ChristiNA Powell
Mental Training & Strategy
Athletes don’t underperform because they’re underprepared. They underperform because their brain just picks the worst possible moment to spiral. That moment, the messy, human in between, is the grey area no one teaches you how to train. Welcome to the Grey Area.
Christina Powell is a high-performance mental training expert who helps Olympic and elite athletes perform under pressure by training the grey area between thought and action. Her practitioner-built framework blends strategy, visualization, and disruption training to mirror the chaos of real competition, equipping athletes with mental tools that don’t just work in theory but hold under pressure.
Her integrated approach to mental training gets measurable results by addressing the gap between wellbeing, sports psychology, and technical development. Her proprietary brain-based framework focuses on enhancing controllable variables that influence better outcomes. By collaborating closely with coaches, sports psychologists, and support staff, she helps athletes solidify how to show up when the moment hits by bringing together all aspects of their training—the technical, physical, and emotional. The tools are personal, practical, and designed to function in real time, not just in quiet prep.
This isn’t mindset coaching. It’s not therapy. It's about creating muscle memory for an athlete's attention and reaction. It’s performance work built to hold when everything is going sideways.
She brings over 12 years of experience in mental training and visualization, 5 years in elite sport, and 15 years leading global brand campaigns for companies like Google and PepsiCo. She translates pressure into performance strategies that work when it matters most.
Currently based in the U.S., she works with athletes in person and remotely across figure skating, snowboarding, gymnastics, football, hockey, and more. She's actively exploring opportunities to relocate to the UK and expand access to this work.
About me
ChristiNA Powell
I work in the part no one trains.
The grey area.
Download RESUME/CV
Figure skater with a debilitating eating disorder
As a child, I skated while grappling with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder from ages 12 to 25. It was during this time that I discovered the addictive nature of validation through achieving goals and medals.
2003
2013
2020
2023
I needed to take control of my life in a different way
At 27, burnout and anger consumed me while I worked 100+ hour weeks as an advertising copywriter. Realizing the need for change within myself, I ventured into meditation and visualization classes for enjoyment, eventually teaching it myself.
I pivoted to start working with mostly athletes
During the pandemic, I had a bold notion to apply these tools to help athletes in addition to the business professionals I had been working with since 2013. I started working with Road to Gold Training Camps and evolved my techniques through trial and error.
My clientele has expanded globally and grown notably
After refining my tactics and visualizations over a couple of years, I've expanded my athletes and high-performance clientele to include elite international clients across various ages, sports, businesses and skill levels.
The Shorter Version
I launched my first online course for photographers
I'm baby jianbing DIY poutine fingerstache, glossier tumeric air plant seitan.
january 2022
March 2022
december 2022
JANUARY 2023
I traveled to Berlin and found my true calling
I'm baby jianbing DIY poutine fingerstache, glossier tumeric air plant seitan.
I got married to my soulmate and best friend
I'm baby jianbing DIY poutine fingerstache, glossier tumeric air plant seitan.
I made $100K from my online course this year
I'm baby jianbing DIY poutine fingerstache, glossier tumeric air plant seitan.
HOW I GOT HERE
CLIENTELE
Gracie Gold
James Hernandez & Phebe Bekker
Olympic Team Event Bronze Medalist
2X US National Champion
World Competitors 2024
2X JGP Silver Medalists 2023
Huw Nightingale
2023 Mixed Team World Champion
2022 Olympic Snowboard Cross Athlete
Notable
Nick Buckland & Penny Coomes
World Ice Dance Coaches
3x Winter Olympians Team GB
We can’t thank her enough for the strategies she has implemented...and the positive effect it’s had.
Christi’s care and attention towards her clients is unmatched! She really goes above and beyond, and because of this our students have benefited greatly. Adding Christi as part of our team was such an easy integration.
She works with athletes, parents and coaches closely together when it’s needed and ultimately works out what everyone needs to get the best result.
We can’t thank her enough for the strategies she has implemented to our students and the positive effect it’s had on our day to day training!
Abi Okell
Lead physiotherapist
gb snowsport
The Missing Link in the Team
I have worked with Christi over the 24-25 winter season as part of the support team for a winter sport athlete. Christi’s approach is new to me and it has been really interesting to learn a new way to address mental blocks and hurdles. Christi’s approach is very collaborative, always seeking input from coaching staff and the rest of the support team in order to make her visualisations sport specific and relevant to current technical and tactical goals. I would not hesitate to recommend Christi to other athletes and support teams and I would encourage you to have a chat and learn more about how Christi might just be the missing link in the team!
JAMES HERNANDEZ
World Competitor 2024
2X JR GRAND PRIX SILVER MEDALIST 2023
PEWTER MEDALIST JUNIOR WORLDS 2023
3 X BRITISH JR ICE DANCE NATIONAL CHAMPION
I don't even know if I'd gotten to the competition if it wasn't for the sessions with Christi
What’s valuable about what Christi does, is recognizing that we are not robots. We are people. People naturally just go up and down. You wake up in a pretty much a different mood every day. Your body tends to follow your mind and our sport is massively mental. She gives you different tactics like visualization, mood charts and nonverbal communication tools for different situations that has strengthened my partnership in ice dance. These tools have been helpful to create deeper understanding and communication between my partner and me, allowing us to navigate the challenges of competition as a united front.
One of the worst things that can happen, happened at probably one of the worst times. But I learned tools through her and only her to be able to actually continue with my life and not let everything amalgamate into a mess. We skated the best ever we ever have and we finished fourth at Junior Worlds. And I don't even know if I'd gotten to the competition if it wasn't for the sessions with Christi in those times.
Photo credit: @fsphoto_syo
Anna Pearce
Figure Skating Coach
I have seen such a tremendous amount of improvement on her over all mental state
I just wanted to reach out and give you a shout out on how well you have done helping Maia . I have seen such a tremendous amount of improvement on her over all mental state, as I, a skater, I have a lot of appreciation for what you do and I’m happy Maia connected with you.
As one of the coaches she works with it’s so nice to see a kid gain confidence in herself and work on self improvement. I know it’s takes a village, but I just wanted to thank you. I’ve recommended your services to a couple other skaters I’ve coached. Thank you for all that you do!
Tyler THames
'23 & '24 US Figure Skating Adult Silver
Men's National Champion
'22,'23 & '24 US Figure Skating
Midwestern Sectional Silver Men’s Champion
Christi has been one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life
Working with Christi Powell has been one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life and has also transformed my life for the better. She has become someone that not only I trust but my coaching staff for figure skating has openly stated “continue working with her...it’s working”. Christi has a very profound way of unlocking and guiding certain triggers that may appear, allowing you to work them out in a much healthier way to not only grow in your sport but in your daily life. She has become a valued member of my team in skating but also someone I cherish in my life. If you’re looking for someone you can trust as a safe space in a world of mental fog and someone to be a lighthouse to guide you through it, you’ve found your person. She provides numerous tools to handle and adapt to high stress practices and competitions. I look forward to each session and may more journeys in the future with Christi.
Jessica Nicosia, Phd
Senior ADULT Skater
Invaluable life lessons and a newfound sense of self-awareness and confidence
I began working with Christi after seeing some of her work with the Road to Gold program. As a researcher and neuroscientist myself, I began reading up on the science behind visualization and was compelled by the evidence to add it to my skating regimen. Christi was quick to get a read on me as an individual and was able to adapt our sessions and her techniques to my specific needs. I went from popping, on average, 4/7 jumps in my program to being able to do consistent run-throughs rotating, on average, 6/7 jumps and leave the ice feeling a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction. I rely on her visualization recordings to get me relaxed and focused before I skate and can hear her saying “emotions aren’t logical” and “adapt to the chaos confidently” every time I feel my performance anxiety start to creep back up. Christi is a rose among thorns in the skating world and our sessions together provided me with invaluable life lessons and a newfound sense of self-awareness and confidence.
Rosemary Wensley
Parent of pre-bronze skater
She landed all of her jumps...and finished on the podium
I can't say enough good things about our experience working with Christi. My athlete lost all her doubles, and then kept trying and trying which made things worse, and then led to significant anxiety about jumping. Christi reframed her mindset, reinforced practice strategies, gave her visualization exercises for her jumps and for competitions. This is her first USFS competition of the season, and she landed all her jumps and as an added bonus, finished on the podium.
Emily Hotchkiss
Parent of junior skater
Skills that will help her throughout her entire life
Since Carly began working with Christi, Carly has made huge positive improvements in her mindset and competitions. Carly hated to compete because she’s a perfectionist and would focus on the negative if she didn’t land a jump or mess up on any components of her program. She would have anxiety and cry right before competing and didn’t want to get on the ice…nothing anything said could alleviate her anxiety. Since working with Christi, she has learned visualization techniques and is much less stressed on competition days. In just 1 year, she placed 27th in her excel season and was actually laughing with her coach right before starting her program. As a mother, I’m so relieved to have a coach that can alleviate my daughter’s angst and learn skills that will help her throughout her entire life. I would recommend Christi to any athlete, not just athletes, but to anyone needing a shift in their negative thinking to positive.
AMY FANKHAUSER
FOUNDER + NATIONAL COORDINATOR
ROAD TO GOLD TRAINING CAMPS
It's a game changer
Christi brings a fresh perspective to visualization techniques that empower athletes and enables them to see their goals and what is blocking them from a completely different view. She opens your eyes to thinking about your goals in a different way. As a coach and skating director, I loved watching the athletes discuss everyday concerns . The connection between the athletes and Christi and one another were amazing.
