cultivating high-performance by honoring the whole athlete
Keynotes | Consulting | Coaching | Workshops | Virtual Team Rooms
The WHOLE Athlete Initiative (The WAI) is a holistic approach to cultivating high-performance that honors the development of the WHOLE athlete, mind, body and soul, by providing pillars of support to elevate mental health and improve performance.
Most of us are so focused on training the physical and technical components of sport that we often overlook the critical effect mental health exerts on performance.
Mental health is not merely the absence of illness; it’s a dynamic and overarching construct used to describe a person’s condition regarding their social, psychological and emotional well-being, i.e. how we feel, think and act. When we strengthen our mental health, we strengthen our ability to regulate our thoughts, emotions and behaviors, which allows us to positively cope with stress and adversity - an integral part of successful performance.
Decades of research make it clear that emotional and attentional awareness and regulation are traits that foster well-being and pave the way for peak performance. Generating awareness and giving athletes the tools to reduce the likelihood of mental illness, positively cope with stress and anxiety, and achieve these states of mind is as crucial as technique, body alignment, strategy and the like.
It takes training the physical, technical and mental game to catapult the athlete to optimal performance, resiliency and most importantly, fulfillment of personal goals.
Here’s how we can help:
We provide customized programming to individuals, organizations and teams to support the development of the WHOLE athlete including, but not limited to, the WAI Virtual Team Rooms, Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement (MSPE) series, Mental Health First Aid trainings, culture building workshops, leadership trainings and Athlete Wellness Initiatives.
Education + Awareness
Increase awareness of mental health issues, i.e. how to recognize the signs and symptoms of depressive illnesses
Reduce stigma; share personal account of mental illness and path to recovery
Identify additional supports and resources available on campus / within organizations
Tangible Tools + Active Engagement
Infuse Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement practices to optimize and improve performance
Provide additional strategies for prevention, self-care and help-seeking; and strategies for teammates who may be struggling
Promote and practice positive coping skills; encourage active participation in strengthening mental well-being
Provide Mental Health First Aid training for adults who work with youth (ages 12-26)
Testimonials:
I had the opportunity to hear Samantha Livingstone share her story at her “Reclaiming Our Bodies: Challenging Expectations of Athletic Bodies” talk at Williams College. As a student-athlete at the college, I was incredibly moved by how Samantha placed damaging relationships with body image and eating in a perfectionist framework in order to explore their development and implications. In a culture so enamored with perfection, competition, and the “ideal," it quickly became evident how a void in discussion could perpetuate these unhealthy relationships. The vulnerability and honesty with which Samantha approached mental health drew in her audience, making us feel so heard, challenged, and embraced. Individual conversations since have only affirmed how approachable, thoughtful, and open-minded Samantha is, as she worked with me to develop my own “Embrace your Body” week on campus. I cannot wait to continue learning from Samantha about mental health and education, especially in a sports environment, and I cannot thank her enough for pioneering these vitally important conversations! - Elizabeth Welch | Williams College 2 x Sport Student-Athlete
Let's Connect
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My name is Samantha Arsenault Livingstone
I am an Olympic gold medalist, high-performance consultant, mental performance coach, educator and speaker. And, I am a mom of four girls - and the founder of The WAI.
Before stepping into the world of entrepreneurship, I was a classroom teacher. Six magical and hard years. I never planned on teaching - growing up, I wanted to be a doctor. All that changed when I was thrust into the darkness just two months after standing atop the Olympic podium at 18 years old.
In the middle of my battle with depression, an eating disorder and a shoulder that needed surgery - my therapist sent me out on a homework assignment that changed my life: a mentorship program at a local elementary school. It seemed absurd - pouring into others when I felt broken. And. It was the very thing that allowed me to heal. Seeing the faces of those 18 beautiful souls, ignited a passion in me that had been buried. The wide-eyes. The aha moments. The shift in their energy when they could feel that you cared.
The ability to make an impact.
I FELT CALLED.
My first stop, Norcross High School - just outside of Atlanta, Georgia where I spent six years teaching science and coaching club, high school and summer league swimming. I poured my heart and soul into 'my kids'- and I'm not sure who learned more - because those six years challenged me in ways I never expected. In heart warming ways - and heart wrenching ways. All of it true.
Turning in the keys to my classroom was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And, like I tell students all the time - we can do hard things. An amazing opportunity for my husband took us from Georgia to Massachusetts. I spent a few years at home with my girls before leaping into the world of entrepreneurship - my new classroom.
After a traumatic and perspective-shifting experience involving one of my daughters, I found myself in the darkness, again. A decade later - and still, I found strength in pouring into others. Because, in order to do this kind of work, I had to pour into myself.
Seven years of healing has landed me here.
I've always felt a deep calling to connect with students.
To inspire. Empower. Equip.
And help them walk to a place of deep knowing - reminding them, they are not alone in their struggle.
WORK WE DO IN the WAI:
We empower athletes.
To take ownership and accountability for their life.
To lead with intention.
To develop the metacognitive skills needed to identify + edit limiting beliefs that are holding them back.
To navigate feedback - both giving and receiving.
To cultivate the courage be who they are AND stay open to growth.
To see the greatness that is inside of themselves.
And, develop the skills so they can live their dreams and become
We are going to face hard. Sometimes, brutal hard.
We can do hard.
We can't control all the things that are thrown our way.
We CAN ALWAYS control how we respond.
When we have the tools, supports, skills and willingness to do hard things,
we soar.
There’s a greatness that exists within each of us.
We have an obligation to help inspire, empower and equip our kids with the supports, structures and skill set they need to cultivate greatness while honoring their their WHOLE-selves.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
{And. I know the demands, pulls and the expectations to do and be all things is real.}
Which is why I founded the WHOLE Athlete Initiative.
WE’re STRONGER Together.
We know that organizations, coaches and parents are facing ever-increasing demands with ever-decreasing resources. We know each school / team / home has its unique challenges, including the rise of anxiety, depression, self-harm and other mental health issues.
We'll connect - and talk about the biggest challenges you’re facing.
