As a former competitive gymnast and figure skater I had what many called the "perfect" body for likely achieving high-level athlete status. Yet I was missing one crucial component for high level performance: my mental game. I competed nationally and even though I wanted to compete in “the big leagues” (internationally) part of me never believed that I could. I was afraid of failure, and focused my attention more on that than on my potential and what I truly desired.
The time came when the pressure I was putting on myself was no longer worth it, so I traded my skates in for textbooks. I focused solely on academics, attaining degrees in literature and elementary education. While studying I worked part-time at lululemon where I was first introduced to goal coaching. Being coached on my goals and having others hold me accountable opened me to a whole new world that was full of possibility.
I became totally hooked on goal setting and started learning as much as I could about the coaching side of it. I called up goal coaches in in the Toronto community not only to be coached but also for any chance to learn from them and was even able to listen in on a few sessions they delivered when their clients agreed to it. The thought that kept coming to me was "I wish SO MUCH that I had goal coaching as a competitive skater" - the level of sheer courage, focus and achievement that I was now attaining in my life was exactly what I had been missing as a competitor.
In time, I became a Key Leader at ivivva (lululemon's little sister) and had amazing opportunities to lead goal coaching sessions for both staff members as well as young competitive athletes in the local community. My absolute favourite memory working there was collaborating on the creation of an event surrounding goals and figure skating led by none other than World Champion ice dancer, Shae-Lynn Bourne. It left me feeling dizzy with inspiration!
The desire to provide goal coaching geared specifically for figure skaters grew exponentially within me and soon everything I was doing became an opportunity to build on this concept. Even when I became a schoolteacher I was learning continuously about human development and ways to push past pre-conceived limitations.
The tools I acquired as an athlete, educator, avid goal setter and coach, have influenced my passion to support figure skaters in elevating and transforming their performance, reaching their full potential and skating to soar.