The Invisible Athlete

Disordered Eating in Midlife Women in Sport

Abstract

This narrative essay reveals the overlooked experiences of midlife female athletes whose disordered eating, health concerns, and performance decline are often dismissed as “normal aging.” Drawing from the author’s lived experience as both a former Division I swimmer and a midlife marathoner, the piece examines how under-fueling, physical symptoms, and emotional distress can go unrecognized by healthcare and sport professionals due to age-based assumptions. The essay highlights how recovery is often framed around returning to performance, reinforcing harmful beliefs that an athlete’s worth is tied to achievement. It argues that athletic identity does not end with age and calls for improved screening, provider curiosity, and sustained support for women training and competing in midlife. Ultimately, the piece urges coaches, clinicians, and sport organizations to acknowledge midlife female athletes as active and deserving of equitable care, understanding, and validation.