Alexandra Lehmann has earned a spot on Team Switzerland and along with it, the opportunity to participate in international competitions for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Women’s World Championships and 5 Nations’ Cup. A Cecil Lake, British Columbia local, The Swiss-Canadian goalie has been playing professional hockey in Switzerland’s National League for the last two years, winning a national championship with the Lugano Ladies two years ago and placing second last season (Giesbrecht, 2022).

The former Carleton women’s hockey goaltender played two years as a Raven before turning pro in the summer of 2020. During this time of transition from University to pro hockey, Lehmann said she was mindful of what she had worked on with Dr Lussier, her Mental Performance Coach, through the season: “Together, we altered my approach to playing big games and acknowledging the emotional side of the game. If I focused on staying present and competing, then the performance would take care of itself” (Hopkins, 2021). In her third pro season in Switzerland, Allie now plays for the SC Bern Frauen and has her sights set on the upcoming 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships in Utica, USA in April.

I (CL) recently spoke with Allie (AL) and asked her how she takes care of her mental health and how she approaches her mental performance as a professional athlete. Check out her great insights below!

This year, Bell Let’s Talk Day is on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. But worth noting is that mental health matters every day of the year. This of course applies to athletes and high performers of all walks of life. A significant part of my work as a Mental Performance Coach and Consultant involves mental health literacy; educating athletes, coaches, and teams to be proactive and preventative in their daily wellness strategies, while also training vital mental skills that support athletic and personal development, a growth mindset, and peak performances when it matters most.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Montreal Alouettes’ DB Wes Sutton, a 2X CFL East All Stars and 2023 Grey Cup Champion to ask him how he cares for his mental health and how he approaches the mental side of football and life. Read his inspiring perspectives below

May was mental health awareness month but of course, mental health matters 365 days of the year. So I (CL) caught up with Taylor Woods (TW) pro hockey play, Isabel Cup Champion and Strong Woman World Champion to ask her about how she cares for her mental wellness and what mindset allows her to thrive as a dual sport athlete and high performer.

Training camps in sports, the performing arts, and many other contexts are by nature designed to be intense, extremely demanding, experiences. Historically, athletic training camps first emerged out of military life.

Do you tend to be hypercritical of yourself and perhaps also hypercritical of others on your team and/or in your family? Many of us are, oftentimes in the name of perfectionism. However, upon reflection, you may notice that it’s most frequently counterproductive and counter performance.

Goals are a funny thing. Done effectively, they can propel us to levels we nearly didn’t think were possible. Done ineffectively, they can actually become sources of stress, pressure, and shame, and can even set ceilings to our ability to actualize our greatest potential.