Achieving Excellence and Building Resilience: The Role of Mindset | Panel Discussion

This session explores the role of the mind in enabling athletes to reach peak performance and overcome setbacks. Discover the latest research on mindset, motivation, and resilience. Learn how cultivating mental fitness is essential for sustained excellence and resilience in sport.

Moderator: Alia Crum, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab, where she investigates how mindsets and beliefs can shape physical health, well-being, and performance. She has studied how mindsets can be shaped to increase physical activity, performance, and even the physiological response to food.

Panelists:
Sydney Barta is a U.S. Paralympic Track and Field National Team athlete, a 5x National Champion, a 2x Parapan American Champion and record holder, a 2024 World Para Athletics Silver Medalist, and the first Paralympic athlete to compete for Stanford University Track and Field. She is a rising Senior studying Bioengineering, and is conducting research with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance on assessing balance in athletic populations. She is a dedicated public speaker and a member of the USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council and Team USA Athlete Commission, using both her success on the track and her advocacy to champion disability awareness and inclusion.

Kelli Moran-Miller, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. She serves as the Anderson Brothers Associate Athletics Director of Mental Health & Performance Psychology for Stanford Athletics, where she leads a multidisciplinary team that promotes mental resilience, well-being, optimal performance and holistic development among collegiate athletes through innovative programs.

Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor and Founding Director of the Sports Equity Lab at Stanford, an award-winning research and innovation platform. A Harvard-trained physician specializing in sports and exercise medicine, she focuses on the intersection of sports and social justice. A former track athlete for Ghana, she brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. At Stanford, she collaborates with global organizations to drive systemic change and improve accessibility, safety, and belonging in sports, to make sports and movement feel like home for all athletes.

John Tanner, entering his 29th season as head coach of the Stanford women’s water polo program in 2026, has led the Cardinal to 10 NCAA titles and guided his teams to every NCAA Championship since the event’s inception, never finishing lower than third. Inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Tanner has developed numerous NCAA and Olympic champions while prioritizing long-term athlete and personal development, impacting the Stanford community and the sport on a national and global scale.

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   • Female Athlete Research Meeting (FARM) 202...  

Learn more about the Alliance at Stanford: https://humanperformance.stanford.edu