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SPEAKERS

Jordyn Wieber, Olympic Gold Medalist and Head Coach of the Arkansas Razorback's Women’s Gymnastics Team

A member of the “Fierce Five” United States squad that won team gold at the 2012 Olympics, Jordyn Wieber was a two-time U.S. all-around champion (2011 and 2012) and the 2011 World all-around champion. Her illustrious Elite Career included three medals (all-around and team gold, beam bronze) at the 2011 World Championships, four U.S. senior national titles (all-around, bars, and floor in 2011 and all-around in 2012). She was also the 2008 U.S. junior all-around, vault, and floor exercise champion and the American Cup all-around champion in 2009, 2011, and 2012. She dominated the competition at the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships, winning four gold medals (all-around, uneven bars, floor exercise, team) and one silver (vault). In her first international competition at the 2007 Junior Pan American Championships, she won gold medals on uneven bars and balance beam, silver in the all-around, and bronze on floor exercise. Jordyn officially retired from competitive gymnastics in 2015. She was a 2016 inductee into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame and is also a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame as a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Wieber, who has been a vocal advocate for safe sport, has won several awards, including the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs, the Rising Star Award by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Giant Steps A Hero Among Us Award. Wieber graduated from UCLA in 2017 with a degree in Psychology and in 2019, Jordyn was introduced as the head coach of the Arkansas Women’s Gymnastics program, making her the youngest NCAA head-coach in history.

instagram: @jordyn_wieber

Alison Arnold, Ph.D. (Doc Ali)

Doc Ali pioneered mental training in the sport of gymnastics and has worked with virtually every level athlete in most sports. For the past 28 years, Doc Ali has guided Olympic medalists, NCAA champions, and thousands of athletes chasing their dream. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology and certification in Neuroscience and Leadership from MIT. For 12 weeks she studied the mind with the masters in Nepal, spent four weeks in a Thai forest monastery, three weeks in the Amazon jungle in Peru, two weeks in silence integrating it all, and still made it back to teach it. She has coached celebrities and corporations – the likes of American Express, Boeing, and GlaxoSmithKline. Doc Ali is relentless about helping people reach their potential and their individual and organizational peak performance. Alison Arnold is a consistently invited contributor to regional and national congresses, symposiums, and publications around the world.

instagram: @headgamesworld ~ “I do private sessions and weekly group mental training online! See www.headgameswebcamp.com for more information.”

Rebecca Smith, MA

Rebecca Smith is the founder and CEO of Complete Performance Coaching and PerformHappy. She has been helping high achievers thrive under pressure for over 20 years. A recovering perfectionist, former gymnast and coach, Rebecca struggled with mental blocks for years before they destroyed her gymnastics career. Rebecca’s passion lies in using an evidence-based approach that allows fearful young athletes to learn to trust themselves again. Her athletes learn to have a voice, and stand up against the toxic culture of youth sports that has existed for decades. When she’s not coaching in PerformHappy, she’s at the beach with her husband and her mini-gymnasts Ruby & Violet.

instagram: @complete_performance ~ The PerformHappy Mental Training Program helps gymnasts age 8-18 break through fear and build lasting confidence. We combine 1-1 coaching, group coaching, and weekly challenges to re-wire the brain for success.

Nicole Jontony, MS, RD, LD, CSSD

Nicole Jontony, MS, RD, LD, CSSD, began her gymnastics journey at age 2 and continued through college competing for THE Ohio State University. After a disappointing Jr year of HS with no college recruiting options, she started focusing on how to be a strong gymnast outside of the gym - this included nutrition, sleep, hydration, and time management. After just a few months, her strength improved and she gained skills previously impossible for her which landed her a full ride on OSU's team. During college, nutrition continued to play an integral role to heal from a stress fracture and meniscus surgery and to maintain general health and wellbeing. She decided to focus on a career helping other gymnasts understand how to use food to support health rather than as a reward or punishment. is a Registered Dietitian and sports nutrition specialist with 8+ years of experience at the collegiate and amateur / professional level. Formerly a team dietitian for The Ohio State University, Nicole now works with high school, collegiate and professional athletes across the country in her virtual private practice. Nicole lives in Columbus, OH with her husband and two little boys.

instagram: @gymnast.nutritionist ~ “I provide sports nutrition coaching through a private practice called Jontony Professional Counseling. I see athletes over a secure telehealth platform and help them reach their goals at it relates to nutrition and sport. <My husband and business partner also provides sports counseling for athletes to overcome mental blocks and perform at their best. More information is available on our website - JontonyProfessionalCounseling.com”

Dr. Diana Lattimore, Ph.D.

Diana Lattimore, Ph.D. was a gymnast from about 5 years old until she graduated from college! During my freshman year of college, however, she sustained a serious injury to my elbow and was out for 13 months. Fortunately after 4 surgeries and months of PT she was able to come back and compete, and her very best meet was at the NIT, her last competition as a college senior. Her comeback was much stronger than my setback!

instagram: @backinthegame18 ~ Back in the Game. This is my mental performance consulting business where I work with athletes to help them with the mental side of sport.

Dr. Elspeth (Elly) Hart, PA-C, MPAS, AT

Dr. Elly Hart, was only three years old when she began her gymnastics career. She competed in Region VI and was a Junior Olympic level 10 gymnast before attending James Madison University as a Division I athlete. During her time at James Madison, she studied Athletic Training & Sports Medicine with a minor in Biology and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science. After graduation, Elly passed her boards and went on to practice as a Certified Athletic Trainer. During this time, she started competing again, qualifying and hitting four for four routines at level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships. She is currently ranked as one of the oldest gymnasts to do so (at the age of twenty-three). She then obtained a Master’s degree in Physician’s Assistant Studies from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) and passed her Boards to become a Certified Physician’s Assistant. While practicing Sports Medicine, Elly made history by starting the country’s first Gymnastics Medicine Clinic. The clinic focuses exclusively on gymnastics injuries, diagnosis, education, treatment, and prevention. She has also written and published many research papers on the subject and is currently finishing multiple gymnastics-specific studies. In 2019, Elly completed her Doctorate from MCPHS before founding Gymnastics Medicine: Education and Research.

instagram: @ElspethHart ~ I am the founder of the nonprofit Gymnastics Medicine: Education and Research and we have monthly Free online Grand Round lectures. Visit GymnasticsMedicine.org for more details.

Alyssa Herrera-Set and Jessica Wickizer

Co-founders of gymSAFE, established in 2015. Their partnership is based on a shared love of gymnastics, a belief that a safer sport is attainable, and a desire to unite the gymnastics community to achieve this goal. They are so proud to be hosting gymSAFE’s 5th Symposium, and so thankful to our Athlete Leadership Council for their dedication, vision, and for pushing us to dream big for this event. Separately, Alyssa is the owner of On the Move Physical Therapy in Belmont, CA and Jessica is a coach and director at AZ Dynamics in Tucson.