This is not the client story I thought I would write about performance counselling. I believe that physical conditioning can bring athletes to a similar level of ability and that the mental aspect (think 'flow') is what ultimately differentiates them. I ended up seeking counselling not to put the cherry on top but rather to cope with overwhelming thoughts of giving up my sport after several failed attempts over a few years to come back following a stress fracture. In the first session I was guided towards having a better understanding of myself as an athlete and as a person. The next few sessions guided me to a point where I was able to begin to recognize the thought patterns associated with a fixed mindset; eventually I began to foster a whole new attitude/approach that has re-energized me to the point where I am training harder and more mentally effortlessly than ever before. Little did I know that 2020 would bring a whole new level of setbacks, which for me included the cancellation of a goal race and then a series of injuries from freak accidents. I believe that the work I did on my mental game is the reason that I did not get completely derailed by the uncertainty in the early days of COVID and the subsequent series of unfortunate setbacks. Guided through sport-informed counselling, I have been able to be strategic in my adaptation to the evolving circumstances and I am certain that I will be a stronger, more complete athlete than ever before when I return to competition. Performance counselling helped me process where I was at and where I wanted to go. Having a professional assess what was going on for me and what I needed to keep moving forward was invaluable, and having specific things to work on between sessions was also quite helpful. As my mental game has evolved, I've focused on more ambitious long-term goals. I have reconnected with the excitement I once had and I know that the mental performance work has helped me to be fully prepared to perform at my best.