Earlier this month, the University of Ottawa’s Penny Werthner, assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics, traveled to Beijing to work with Canada’s Olympic Team.
Werthner is a sports psychology consultant who guides athletes to help prepare them mentally for the pressures of the Olympic Games competition. A leader and innovator in sport, she employs a variety of techniques to assist the athletes, such as developing an ability to attend to critical factors in performance, visualization, and breathing exercises. These practices are used to help the athletes in managing anxiety and emotions, as well as overcoming distractions, injuries or setbacks.
“The Olympic Games are an extraordinarily stressful event. These athletes and their coaches spend many years working towards one particular moment in time. What is essential is that each athlete has trained with a solid focus on a few key factors to ensure a good performance. It is also important that they effectively manage the anxiety and distractions that are usually going on around them. That is what I help them with.”
Werthner’s clients include fourth-year University of Ottawa human-kinetics student Kristin Gauthier. Gauthier is a member of the Rideau Canoe Club who competed in this year’s women's K-2 500 metres and K-4 500 metres, and James Cartwright, a University master’s student and a three-time Olympian in canoe slalom.
Werthner returned home on August 24 to prepare for the upcoming academic year and to resume her coaching duties.
