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To be one of the world’s best athletes, you need to be in top physical shape. But even the best can get out of shape. They get injured. They get older. Or they get out of their stringent eating and exercising routines—and they gain weight.

That’s why these Olympic-level athletes turned to NutriSystem to get back on top of their games. Here are their stories of athletic success, weight struggles, and journeys back on the road to victory.

David S. – Greco-Roman Wrestling
David is a NutriSystem success story who spent seven years training to make the U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympic Teams in 1996 and 2000. He was first alternate at both Olympics, and recalls what it was like training—and eating—at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado:

“For seven years, I lived with and trained with some of the world’s best athletes. I burned approximately 10,000 calories a day, and my body fat was tested monthly at levels below 7%. This made it very challenging to keep my non-competition weight above my weight class of 213 lbs. To do this, I had to take in at least 10,000 calories a day. Fortunately, each resident athlete has unlimited access to a well-supplied dining hall to meet his or her calorie requirements.”
After the 2000 Games, David retired from wrestling and started a business career—but still ate like an Olympic athlete.
“It was the first time in my life my body wasn’t burning everything I was taking in. I would still work out, but it wasn’t consistent (and at times not at all). I was at a loss on how to eat properly and limit my calories after years of not having to do so. I eventually got married and had two kids, which made it even more difficult to burn the excessive calories I was taking in every day. It took me seven years to realize that I needed to learn how to manage my calories. Unfortunately, it was a lot more difficult than I ever thought it would be. I tried, but nothing worked.”                                                                          

Then he turned his life—and body—around.
“I’d heard about NutriSystem and how you buy the food and just pop it in the microwave and you’re done. Simple. I started the program with my wife and I’ve lost 42 pounds*. I’m eating healthier now than I was when I was a world-class athlete living at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. I have my energy back, and my back doesn’t hurt any more because my gut is gone. I never thought it would be so easy! Besides losing the weight, though, the best part about NutriSystem is that I have truly learned what portion control is all about. Now I eat like a husband and father, not an Olympic athlete.”

Billie Jean King — Tennis

Speaking of the 2000 Games, the U.S. women’s tennis team struck gold that year. Their coach was none other than Billie Jean King, one of the greatest tennis players ever, with 20 Wimbledon titles and 39 Grand Slam titles in all.

After retirement, Billie Jean continued as a successful businesswoman and coach. But she couldn’t win with her weight.

“My weight has been one of the hardest issues of my life, since I was 11 years old. That didn’t change after I retired. As you get older, you just can’t work out like you used to, your lifestyle changes and you gain 3 to 5 pounds a year. After a few years, it catches up to you.”

Her turning point came when she turned 64.

“At that time, I just asked myself, ‘When am I going to start losing weight and regaining my energy?’ I didn’t care about being thin; I cared about what matters most to me: my health. I’m a type 2 diabetic, so keeping my weight down is even more important.

“Thankfully, I found NutriSystem. It’s like having a coach, having someone there to support you. At any given time, I know all the people at NutriSystem are trying to help me be healthy and lead a better life. Plus, it’s convenient for my very busy lifestyle, and I know I’m going to eat right, eat often, and feel healthy.”

Now, Billie Jean thinks the best is yet to come.

“I’ve lost 35 lbs.* with the program, and now my joints don’t hurt so much, and I have more energy. So I want to get out and do more. I want to play more tennis, go to the gym more and see my friends more. Life is more fun.

“The bottom line is that, as an athlete, I think about health. I listen to my body, and accept responsibility for my health. NutriSystem has helped me do this, and I really believe it can help other people, too.”

Mike Eruzione – Hockey

Finally, Mike Eruzione is the face of perhaps the greatest moment in U.S. sports history. In the 1980 Games, he scored the winning goal versus heavily favored Russia in the “Miracle on Ice” hockey game. He was also captain of the U.S. team that went on to win the gold that year, and instantly became an Olympic legend.

But 20-some years after this gold medal moment, he certainly wasn’t feeling that way.

“You know what? A little while back, I was thinking, ‘I’m an Olympic champion. I want to look like one.’ I didn’t want to be some guy that people say, ‘Geez, that guy used to play hockey?’ I just really needed to do something at that point in my life. I was 52 years old. I’d had two knee surgeries and I just didn’t feel healthy, so I thought it was time for me to make a change. And I’m not talking about just a food change, but a lifestyle change.

“So I was playing golf in Ireland with my buddy Dan (Marino), and was asking him a lot about NutriSystem, since he was looking and feeling so much better after losing weight. He was telling me how he does it, and that I’ve got to get involved in this. So when I got back, I ordered NutriSystem.

“Boy, I’m glad I did. I lost 32 lbs.,* and I think I look good! You know, it’s amazing how many people tell me I look younger. My buddies wanted to know what I did—they thought I’d dyed my hair! And the other day I was on an airplane, and the flight attendant (who I hadn’t seen in a while) looked at me and said, ‘What happened to you?’ But the best story was when I played golf recently. I’ve known the greens keeper for many years—but he actually came up to me and said, ‘Is Mike Eruzione in this group?’ He didn’t even recognize me.

“Thanks to NutriSystem, though, I recognize myself again. I wanted to look better, I wanted to look thinner, and I wanted to be healthier. I wanted to feel like a champ again. NutriSystem enabled me to do that.”