“You deserve to find out how good you could be.”
These words quite literally changed the trajectory of my life.
But first, let’s rewind a few years.
Under the Spotlight
Growing up, I was a competitive dancer. You could find me at the studio four or five hours a day, four to five times a week. Multiply that by 12 or so years.
Dance introduced me to the idea of performing under pressure. Unlike points-based sports where outcomes are determined by clear metrics (e.g. either the shot goes in or it doesn’t), my routines were judged subjectively—every movement open to scrutiny. Were my toes pointed enough? How high did I jump? Did I stay composed from start to finish?
At the time, I was focused entirely on the physical —cleaner turns, higher jumps, sharper lines— trying to refine my technique to make every movement as strong as possible. While I was training my body to be strong and resilient, it wasn’t until I transitioned into adulthood that I began learning how to train my mind.
Running Without Direction
After graduating from university I started running casually — a 5k here, a 10k there — but without any real direction or goals. That’s when I began working with a run coach.
One of the first things he said to me was, “You deserve to find out how good you could be.” Those words stopped me in my tracks. It was the first time someone had voiced such clear belief in my potential.
Just a few months into working with this coach, I ran my first marathon in 3 hours and 33 minutes. To some, that might seem impressive—but it was far from the goal I had set for myself.
I had spent months training to run a sub-three hour marathon, so falling more than 30 minutes short of my goal was a disappointment to say the least. I didn’t just feel like I had let myself down—I felt like I had let my coach down, too. And honestly? I was embarrassed.
When the race started to unravel, so did my mindset. I could see my goal slipping through my fingers as the minutes ticked by. And the longer the race went on, the louder the negative thoughts became.
- Was my coach’s confidence in me misplaced?
- What if I wasn’t good enough?
- Will everyone think I’m a failure?
I thought about the early morning alarms. The countless long runs and workouts I pushed through when I didn’t feel like it. All those sacrifices, made in pursuit of one singular goal. And here I was – on the day that mattered most – and it felt like my body didn’t show up for me. But not in the way you might expect. Physically, I largely felt fine. Mentally? That was another story.
The Wake-Up Call
That experience opened my eyes to a truth I couldn’t ignore: there was a gap between my physical preparation and my mental readiness. While I had trained my body for the demands of the 42.2 km distance, I hadn’t prepared my mind for the pressure that came with it. I realized then that mental fitness isn’t just an added bonus—it’s a requirement for high performance.
So, I got to work.
With the help of a Mental Performance Coach, I started building the mental resilience I needed to show up to start lines with not just a strong body—but a strong mind, too.
We worked on managing nerves in the lead-up to big workouts and races. I learned how to notice unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more constructive ones. I practiced reframing failure—not as proof I wasn’t good enough, but as feedback I could learn from. I started approaching challenges with a mindset rooted in curiosity and self-belief, rather than fear and self-doubt.
The work I did with my Mental Performance Coach didn’t just change how I showed up – it changed my results.
Five weeks after racing my first marathon, I laced up my shoes again—this time finishing in 3 hours and 3 minutes. And while I won’t pretend that shaving 30 minutes off my time didn’t feel good (it absolutely did), the best part was how confident I felt from start to finish.
From Amateur to Elite
Fast forward a few years. I’ve raced the Boston Marathon twice, competed internationally at the elite level, and ran my most recent marathon in 2 hours and 46 minutes. While the most obvious difference is the 47 minutes I’ve been able to shave off my marathon PR, what’s less visible is the behind-the-scenes work it took to show up to workouts and starting lines with confidence.
The real growth didn’t come from simply running faster splits or longer runs—it came from changing what was happening inside my head. I began to ask myself questions like:
- How do I speak to myself after a hard workout or race?
- What self-talk am I engaging in during those hard moments? Is what I’m telling myself helping me move forward—or holding me back?
- What’s the opportunity or lesson to be learned in the challenge I’m experiencing?
Oftentimes, performance breakthroughs come from what happens internally (e.g. mental), not just externally (e.g. physical). Today, I stand on starting lines with a calm mind, knowing that I’ve not only put in the physical work, but also the mental work, to succeed.
Strengthening the Mind, Transforming Performance
Mental strength isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s built with intention and it lays the foundation for Consistent Elite Performance.
That belief, sparked by a simple statement from my coach years ago, still drives me—both in my own training and in the work I do with athletes.
As a Mental Performance Coach I help athletes and high performers build the same kind of mindset that helped transform my own running and help me close the gap between potential and performance. I’ve lived the pressure of competition, navigated setbacks, and come out the other side with a clearer understanding of what it really takes to perform at your best—day in and day out.
My background in high-performance sport, combined with my clinical training, allows me to understand the unique pressures athletes face—both on the surface and beneath it. Whether it’s managing nerves, bouncing back from failure, or trusting yourself when it counts, mental strength is the common thread behind Consistent Elite Performance.
Because you deserve to find out how good you can be—and have the mindset to make it happen.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Alexis Woloschuk is a name synonymous with mental fortitude in the world of professional hockey. Throughout her career originating playing boys hockey, going to an academy away from home, playing her four years at Boston University and 7+ years in pro hockey she’s learned the importance of resilience, confidence, and dismissing both fear and other’s opinions. With a blend of relatability, confidence, and an acute understanding of playing to one’s potential, Alexis helps athletes reshape the way they perceive and harness the power of their minds.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Louie is a mental performance coach from Toronto, Canada with a professional hockey career spanning over 14 years. Being a standout player at the University of Michigan, Louie was a Hobey Baker finalist and a 1st team All-American, which led him to getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators and playing in renowned leagues across the globe, including the DEL, SHL, and AHL.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Max is currently attending William James College, where he is earning a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Professional Psychology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Max was inducted into the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and played on the Quinnipiac University men’s club ice hockey team.
Danielle Hanus, MA
Monica Russell, MA
