Mentors
I have been very fortunate to work with an array of amazing mentors who have each brought unique lessons and values to my development in the field. "Thank you" falls far too short of expressing my gratitude for the impact they have made on myself as a person and professional development within the sport and mental performance field.
Dave Freeze
Dave is the mentor with whom I have worked with the longest. He has his own practice, Ripple Rock Consulting, and is a registered clinical and sport psychologist through the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. He graciously invited me to shadow his work, shared his experiences and inspired my passion in this field. He has always treated me as a professional, and encourages me to be comfortable being uncomfortable as I find myself as a mental performance consultant. Dave has always made himself available when I needed advice, feedback, or a supervisor for my CSPA application.
Les malbon
Les took me under his wing when I began my undergraduate degree at the Vancouver Island University and discovered my interest in pursuing a career in mental performance consulting. He has been extremely positive toward my work and encouraging that I had what it takes to provide the best support possible. He has helped me with my own mental performance as well as my consultancy skills, and brings a level of depth to every program and internship I have taken on. My favourite course while studying at VIU was Applied Leadership in Physical Activity with Les where I was able to learn about world's best leaders, conflict resolution, team building and self growth.
Megan Conway
Megan has mentored me at the Nanaimo Gymnastics School since she began her position as the head coach in 2008. I could always count on Megan to make herself available for conversations and advice when I needed it, I learned so much from her breadth of technical and experiential knowledge. I feel very fortunate to have done a year long mentorship with her group during the 2015-2016 season where I was able to develop my choreography skills and observe the process of building high level athletes. With her group I was able to attend many competitions including the Canada Cup, where I was able to talk to more high level coaches and learn about the elite competition environment. She has been incredibly committed to my personal and professional development, inviting me to take part in opportunities within the gymnastics community and continues to support me despite our working at different gyms now.
Mike Clark
I have worked with Mike in a variety of capacities from coaching to tournament organization. During the BC Winter Games, Mike was the team's head coach while I held a position as the assistant coach and mental performance consulting intern. He has been an advocate for my development in the field and beyond supportive.
Mary Morice
© Rachel Kirk Photography
Mary and I met during our work at the Nanaimo Gymnastics School and continued our work together when she began her position as the Wayland Sports Nanaimo Gym Manager. Mary is a member of the Gymnastics For All committee and is on the Gymnastics BC board of directors. When our Gymnaestrada group qualified for Worlds, she was an unwavering supporter of ours, and welcomed our group to be a part of Team Canada under her Wayland Nanaimo umbrella. She has been a true role model for the magic that comes from a combination of passion, leadership, consideration and trust. Mary provided me with an opportunity to demonstrate my independence as the head coach for the Gymnaestrada program while being a huge support source as I worked my way through the process of organizing international team travel and communicating with Gymnastics Canada.