NuGo Athlete of the Month: Betsi Flint

Betsi Flint is a professional AVP beach volleyball player. The 26-year-old from South Dakota now resides in Los Angeles, CA. She started playing indoor volleyball when she was in 6th grade and beach volleyball in 8th grade. She played four years of indoor volleyball and three years of beach volleyball at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). They added beach volleyball as a NCAA sport her sophomore year. She is a 2 time AVCA beach volleyball All-American.

She absolutely loves her job as a beach volleyball athlete. It’s hard to complain about going to the beach every day. It definitely isn’t easy, but they work super hard on the sand, in the weight room, and conditioning each week to prepare for their season.

Travel is a huge part of beach volleyball. She plays on the FIVB World Tour, and they travel the world to play in events to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Last year, she played in 18 tournaments both in the US and Internationally. It’s a ton of fun, but challenging to be on the road so often, and tough to be away from her husband frequently for a week or two at a time.

"My beach partner and I (Emily Day) value gratitude as a team – and when we are on the road for a long period of time or go through difficult losses – we get back in touch with that value. We love and appreciate all the opportunities we get to compete and travel the world!"

One of her greatest achievements as a beach volleyball player was last year when she won three tournaments in a row (both AVP & FIVB) with Emily Day. They won AVP Seattle, FIVB Haiyang, China, and AVP San Francisco. Her all-time greatest achievement was winning AVP Cincinnati her first year out of college (2015). At the time, they were the youngest team to win an AVP. That year, she also received AVP Rookie of the Year honors.

NuGo Dark is Betsi’s favorite because she is a dark chocolate lover. Her top two flavors are NuGo Dark Mint Chocolate Chip and NuGo Dark Chocolate Pretzel. Betsi recently became a fan when she found out she was lactose-intolerant. “I can tell you I will be a fan for LIFE,” she said. She was exploring the dairy-free protein bars, and they are surprisingly challenging to find, and not many taste as good as NuGo. “I love that there are a variety of flavors and options to choose from, and I can easily find them at my local grocery store,” she said.

"Dairy upsets my stomach, and all of my favorite NuGo bars are dairy free – major plus! I typically consume one after coaching and before training – they give me a boost of protein and carbs that give me energy throughout my training session (both lifting and practice). It’s super important to eat clean and get enough protein each day. We train 4-5 days on the sand (for 2.5 hours), we lift 3 times a week (1.5 hours), and condition 4-5 days a week (20-30 min. sessions)."

Betsi coaches beach volleyball at LMU right now. She also is a co-founder of Gold Medal Squared Beach camps for athletes and coaches. The camps teach the game of beach volleyball with science-based principles and data, as well as teach coaches how to coach, give feedback, and get the most out of their athletes.

Outside of volleyball, Betsi loves meal prepping and organizing her food intake on a daily/weekly basis. She also enjoys helping her friends and family with their nutrition and fitness goals. She enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and going to all the Marvel movies in theaters with her husband. You can find her schedule and upcoming events on her website, and follow her every day journey on Instagram.