Olympic Coach Shawnee Harle on Mental Toughness, Athlete Mindset, and Overcoming Adversity
Monday, July 14, 2025
Shawnee Harle
Mental Toughness, Olympic Coach, and Turning Adversity into Advantage
"Adversity is scary if you don't have tools." - Shawnee Harle
In this episode of Challenger Deep: Athletes Rising Above Adversity, Tami Matheny and I had the honor of sitting down with Shawnee Harle—a two-time Olympian, former Assistant Coach with Canada Basketball, and now a powerhouse mental toughness coach.
I first met Shawnee years ago when my daughter played for Alberta Basketball. Shawnee was brought in to work with the players, and her impact on my daughter was unforgettable. She has this unique way of cutting through the noise and helping athletes deal with the real battles they face—the ones happening between their ears.
From Olympic Sidelines to the Frontlines of the Mind
Shawnee spent 20 years as a university head coach and coached with the Canadian Olympic team for two cycles. You'd think that's the pinnacle, right? But Shawnee's journey didn’t stop there. Today, she’s on a mission to help athletes build true mental toughness—not by pretending everything is fine, but by facing adversity head-on.
She told us, "Adversity is when we get what we don't want." That line hit hard. Because when we don’t get what we want, we often freeze. We react. We fall apart. But Shawnee challenges that. What if, instead of avoiding adversity, we expected it? What if we trained for it, just like we train our bodies?
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Helping Athletes Become Smarter, Sooner
One of the things that makes Shawnee so effective is her perspective. She openly admits, "Everything I'm doing now, I didn't know anything about when I was an athlete." That honesty is refreshing.
She didn’t learn about mindset, emotion regulation, or how to handle pressure until long after she hung up her whistle. And now? She’s giving athletes what she wishes she had—the tools to become smarter, sooner.
Shawnee's approach to mental toughness isn’t about being emotionless or "toughing it out." It's about recognizing emotions, developing awareness, and choosing how to respond instead of simply reacting. That’s a game-changer for athletes facing high-pressure moments.
The Power of Coaching Beyond the Court
What stood out the most in our conversation is how Shawnee's message extends far beyond sports. Yes, she works with athletes, but her philosophy applies to anyone who's chasing growth. Business owners, parents, coaches, high-performers—anyone who's trying to reach the next level without crumbling when things get hard.
She said something I’ll never forget: "Mental toughness is knowing who you are, even when things aren't going your way."
Final Thoughts
If you’re an athlete, coach, or anyone trying to build resilience and overcome adversity, you need to hear Shawnee Harle's story. Her experience, wisdom, and energy will challenge you to think differently about what it means to be mentally tough.
You can connect with Shawnee and learn more about her work at ShawneeHarle.com.
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We all face adversity. It's how we choose to respond to it that determines who we become...
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