Globe South Sports

She's got her

groove back

After Celiac diagnosis,

teen regaining strength

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / May 14, 2009

SOMERVILLE - Her pre-meet meal was not "the breakfast of champions." Instead, unhappily, Melanie Frazier chewed on a little gluten-free cereal prior to Saturday's Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Invitational at Dilboy Stadium.

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"It was very bad, it tastes like cardboard," said the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional senior, who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. Those with the disease can not tolerate wheat, rye, and barley.

"I don't think that I'll ever eat that again."

Well, maybe just a few bites.

Frazier went out and set a school record in the long jump, her 18-foot, 7-inch leap outdistancing the field at Dilboy Stadium. She also placed third in the 100 meters in a time of 12.56 seconds, qualifying for the Division 1 state meet in both events.

It marked a return to form for one of the state's top athletes, who had struggled with her endurance for months until her condition was finally properly diagnosed two weeks ago. "I didn't want to feel terrible through this whole season - this is my last season," said Frazier, who won the long jump at the Division 1 state meet last spring and finished second in the 100. "I wanted to do well. It's just good to know what it is before I go to the state meet."

Frazier started to feel lousy three months ago: She couldn't hold down food, she felt lethargic, and her weight was down about seven or eight pounds.

Cynthia Frazier originally thought her daughter was suffering from the stress of senior year and picking a college. But she didn't feel better after accepting a partial track scholarship to the University of New Hampshire. "Once all that was set and it continued, we finally went to a doctor and said this needs to be looked at," said her mother.

Frazier said her pediatrician referred her to a gastrointestinal specialist, who suspected anything from lactose intolerance to Crohn's disease.

The 5-foot-4-inch Frazier still managed to leap 17-4 and win the Division 1 indoor title this past winter while finishing second in the 55-meter dash in 7.37. Her coach, Paul Urban, remained in the dark throughout most of the winter and the beginning of the spring. "As a coach I could tell something definitely was not right," Urban said.

"I could just see she was lethargic in her workouts. She was not looking like the same old Mel. Being the competitor she is, she continued to fight through it. I think we got it together. Just eating gluten-free, she's been able to hold it down. . . . It's a few weeks from [the state meet], when it really matters, and she's only going to get stronger."

A few weeks ago, a blood test revealed Frazier was missing an enzyme that helps break down whey and wheat, one people with Celiac disease usually don't have. She eliminated gluten from her diet and noticed an immediate difference. But being an athlete previously fueled by carbohydrates, adjusting to a new diet has not been easy, especially when she can't just unwrap a granola bar for a quick snack. "It's only been two weeks," she said of eating mostly organic foods, including lots of salad, chicken, steak, fish, and vegetables. "I do wish I could have peanut butter and jelly."

But more than anything, she's relieved.

"I knew I would figure something out eventually," she said. "There was nothing I could really do. I can't get mad at myself because it was not my fault. I was upset I was jumping so terribly and I didn't run my best. I knew things would come around eventually. I knew I wasn't going to be sick the rest of the season. If I was, that would stink, but I just kind of thought positive about it.

But her faith was being tested as late as last week. During a dual meet, she ran the 100-meter dash in 12.8 and long jumped 15-10.

"My goal was always to jump 18 [feet], I always wanted to do that," Frazier said. "My sister graduated from Syracuse yesterday [Friday] and I didn't go so I could do well [at the meet]. My mom told me, 'If you don't do well, your sister is going to be really mad at you for not being there.' "I had that in the back of my head. I wanted to get a good seed time [at states] and . . . be stress-free about that."

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