An athlete who said she ‘hates’ the taste of water and hydrates with coffee and beer instead has revealed that she’s had to be hospitalized multiple times because of her refusal to drink it.
Lori Cheek, 52, from Kentucky, said the clear liquid tastes ‘flat and uninspiring,’ and wants nothing to do with it.
But she’s ended up in the ER twice after exercising without drinking enough water.
She’s also been fiercely slammed online for her aversion – but Lori doesn’t care, and believes that people ‘rely too much’ on water.
‘Water’s been put on a pedestal as the only way to hydrate, but that’s just not true,’ the entrepreneur told NeedToKnow recently.
‘People call it “refreshing,” but I’ve never had that experience. It’s like slimy going down my throat. I crave flavor.’
Lori said she has hated water for as long as she can remember, and even her parents disliked the liquid, so it wasn’t an issue avoiding it growing up.
She explained: ‘I grew up on Tang, Kool-Aid, and Capri Suns. I’ve never been dramatic about it; I just tried to dodge drinking it whenever I could.
An athlete who said she ‘hates’ the taste of water and hydrates with coffee and beer instead has revealed that she’s had to be hospitalized multiple times because of her refusal to drink it
Lori Cheek, 52, said the clear liquid tastes ‘flat and uninspiring,’ and wants nothing to do with it – But she’s ended up in the ER twice after exercising without drinking enough water
‘I’ll sip just enough to make it look like I’m drinking it [when I’m around others].’
Lori admitted that she’s had some life-threatening situations because of lack of water.
‘I’ve ended up in the ER twice, both times after pushing too hard at the gym,’ she confessed.
‘They were scary experiences and taught me that I can’t take hydration lightly. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to find flavorful ways to stay hydrated.’
Lori starts off her morning with coffee – and proceeds to have three more cups throughout the day.
She’ll then chug flavored water, such as Crystal Light or sports drinks, and a few beers after a bike ride.
After dinner, to ensure her body is well hydrated, she’ll have a couple of Pedialyte popsicles to sneak in some extra electrolytes.
She has to spend an average of $150 on staying hydrated each month – compared to nothing if she just drank water.
Lori starts off her morning with coffee – and proceeds to have three more cups throughout the day. She’ll then chug flavored water, such as Crystal Light or sports drinks, and a few beers
She’s been fiercely slammed online for her aversion – but Lori doesn’t care, and believes that people ‘rely too much’ on water
‘Despite the myths, coffee does count toward hydration. And so does beer, as it has water in it,’ she said.
‘My strategy has more personality to it than plain H20. Doctors are often shocked – or skeptical – but once they see I take my health seriously, they usually relax. They might not like it, but it works for me.’
Lori trains six days a week and, recently completed a relay of the half Iron Man, which included riding a bike for 57 miles.
Despite her success, people are still quick to judge over her disdain for water.
‘I’m looked at like I’ve confessed to a crime [when I post about not liking water],’ shared the influencer.
‘People are shocked, some laugh, and others look at me like I’ve grown a second head.
‘When a popular influencer reacted to a video of mine, the floodgates opened. His followers kept commenting on my Instagram, saying: “That’s ridiculous,” and, “You’re going to kill yourself.”
‘Some people even blamed my parents for not forcing me to drink water. You’d have thought I announced I was giving up oxygen.
‘People are surprisingly passionate about water. It’s bizarre.’
But in the end, she’s unbothered by the hate.
She concluded, ‘It’s a great conversation starter, and I’ve learned to embrace it as one of my quirks.’
