Kyndal wanted to share her story as an NCAA track & field student athlete, who also gets a period once a month! A true period powerhouse.

I am a triple jumper for the Louisiana State University (LSU) track & field team. I’m currently a civil engineering major & a plant mom. I enjoy nature, fitness, fashion & beauty.

As a child I was always on the move whether it be for Girl Scouts, track meets, basketball games, science fairs, etc. As I got older I just found passion & purpose in being active & outside.

I dread my cycle every month because I feel almost non-functional for the first two days. I have pretty severe cramps, mood swings, and fatigue these days, in addition to the typical period mood swings – I really don't feel like myself. My breasts start to swell and become really tender which isn't fun when we have to lift weights. I usually know the day before my cycle starts because my back starts to hurt really bad as well.

During pre-menstruation, I try to mentally prepare to know that I’ll have to struggle for a few days. It's important to mentally prepare so that, 1) I don’t project on my teammates when I’m not in a good mood and 2) I don't feel like a wimp when I feel like I can't do something the way I usually would. My cycle definitely impacts my ability to perform during practice. Sometimes I’m unable to complete workouts because I just feel like I need to lay down.

I might just be really lucky but I have never started my period on an actual competition day. I've had to compete with my period but it'll usually be the last couple days so I can just wear a regular tampon and be okay and not uncomfortable. If I were to start my period on a competition day, I’d probably change my tampon every hour because I feel like the more I move around the more likely I am to bleed through.

The first time I started cramping I didn’t know what it was & it was uncontrollable & almost unbearable. Nobody was home so I was about to call the ambulance because I thought it was my appendix or something.

I have found it best for me to only use pads on the first 2-3 days of my period. I used to not ever want to workout in pads but I've learned that my period is much shorter when I use pads only. Because of track, I use tampons when it starts to get lighter, so that it doesn't feel weird working out. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to train in pads but I just put on two pairs of spandex so that I don't feel the pad shift when I'm running, jumping or lifting.

Most of my teammates use super ultra tampons, but I don't find them comfortable. I feel like it's kind of a basic thing among athletes to use and carry tampons though because they are more functional for the movement we’re doing.

Surprisingly, I have never received any period products as a courtesy for competition goodies but I feel like that's a great idea because probably half the menstruating athletes competing will be on their period.

My mom actually purchased products a couple months ago! She brought me some while I was at school and then I saw the brand on social media & I loved it! I used the pads & had no problems at all. I really like that the products are environmentally sustainable.

Don’t be afraid to let people know you're on your period! Especially in stressful situations. For younger athletes, I would suggest really making sure to plan a routine on how you would like to deal with your period on days where you practice and compete. Always pack extra clothes! If you have an intense period, I would suggest taking pain relievers the day before you start, if you're in good health for it. Being proactive always makes things a little better for me.

Thanks to Kyndal from LSU track & field for sharing her story as a menstruating athlete. Good luck in your future competitions!