COVER STORY
Dietitian trailblazer : Karen Inge
The incredible Karen Inge has had many firsts in her remarkable career : she was the first dietitian appointed to an AFL club , the founding Head of Nutrition at the Victorian Institute of Sport , the inaugural Vice President of Sports Dietitians Australia and the first dietitian to be made a Fellow of Sports Medicine Australia . Karen ’ s inspiring story is one of serendipitous sliding door moments , lots of hard work and a few disappointments that ended up being her biggest opportunities .
Karen Inge ’ s childhood was filled with many happy memories where food played a central role in family celebrations , so it ’ s no surprise she gravitated towards dietetics in her professional life . Her first role in the field was at the prestigious Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , and although she loved it , she didn ’ t stay for very long – she had made a promise to a girlfriend to go travelling through Europe together . Upon her return , Karen worked in a community setting , but it was what happened next that really changed the course of her career .
© Dietitian Connection 6 Infuse | May 2021