about my years as an athlete

I grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and began competing in track & field and other sports at the age of 12. Track quickly became the sport where I competed at an elite level, traveling worldwide at a young age. My first international competition was in Taiwan, where I competed in the Children's Olympics at 14, winning Gold in the 400m. I went on to compete in various international competitions representing my country throughout my career, including the 2012 Olympic Games. 

At a very young age, I understood the power of my mindset and how it affected my performance and everyday life. Competing at an elite stage at a young age was a fantastic experience, one of growth and balance. It indeed brought its challenges as I navigated what childhood should be like. Looking back now, I can say it was all worth it, but during it, there were bumps in the road on how to navigate such a lifestyle and commitment. I struggled with anxiety for much of my life, but it wasn't until my later years I realized what it was.  

My late coach at the time, Charlie Scarrow, was highly passionate about developing a strong mind to help sports performance. He introduced me to many mental skills that strengthened my ability to train and perform like an elite athlete before I was fortunate enough to become a professional athlete. I outperformed many runners who were more talented than me because of the mental skills I learned at a very young age.

Because of this, I am passionate about teaching mental skills to other athletes who can benefit from what helped so many other athletes and me. 

However, something else was critically missing. I didn't know my identity outside of the sport, and I also did not know how to process and handle my anxiety and various other intense emotions outside of the sport.  

Many student-athletes and professional athletes face mental illnesses and can have difficulty opening up about them. My desire is to help normalize what many of us face and create an environment that helps navigate these struggles by providing life-changing support, skills, and tools that are needed.