SEPTEMBER 2012 Inside
Sport psychologist works with Olympic athletes Laurier Professor Kim Dawson helps elite runners hone their mental skills doesn’t have to be the thought they keep — they’re capable of changing their emotions.” Kim Dawson says she helps elite Dawson helps her athletes to athletes to run fast so she doesn’t set short- and long-term goals, have to herself. and then create action plans “I go for a run and don’t worry for achieving those goals. She about a thing,” she says. “It’s a little encourages them to “live their unfair, actually.” whole lives” early in the training Dawson, a professor of sport cycle, then narrow their focus as a psychology at Wilfrid Laurier big race approaches. University, works with a group of Individual events are broken high-performance runners who down into several stages, each with train at the Speed River Track and its own mental game plan. In the Field Club in Guelph, Ont. Four marathon, for instance, the first of her athletes competed in the 10 kilometres are about relaxation London Olympics: marathoners and optimizing body mechanics. Eric Gillis and Reid Coolsaet, Passing the halfway mark provides steeplechaser Alex Genest, and 1500-metre specialist Hilary Stellin- an emotional boost that is carefully harnessed in the drive to the finish gwerff. line. Dawson worked with them to “Nothing is unprepared,” Dawson develop psychological techniques for fending off slumps, dealing with says. “They are in complete control — it’s about being consistent.” injuries, peaking at the right time, The pressure and distractions managing their emotions over the of the Olympics present special course of a race, and “having a life” challenges to any athlete, and outside of running, a sport that Dawson worked with her runners requires participants to seek out to deal with those hurdles. In the huge helpings of physical pain. lead-up to the games, she coached “Just as there’s a whole arsenal of them on “event management” physical skills that runners need, around their races and on develthere’s a whole arsenal of mental oping specific mental race stratskills, too,” she says. “First and egies. foremost, the athletes have to learn “The Olympic Games are so that the first thought they have
people at Laurier
Maria Andraza, manager, academic materials (Waterloo campus). Jessica Bell, exam and booking specialist (Waterloo campus). Michael Bernhard, coordinator, Community Partner, Curriculum In and PD (Waterloo campus). Jessica Berrigan, environmental/ occupational health and safety advisor (Brantford campus). Rachel Bessette, off-campus recruitment officer (Waterloo campus). Valerie Clement, academic program assistant (Waterloo campus). Christine Dale, manager, Integrated Planning & Academic Resources (Waterloo campus).
massive, there can almost be a stigma attached to them,” she says. “We actually call it the Big O, and we do a lot of work helping the athletes to keep their perspective amid the hoopla.” Working with elite runners has provided Dawson with a wealth of knowledge about the psychology of high-performance athletics.
Patricia Freeman, administrative assistant/research coordinator, MDRC (Waterloo campus).
Simone Weil Davis, coordinator, Inside-Out Canada, Faculty of Social Work (Kitchener location).
Ravi Gokani, coordinator, Community-Service Learning (Brantford campus).
Changes in staff appointments:
Dan Graham, area manager, Facilities Operations (Waterloo campus). Shelley Groves, medical secretary II, Health Services (Brantford campus). Scott Keller, administrative assistant II, Residential Services (Waterloo campus). Adrian Lahey, faculty relations administrator, Office of V-P (Waterloo campus). Haylea Leaman, residence life resource facilitator, Residential Services, Waterloo campus.
Adrian den Broeder, disability consultant (Waterloo campus).
Sandra Martin, OneCard systems assistant, OneCard (Waterloo campus).
Melissa DiLeo, international student advisor, Recruitment & Admissions (Brantford campus).
Joanne McKee, assistant vice-president: financial resources, Waterloo campus.
Heather Doering, intermediate administrative assistant (Waterloo campus).
Charity Parr-Vasquez, research facilitator (Natural Sciences), Research Services (Waterloo campus).
Elizabeth Flynn-Dastoor, lab coordinator, Pyschology (Waterloo campus).
Kim Dawson works with elite athletes to prepare them mentally for competitions such as the London Olympics in June.
She’s been sharing her expertise in a column in Canadian Running magazine, in seminars and talks, and in her sports psychology classes at Laurier, which are studded with examples drawn from her training work. Genest had the best finish in the summer Olympics — seventh place— but for each of the four
athletes, Dawson takes satisfaction in knowing they were physically and mentally prepared for the race of their lives. “It’s so thrilling to help these runners meet their potential,” she says. “When they get an outcome I know they deserve because they’ve worked so hard for it, it’s just a wonderful thing to see.”
examinations clerk, Registrar’s Office (Waterloo campus).
Erin Riggin, receptionist/ administrative assistant, Accessible Learning Centre (Waterloo campus).
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
New appointments:
Shannon Doherty, prospect researcher (campaign), Advancement (Waterloo campus).
Photo: Dean Palmer
By Nicholas Dinka
Sarah Rich, program administrator (Brantford campus). Malgorzata Smiarowski, custodian, Physical Resources, Waterloo campus.
Michael Ackerman, disability consultant (Waterloo campus). Suzanne Buck, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo camus). Brent Carpenter, coordinatormechanical operations, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Laura Davey, admissions specialist II, Faculty of Education (Waterloo campus).
Megan Lott, residence education coordinator, Residential Services, Waterloo campus. Kerry Martin, manager, general merchandise, Bookstore (Waterloo campus). Necia Martins, service coordinator, Service Laurier, Waterloo campus. Heather Matlashewski, manager, grounds and custodial, Physical Resources, Waterloo campus. Andrew Pieon, alumni officer, Alumni Relations (Waterloo campus).
Kevin Schultz, leadhandmechanical/plumbing, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Anthony Strauss, lab technician, Biology (Waterloo campus). Adrienne Wilker, mental health/ student support, Student Affairs (Waterloo campus).
Retirements: John Clement, special constable (Laurier Brantford).
Maggie Duncan, information specialist (data entry), Office of the Registrar (Waterloo campus). Una Glisic, strategic planning coordinator, Office of Research Services (Waterloo campus). Karlie Imhoff, welcome and events coordinator, Recruitment and Admissions (Waterloo campus). Erin Klassen, recruiting assistant, Career Development Centre (Waterloo campus). Janina Ganton, manager, ceremonies and events, Office of the President (Waterloo campus). Bailey Gross, coordinator: student leadership, Student Leadership centre (Waterloo campus). Angie Kobbert, Scantron/
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