I am an educator, coach developer, and applied sport scientist who specializes in supporting leaders in education, *female athletes, and the coaches of female athletes. My work blends physiology, social psychology, neuroscience, and educational leadership, and is rooted in this fundamental belief:

We perform at our best, in every facet of our lives, when physical and emotional well-being are centered.

My approach:

every Learner and athlete is unique.

My approach to teaching and coaching respects and celebrates that every person is unique in their cultural background, learning needs, and physiology.

And at the same time…

Research matters.

While each person is unique, current research and up-to-date science sets a solid foundation for best practice in working with learners and athletes. My teaching is rooted in a blend of research and learning theories, including (but not limited to):

Appreciative Inquiry
The Yerkes-Dodson Law
Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development Theory
Sensemaking and Adult Learning Theory
The research of Drs. Carol Dweck, Stacy Sims, Kathryn Ackerman, John Ratey, Bruce Perry, and Julie McCleery of the University of Washington’s Ambitious Coaching Project

Core beliefs that shape the way I coach and teach:

Featured

Adaptation

Humans are designed to adapt to stress in positive ways. Learning, gaining strength, and generating confidence are all examples of how we can utilize healthy levels of stress to become better prepared to thrive in our environment.

Balance

We are at our best when stretched to the outer limits of our capabilities. But those pushes to the edge must be balanced with opportunities to step back, breathe, reflect and restore.

Growth

Every part of us—physical, psychological, and emotional—is capable of growth.

When we are healthy, we have the courage to welcome opportunities for growth into our lives, as well as the resilience to normalize setbacks.

How I got here:

I have a deep love for learning, moving, and adventure. My approach to teaching has been shaped by research, observation, and application—through years of coaching endurance athletes, as well as through my own training and performance experiences.

Photography by Amber Fouts

My work:

I teach within the University of Washington’s Educational Leadership and Policy area of the College of Education. My content areas include: adult learning; student populations and experiences; leadership and management in higher education; human performance; and female athlete (FA) health and performance.

My doctoral research is focused on supporting female athletes and the coaches of female athletes. Having coached female endurance athletes for over 15 years—and having raced as a collegiate rower and elite level cyclist—my lived experience shaped a deep understanding of the physical, psychological, and social-emotional challenges female athletes face.

The goal of my doctoral and coach development work is to:

Normalize conversations around FA health
Increase awareness of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), while providing coach education focused on mitigating REDs risk factors
Support coaches in shaping environments that center FA health and well-being

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND:

PhD student, Leadership in Higher Education—University of Washington College of Education
MS in Exercise and Sport Science, Specialization in Coaching—Smith College
BS in Human Performance—Western Washington University

Coaching and teaching snapshot:

5+ years teaching in the University of Washington’s College of Education
15+ years coaching endurance athletes ranging from novice to elite level
10 years coaching NCAA Division I, II and III rowing

Athlete snapshot:

Elite level cycling (cyclocross, XC mountain, road)
4 years Division II NCAA rowing

*This binary language is imperfect and does not reflect the true biological evolution of our population. I use it because it is the language most commonly used in the research, and because it allows us to discuss sex differences and longstanding inequity in sport science.

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