Dr. Karen MacNeill PhD, RPsyc, CMPC
Dr. Karen MacNeill is a mental performance consultant, psychologist, coach and professional speaker. She has the unique experience of having both competed and consulted on the world stage. She represented Team Canada as an athlete for over a decade and has worked with athletes at the last five Olympic Games. Most recently, she was the lead Mental Performance and Mental Health Consultant supporting Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics in Korea, the 2020 Olympics in Japan, and the 2022 Olympics in China.
Her dynamic, dependable approach – combined with her elite sport experience and her understanding of corporate environments – is an unmatched asset to any leader and organization. This knowledge has equipped Dr. Karen to impact multiple Fortune 500 companies, helping leaders and their teams excel and be well in turbulent times.
Dr. Karen is a sought-after professional speaker and has delivered keynotes at CEO forums, industry-leading conferences, corporate events, and retreats. She was also selected as a TEDx speaker before it was postponed due to the pandemic.
Whether she is mentally preparing Olympians for gold medal performances or helping executives leverage their strengths, Dr. Karen believes that cultivating the freedom to perform by developing mental fitness and bolstering resilience is integral to achieving high levels of personal and performance excellence.
Dr. Karen’s career achievements, leadership, and volunteer efforts have been publicly recognized by Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 award, the 2020 Women of Inspiration Game Changer award, and Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 award.
Her passion and drive to help others be their best also translates into her life as a mother, wife, and outdoor enthusiast. She is a weekend warrior, multi-tasking mom, fun-loving adventurer, and passionate difference-maker.

Dr. Karen MacNeill, PhD, RPsyc, CMPC
Mental Performance Consultant, Psychologist, Coach, Speaker
Dr. Karen’s story,
full of adventure
As a kid growing up in Calgary, Canada, sports laid the foundation for who I am today. I participated in multiple sports, all year round. I often jumped on the “superfan” bandwagon with my parents, watching the World Series, the World Cup, or whatever championship was on. And when it was time for the Olympics, you couldn’t tear me away from the TV. That was when I first became curious about what separated the BEST from the REST.

This curiosity drove me to pursue my dream of one day representing my country. After years of work, my dream came true, and I got to compete for Canada. And then, during my very first international match, I blew it! I had trained my technical skill, I had trained my body, but I had not trained my mind. After that experience I had just one thought: never again would I let my mind be the thief of my big moment.

So, I set on a journey to better understand the power of the mind and the mentality needed to unleash one’s full potential. Four degrees later (an undergrad, two Masters, and a Ph.D.), I’ve spent over 20 years in the field – supporting elite performers at multiple Olympic Games, coaching executives and leadership teams, and delivering keynotes to hundreds of audiences! For the past two decades, my passion and life’s work has been helping people cultivate the freedom to perform™ by developing mental fitness and bolstering resilience so they could bring their best when it counted the most.

As a competitor and consultant, I have had the privilege of a front row seat as the world’s best perform in high pressure situations. This incredible learning lab has allowed me to identify the common elements shared by “the best.” In combination with rich science, I have cultivated The High Performance Mentality model that serves as the foundation of my work as a mental performance consultant, psychologist, coach, and speaker.

I have such a cool job, and I love what I do! It’s my utmost pleasure to mentally prepare elite athletes for gold medal performances, coach executives to leverage their strengths and achieve results, and build high performance team cultures. I’m dedicated to unleashing my clients’ highest potential so they can shine in the moments that matter.

HIGHLIGHTS (Aka Humble Brag Bio):
- Gained a solid theoretical foundation by earning four degrees, including 2 Masters and a Ph.D in applied and performance psychology (yup, that is 15 years of post-secondary education… and many pub nights).
- Served as Team Canada’s Lead Mental Performance and Mental Health Consultant for the 2018 Olympics in Korea, 2020 Olympics in Japan and 2022 Olympics in China (Love the Olympics learning lab… lessons being summarized in my new book called You Can’t Make This $#!t Up!).
- Delivered hundreds of keynotes inspiring audiences with stories of peak performance and resilience in both sport and business (delivered with a li’l class and a lot of sass).
- Served on the Managing Council for Canadian Sport Psychology Associations, as a trustee for Canadian Athletic foundation, as a member of Tourism Calgary’s Calgary Sport and Major Event advisory committee, as an expert on Mind Works Summit’s leadership council chaired by Calgary’s Mayor, chaired the COVID-19 Mental Health and Mental Performance task force providing leadership and support to the High-Performance sport community when the pandemic hit (Phew! lots of giving back, feeling good, caring for my community).
- Received Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 award, Universal Women’s Network Women of Inspiration Award, and WXN’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award (end of humble brag – thank Goodness!).
Values to live by
Care Deeply
Having your back
Caring for people first and the task second. Being honest and dependable, doing right by others, being a good human, and letting them know that they have someone in their corner at all times.
Be real
Being authentic
Staying true to who you are at your core and presenting that to the world on a consistent basis. Having candid conversations, showing vulnerability and building strong, deep relationships.
Embrace fun &
Adventure
Enjoying the journey
Being playful in the approach and making the processes engaging. Seeking experiences that enhance learning and require you to be brave and push out of your comfort zone.
Evolve continously
Having a thirst for growth.
Being passionate about continuous learning and progression. Appreciating that knowledge leads to empowerment and freedom. Aiming for excellence and high performance.
Have impact
Being a difference maker.
Positively contributing to others so they realize their full potential. Supporting and elevating others while witnessing the joy and satisfaction that comes from lasting transformation.