Why…
The Athlete’s Arc was born out of a passion to help athletes navigate the complexities of high-performance sports and life beyond the game. After years of experience coaching at the highest levels, including pinnacle events like the Paris Olympic Games 2024, I saw firsthand how athletes face unique challenges that extend far beyond physical performance. From managing pressure and setbacks to preparing for life after sport, many athletes struggle to find the support they need to grow holistically.
At The Athlete’s Arc, we believe that true success isn’t just about excelling in your sport - actually far from it. It’s about building mental resilience, developing leadership, and preparing for a fulfilling life in and outside of competition. We started this journey to empower athletes with the tools, mindset, and support to unlock their full potential, not just on the field, but throughout their entire journey. Our mission is to help athletes transform their challenges into stepping stones, grow into confident leaders, and navigate their careers with clarity and purpose.
Mike Delaney – Mike is not only an Olympic hockey coach, but also an inspirational leader known for his resilience and personal drive. He has a unique ability to connect the dots and truly “get it.” Mike is deeply people-focused, making high performance an enjoyable and empowering experience rather than a threatening one.
For Mike Delaney, making New Zealand teams and wearing the fern was always the ultimate goal. From an early age he poured himself into training with determination and resilience, setting his sights on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
But in 2007, at just 18 years old, Mike’s world changed overnight when he suffered a life-altering accident that broke his neck and left him a tetraplegic. What followed was a fight for survival, life-threatening surgeries, battles to regain the ability to breathe on his own, and the daily struggle of coming to terms with a devastating prognosis. The medical advice told to him was:“Mate, calm down - you’ll never walk again. Just stop, get used to the wheelchair.”
Instead, Mike chose defiance. Through a relentless journey of stem cell treatments, and years of mental, emotional, and physical rehabilitation, he slowly rebuilt his life. That resilience carried him back into hockey, not as a player, but as a coach. In a remarkable twist of fate, Mike went on to the Olympics as a coach in the same cycle as some of his former playing peers.
Completing that full cycle, from aspiring Olympian to tetraplegic survivor, and finally to Olympic coach, stands as one of Mike’s hardest, most rewarding, and defining achievements. It’s a story of grit, determination, and belief in what’s possible when you refuse to give up.
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