2020 speakers
Alison Arnold Ph.D. (Doc Ali)
Doc Ali pioneered mental training with members of every U.S. Gymnastics Team for the past twenty years. For 28 years she has been the mental toughness coach for NCAA championship teams, countless athletes, and celebrities. She has motivated corporations and organizations to help them achieve measurable results. After receiving her PhD in Clinical Psychology, she spent 12 weeks studying the mind with the masters in Nepal, four weeks in a Thai forest monastery, three weeks in the Amazon jungle in Peru, two weeks in silence integrating it all, and still made it back to teach it. An athlete, author, and entrepreneur herself, she is relentless about helping people reach their potential.
Rebecca Smith, MA
Rebecca Smith is the founder and CEO of Complete Performance Coaching and PerformHappy. She has been helping high achievers thrive under pressure for over 20 years. A recovering perfectionist, former gymnast and coach, Rebecca struggled with mental blocks for years before they destroyed her gymnastics career.
Rebecca’s deep passion lies in using an evidence-based approach that allows fearful young athletes to learn to trust themselves again. Her athletes learn to have a voice, and stand up against the toxic culture of youth sports that has existed for decades.
When she’s not coaching in PerformHappy, she’s at the beach with her husband and her mini-gymnasts Ruby & Violet.
Diana Lattimore, PhD, CMPC
Former D1 collegiate gymnast, national rated gymnastics judge, college professor, and Certified Mental Performance Consultant. She specializes in working with athletes who have lost their confidence, whether from an injury, fear of failure, or other sport specific fears.
Betsy McNally Laouar
Betsy is a personal trainer, certified sports nutritionist, former gymnastics coach, CPT, professional bodybuilder/fitness competitor, former high school teacher and best selling author of Binges and Balance Beams. She specializes in working with gymnasts to achieve balance, healthy body image, strength and good nutritional habits.
Olivia Lubarsky
Recent alum of the Towson University college gymnastics team and 2020-2021 WCGA CGGI Ambassador. Founder of Own your Roar through which she seeks to unite mental health and athletics. 2020 TedX Speaker - through which she brought light to the importance of mental health education for student-athletes.
Alyssa Herrera-Set and Jessica Wickizer
Co-founders of gymSAFE, established in 2015. Their partnership is based on a shared love of gymnastics, a belief that a safer sport is attainable, and a desire to unite the gymnastics community to achieve this goal. They are so proud to be hosting gymSAFE’s 4th Symposium, and so thankful to our Athlete Leadership Council for their dedication, vision, and for pushing us to dream big for this event. Alyssa Herrera-Set will be teaching Pilates for gymnasts on both days, and Jessica Wickizer will be working behind the scenes for this event to be one that no one will forget!