Name of project: Nutrition Education Programme with Momentum Taekwondo

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Date launched: July 2024

Athletes supported: 15 teenagers and young adults

Aims: Practical, evidence-based nutrition workshops and cooking sessions to improve fuelling, recovery, and performance habits among grassroots martial artists.

Former professional squash player Katriona Ross swapped the glass court for the classroom — using her sporting experience to bear as a student in sports nutrition so she can empower other athletes to fuel for success. With support from the GetPRO Grassroots Grant, she’s teamed up with Momentum Taekwondo in Glasgow to deliver practical nutrition education that’s changing the way these amateur athletes think about performance nutrition.

Katriona’s sporting journey began on the squash court, where she represented Scotland at both European and World Team Championships. Competing at the highest level gave her an insider’s understanding of the pressures and barriers athletes face - and how easily nutrition can become an afterthought.

“As a young athlete, I was just trying to figure it out,” she recalls. “We didn’t have much nutrition support, so you’d copy what older players did and hope for the best. I struggled to find the right balance between performance and recovery.”

Those experiences inspired Katriona to pursue a career in sports nutrition. “I became fascinated by how nutrition - something so simple and universal - could have such a big impact on performance, recovery, and just overall well-being,” she says.

After studying Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Edinburgh, she is now completing a PhD at Heriot-Watt University, where her research focuses on exercise physiology and female athlete nutrition.

Alongside her studies, she founded Nourish Nutrition UK, providing evidence-based advice to athletes and organisations.

Momentum Taekwondo is a grassroots club based in Glasgow that supports grassroots and competition level Taekwondo training for local athletes - many from low-income backgrounds. Despite their commitment to training, limited access to nutrition education has made it challenging for athletes at the club to implement effective nutrition practices.

Through the GetPRO Grassroots Grant, Katriona launched an initiative to bridge that gap, combining hands-on group cooking classes, interactive workshops, and simple, relatable education to help athletes understand how nutrition impacts performance. Education materials given to the athletes included easy-to-follow recipes, meal planning guides, and budgeting tips to support their learning beyond the sessions.

“There’s so much confusion and debate about nutrition,” says Katriona. “I wanted to make it practical - to show that 30g of carbs isn’t an abstract number, it’s two slices of toast. Once you make it relatable, it clicks.”

Each session focused on empowering both male and female athletes with skills they can apply immediately to their daily routine. Using community kitchens, the team cooked up affordable, nutritious meals tailored to training demands, while follow-up workshops explored fuelling , recovery, and hydration strategies.

Katriona pointed out that each athlete will have individual preferences, and highlighted the need to adapt to their eating habits and dietary requirements. For example, she discussed alternative protein sources for athletes who were on a vegetarian diet to help ensure they still meet their protein needs through a variety of foods. 

To track progress, Katriona used pre- and post-session quizzes and feedback forms to assess knowledge and confidence around nutrition. The early signs have been encouraging, with athletes reporting greater understanding of the importance of nutrition.

Word got around. “Parents were contacting me to say they had heard other kids were taking part and could their kid get involved? And the kids in the workshops were sending WhatsApp messages saying they had a really good time, and could they get the recipes,” says Katriona. “That’s when you know it’s having an impact.”

Katriona’s biggest takeaway has been the importance of meeting athletes where they are.

“You can’t start with complex guidelines when the basics aren’t in place,” she explains. “It’s about understanding their context - financial pressures, cultural factors, training demands - and building from there. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress.”

Her work with Momentum Taekwondo has reinforced her belief that small, practical steps can lead to long-lasting behaviour change, especially when athletes feel understood and supported.

Katriona says she had to learn through experience that success often comes down to your ability to build positive relationships not only with the athlete, but with other key people in the community. “Not only do you need your athletes onside, you also need to work with coaches, chefs, parents, nutritionists….” she says.

“It’s not about lecturing them or saying what’s best, it’s about helping them find what works in their world.  My number one rule is human first, athlete second,” she says. “This is the life lesson that can’t be taught in the classroom.” 

Katriona plans to continue working with grassroots and performance-level athletes through Nourish Nutrition UK, with a special focus on female athletes and athletes in weight-making sports - areas where she believes nutrition support can make a transformative difference.

Katriona also plans to continue working with Momentum Taekwondo. “Their dedication has been incredible,” she says. “The head coach, he’s a police officer by day, he puts so much into it. The people at the club have been so open and willing. It doesn’t happen without them.”

“If we can keep building those partnerships, we can make nutrition accessible, enjoyable, and part of everyone’s toolkit.”

The GetPRO Professional Grassroots Sports Nutrition grant in funded by Danone’s GetPRO Professional programme and hosted in proud partnership with The Nutrition Society. Find out more: https://www.getpro.co.uk/getproprofessional/grassroots-grants.html