Hi, I'm Josie, I founded Mind Athlete with the goal of helping others develop a better relationship to challenge and perform at their potential. I'll be your coach/instructor as we dive into your mental training.

I've been working as a coach and guide in the climbing industry for the past 15 years. I worked on the Yosemite Search & Rescue team for three years and spent many years climbing big walls in Yosemite. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and have professional coach training through Performance Climbing Coach, The Flow Centre and the International Coaching Community.

During the years of 2013-2016, nearly every time I went climbing was to do some harder, larger objective. I was puting myself into stressful situations day after day, without actually letting my nervous system recover. In May of 2016, I was developing a new route in Yosemite. On pitch 6, I froze, unable to commit to going up or down, in that moment I realized my relationship with climbing needed to change.

I had burnt myself out. But I kept going, kept pushing myself, because it felt like something I should be doing. I knew I loved climbing, but it was at a point that I dreaded going rock climbing because I was operating in the red zone for far too long.

I started researching sport psychology and working with a mindset coach to figure out how to get past this feeling of dread. I learned how to return to the fun of climbing that I'd cast aside in favor of performance. 

A year later, I watched my climbing partner take 100’+ fall, resulting in a life-changing, spinal cord injury. The incident and its aftermath were some of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with. My sense of self began to unravel. If I hadn't started mental training when I did, I probably wouldn't still be climbing today. However, with this work, instead of burning out, I am now performing better in my own goals and enjoying the sport more than ever!

I never want other climbers to end up where I was. That’s why I’ve devoted my career to helping others through mental training.