Children's Hospital Colorado launches first-of-its-kind program for female athletes

A new program in Colorado is helping young female athletes stay at the top of their game.

Athletes are known for pushing themselves to perform at their best. But for young girls, the physical demands of competition can take a toll, especially during critical years of growth and development.

Recognizing the need for specialized care, doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora have launched the Female Athlete Program. It is a first-of-its-kind clinic in the state designed specifically for adolescent and young adult female athletes.

Nevaeh Zamora, a distance runner, was among the program's first patients. She competed in cross country at Thornton's Pinnacle Charter School.

"Cross country kind of gave me that meaning outside of academics, outside of good grades," Zamora said. "It gave me something that was mine."

But her passion for running came to a halt when she tore her hip flexor during her freshman year.

"I ran myself into injury," she said.

That injury led to a deeper conversation with her doctor at Children's Hospital, where Zamora revealed she was struggling with her eating habits.

"I'm not eating, I throw up my breakfast in the morning, I skip lunch at school. I eat half of my dinner when I get home," she said.

Dr. Aubrey Armento, a sports medicine physician, explained Zamora's experience is not uncommon.

"I would see a lot of athletes coming in, primarily for injuries and often referring them to see the sports dietician," Armento said.

The pattern of under-fueling and overtraining prompted Armento to help launch the Female Athlete Program at Children's Hospital, which takes a collaborative and comprehensive approach to care. The clinic addresses not only physical injuries but also underlying issues such as nutrition, hormonal imbalances, and mental health.

"It's a very collaborative approach," Armento said. "If an athlete is not adequately fueling and is not having a regular period, that puts their bone health at risk."

That holistic model caught the attention of Dr. Lauryn Roth, an adolescent gynecologist.

"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I want to be part of that.' I, too, am a prior female athlete," Roth said.

Roth joined the program to provide gynecological care, a component often missing in sports medicine. She educates young athletes on how menstrual health impacts performance and long-term well-being.

"These periods are actually an indicator of how the body is doing and whether things are in balance or not," Roth said. "Estrogen is really important for a variety of functions in our body, including neuro-cognitive function, cardiovascular health, and also bone strength."

Without proper hormonal balance, Roth said, athletes may struggle to perform, miss out on playing time, and become more susceptible to injuries.

"I really look at this as a chance to make some positive changes, both for now, their current athletic performance, but also that future self that wants to live a long and healthy life," she said.

For Zamora, the program made all the difference.

"I was able to see PR after PR, and I was like the best running, and I think that's when it finally clicked for me," she said.

"I think she's a good example of not just treating the injury but treating the whole athlete and making sure we're investigating other things outside of just the orthopedic injury itself," Armento said of Zamora.

Now entering college, Zamora is no longer running competitively, but she hopes her story encourages other female athletes to prioritize their health.

"There is no amount of suffering that is ever not justified," she said. "You deserve the freedom from your thoughts, and you deserve to let somebody listen to you."

Since launching about eight months ago, the Female Athlete Program has supported hundreds of young athletes. It is available not only at the hospital's Aurora location but also at other Children's Hospital facilities along the Front Range.