Cara Stawicki

Cara Stawicki

beBRAVE

Athlete Mentors

Student-Athlete

Mentoring Program

The gold standard in mentorship—driving student-athlete performance, growth, and a confident path to and through college.

Sign me up, I’m ready

What is Be Brave’s Athlete-to-Athlete Mentoring Program?

Be Brave’s Student-Athlete Mentoring Program is a live, online experience designed to elevate performance, build confidence, and support a strong, successful path through sport—whether you’re working toward college athletics or already competing at the collegiate level.

Are you an athlete inspired by those who have gone before you? Do you devour sports memoirs, follow your heroes on social media and would love nothing more than to learn from the best?

Are you a parent who craves success for your student-athlete? Would you gain peace of mind seeing your athlete strive for their goals with a strong mind and healthy heart?

In this program student-athletes work one-on-one with Be Brave Athlete Mentors who are in the arena and at the top of the field. Student-athletes learn strategies and tools focused on sport performance and athlete well-being, AND gain access to the wisdom, counsel and undivided support of their mentor.

Just imagine!imagine

Working with a Be Brave Athlete Mentor will help you…

1

Ignite your vision
for what’s possible. Unlock the dream in your heart!

2

Master goal setting
by taking a values-based, holistic approach.

3

Create performance-based strategies that align with your goals. No more second-guessing your preparation and process for achieving your best.

4

Strengthen your mindset by learning about
self-talk, clarifying your superpower and building your mental skills.

5

Skyrocket your confidence. Confidence comes from practice. Start banking confidence nuggets and celebrating wins!

6

Nourish conviction.
With community there is conviction! Connect and contribute to a strong, like-minded tribe.

Sign me up!

How does Be Brave’s Mentoring Program work? how

Be Brave’s Athlete-to-Athlete Mentoring Program is designed for student-athletes ages 14 to 24. Commit to a power-packed six-month engagement, and get:

  • Biweekly live video calls with Athlete Mentor, calls are typically 45-50 minutes long
  • Personalized deep dive “homework” following each call
  • Individualized scheduling designed to align with school commitments, training, racing and travel
  • Ongoing access to Athlete Mentors through email

bonus

  • Be Brave’s interactive tools for high performance
  • More than Mindset™ curriculum covering Athlete Presence, Self-Talk, Confidence, Focus, Resilience and Celebrating Success

New to mentoring? Not quite ready for a six-month commitment? Not even sure where you’ll be in six months but would love power-packed short-term support? We got you!

Our three-call Power Pack gives you the motivation and inspiration you need with a short-term, lightweight commitment.

Three live video calls in four weeks. Flexible scheduling.

video call video call video call

What makes Be Brave’s Mentoring Program special?

special

Be Brave’s mentoring program was designed to fulfill a need, build community and create an invaluable, one-of-a-kind opportunity for both student-athletes and world-class athlete mentors.

For the student-athlete:
There is so much power in connecting with those who have walked the path that we’re traveling. The value goes far beyond the nuts and bolts of high performance and what it takes to achieve. Seeing is believing. While visualization and imagination are dynamic and formidable tools, there is nothing like linking arms with a mentor who can supercharge what you believe is possible.

For the athlete-mentor:
Be Brave’s community of mentors engage in ongoing training with program founder and certified coach, Cara Stawicki, giving rise to the gold-standard in athlete-to-athlete mentoring. Athlete Mentors learn proven tools for facilitating growth that fuel their own development and support the lifetime of experience they bring to their roles as mentors.

When can I start?

Start at any point during the year. You and your Athlete Mentor will decide on a schedule that fits with your school commitments, training, racing and travel.

Meet your athlete mentors!

meet your mentors

Current Mentors

Coral
Coral

University of California, Santa Barbara ’14 (BS), ’16 (MA)
University of Pennsylvania ’24 (PhD)
2× World Champion • 4× U.S. National Team Coxswain
2025 USRowing Female Athlete of the Year (Beach Sprints)

Justin
Justin

Vanderbilt University ’20
3× U.S. National Team Athlete
2026 World Indoor Championship Silver Medalist • 5× Copa América Medalist

Sierra
Sierra

Oregon State University ’23
Oxford Brookes University ’25
2021 U23 World Champion • 2× All-American

Mentor Alumni

These mentors helped shape the early years of our program and remain an important part of the Be Brave High Performance community.

Chris
Chris

University of Cincinnati ’19
5× World Champion • 5× U.S. National Team Athlete
USRowing Male Athlete of the Year (’22, ’24, ’25)

Malachi
Malachi

Miami University ’26
2025 World Champion (WRBSF CMix4x)

Sophie
Sophie

University of Texas ’23
NCAA Champion (1V8+)
2025 U.S. National Team (W4x)

Yes! Sign me up with an Athlete Mentor!

1

Enroll in the flagship six-month program.
Best for students who

  • want to crush their goals
  • break through barriers and
  • are ready to commit to the process alongside trusted support.
Let’s Go!

or

 

Enroll in the three-call power pack.
Best for students who are

  • new to mentoring
  • have a very specific goal or tight timeline
  • would benefit from short-term, concentrated support.
Let’s Go!

2

Receive a confirmation and CONGRATULATIONS email pairing you with your Athlete Mentor

3

Schedule your
mentoring
sessions

4

Start tapping into your
superpowers and crushing your goals!

Join us for a free live monthly mindset Q&A!

mentorsJoin our Athlete Mentors as they talk shop and answer your questions in a casual, open forum.

Grab your spot now!

I noticed that all of the Athlete Mentors are rowers for Team USA. I am not a rower. Is the Athlete-to-Athlete Mentoring Program right for me?

Yes! The program is for ALL determined and passionate individual and team sport athletes.

Shared experiences—whether aligned with the dream or with a setback or challenge—is just one of the incredible things about sport. One of program founder Cara Stawicki’s favorite pastimes as a competitor was learning about how athletes from other sports would feel and experience the exact same things as her! She gained inner strength from religiously reading the blog of Team USA track and field athlete Lauren Fleshman. And her most influential mentor and role model was Olympic swimmer Samantha Arsenault Livingstone.

What exactly is mentoring?

Mentoring is a partnership that enables the mentee to learn from and lean on the experience and trusted counsel of an individual who has traveled the same or a similar path before them (i.e., the mentor). Key roles of mentors include:

  • Exemplifies what’s possible and provides guidance and insights based on past experience and success
  • Serves as a trusted sounding board and stable source of support
  • Shares wisdom, advice and key insights about navigating the path ahead
  • Provides a safe and inviting space for communicating openly
  • Offers encouragement, acknowledgement, compassion and empathy
  • Partners in celebrating successes and wins
Do I need to be interested in the national team or competing at the elite level to enroll?

Absolutely not! The program is specifically designed for student-athletes, ages 14 to 24, with all different types of experience, aspirations and goals.

The beauty—a benefit—of working with a mentor who has competed at the top of the field is that they have lived the wide-range of emotions and experiences that come with participation in sport. In most cases, they can relate to your innermost hopes, dreams, obstacles and fears, which make them an asset to your growth.

How is athlete mentoring different than Be Brave's mindset and mental performance coaching for athletes?

Coaching is a partnership that inspires the client/athlete to maximize their personal and athletic/professional potential. The Co-Active Institute describes coaches as change agents—catalysts that evoke awareness, facilitate growth, and help transform learning and insight into action. Be Brave’s mindset and mental performance coaching is led by Cara Stawicki, who has completed ICF-accredited coach training at the PCC level. To work with Cara, please schedule a call or email her at CaraStawicki@gmail.com.

How do I know which option is best for me?

Be Brave’s Athlete-to-Athlete Mentoring Program is ideal for passionate student-athletes who would find strength and meaning in learning from an Athlete Mentor currently in the arena and at the top of the field.

Be Brave’s Mindset and Mental Performance Coaching is ideal for student-athletes and professional or aspiring elite who are determined to optimize, develop and grow personally and professionally.

Both mentoring and coaching consist of establishing a trusted and reliable partnership. Mentoring is more about learning through shared experiences whereas coaching provides a gateway to transformation and change.

What brings athletes to the program?

Athletes generally come to mentoring or mental performance coaching for one of two main reasons.

One: They feel confident in their trajectory and skillset. They want to find ways to optimize and continue to excel and grow—a “leave no stone unturned” mentality.

Two: They feel stuck or frustrated with an aspect of their athletic career. They might feel like they have more to give (i.e., a greater ability to succeed) but do not quite know how to get there. They might perform well in training but then tighten up or underperform in competition. They might feel like they are lacking confidence, focus or any number of mental skills needed to help them perform.

I am getting close to the end of my season. What makes this a good time to start?

Starting the mentoring program at the close of a season provides an opportunity to:

  • Debrief and reflect with intention
  • Effectively plan for the following year
  • Close any gaps and learn or up-level mental performance skills

The result: Athletes begin their next season with increased confidence, excitement, conviction and trust.

What is your rescheduling and cancellation policy?

Client agrees that it is the Client’s responsibility to notify their Athlete Mentor 48 hours in advance of the scheduled calls/meetings. Athlete Mentors reserve the right to bill Client for a missed meeting. Athlete Mentor will attempt in good faith to reschedule the missed meeting.