratories. “When I was running, I felt exhausted and fatigued all the time. I was hitting a wall when I was racing.”
Mosher’s coach, Jose Parrilla, who has since left the Eagles, suggested she get laboratory testing done. Mosher learned she had a significant iron deficiency, which was weighing her down.
Once she began addressing her iron deficiency, Mosher felt a spark return to her performance. The runner went on to have a successful career for the Eagles, setting a school indoor record in the 800 meters, and is currently ranked fourth in the school’s record book in the outdoor 800 (2:24.22).
“That was a turning point for me becoming passionate about nutrition,” said Mosher, who earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at Carson-Newman and a Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Eastern Illinois University. “I felt the direct impact when I started changing my diet to address that.”
Mosher, who lives in Dublin with her husband Kellan, is using her knowledge for Abbott Laboratories’ medical safety and surveillance department.
The Worthington Christian graduate focuses on nutrition innovations and medical devices used to support feeding and the nutritional needs of patients.
“We’re making sure our products are safe for our patients that are consuming them,” Mosher said.
Mosher traces her interest in nutrition back to her grandfather, Stephen Rudloff.
“He’s always been interested in nutrition, and he would always be talking about the things he was researching about food,” she said. “That made a huge impact on me.”
The topic of eating right continued to pop up while Mosher attended Worthington Christian. Competing in cross country and track and field, Mosher learned about the benefits of incorporating nutrition into her regime. Later, she remembers teachers Dawn McMahon and Stephanie Smith (her husband’s cousin) explaining the role food plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
By her senior year at Worthington Christian, Mosher was convinced she wanted to study nutrition in college.
“I found it so interesting,” said Mosher, who competed in cross country and track all four years at Carson-Newman. “(Running) is a big part of my story. I started thinking about what I eat and how it impacts how I feel while running. That sparked an interest in me.”
At Eastern Illinois, Mosher worked as a Sports Nutrition Coordinator for the athletic department and conducted nutrition programs for various sports teams at the school.
“All athletes struggle with navigating nutritional information,” Mosher said. “There’s so much misinformation out there. Helping people understand what is true and what is not true can be challenging.”
Because of her work with athletes, Mosher considered going into the field of sports nutrition. However, she felt like the Lord was leading her differently.
“One of the hardest things I went through was letting go of expectations,” she said. “Throughout my schooling, I had planned to go into sports nutrition, but that was not what God wanted for me. It’s been cool because God’s given me so much peace and a new passion for this profession.”