"We were Division 1 athletes, starving ourselves": Cavinder twins open up on their eating disorder struggles as they spread awareness via TikTok

Haley and Hanna Cavinder are known not just for their skills on the court for the Miami Hurricanes but also for their social media following. The Cavinder twins shared a TikTok with their 4.6 million followers on Tuesday detailing their past struggles with eating disorders.

The Hurricanes senior guards used National Eating Disorder Week, which began on Monday, as an opportunity to reflect on their journies.

"It's been two years since we finally reached out for help about our eating disorder," the Cavinder twins' TikTok caption read. "We were Division 1 athletes, starving ourselves, eating less than 50 carbs a day while trying to compete on the court."

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Hanna and Haley stepped away from basketball after the 2022-23 season despite having another year of eligibility. At the time, the twins cited burnout and wanting to focus on business endeavors as their reasons for not returning to Miami.

The Miami guards detailed their pattern of eating as little as possible to the point that they lost their menstrual cycles and some of their hair and began experiencing other health issues.

"Finally, after hitting our breaking point and my mom reaching out to our coaches, we reached out for help," they added.

Since then, the Cavinder twins have received help for their eating disorders and have returned to the Hurricanes this season. In their TikTok post, Haley and Hanna reflect on the changes they've made to become healthy while staying lean and how the journey has made them fall in love with nutrition.

"This whole journey allowed both of us to fall in love with nutrition and use our story as resources to so many girls that struggle with this. You are not alone and we hope our story helps anyone who is still fighting their own battles. 🤍"

Cavinder twins thriving in senior season at Miami

Hanna and Haley announced in April of last year that they would be returning to the Hurricanes after missing the 2023-24 season.

Both seniors have started in every game for Miami this season. They have seen significant increases in their minutes since the 2022-23 season and have also improved their average points, assists, and rebounds per game. Haley's 46.4% field goal percentage is a career-high, and Hanna is shooting nearly 9% better from the field compared to the 2022-23 season.

The Cavinder twins' Tiktok highlighted the value of recovery, something that can be seen in their performance on the court.