​In the latest episode of the AthMindset® Podcast, host Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, concludes our special three-part series with a powerful and heartfelt conversation featuring Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY - a two-time Olympian, expert coach, and passionate advocate for holistic athlete development. Reem is also a proud TAP Mentor, deeply aligned with our mission of transforming lives through sport.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about coaching, athlete well-being, and building a more compassionate sports culture.

Reem’s Journey: From Olympian to Impact-Driven Coach

Reem shares her incredible journey from representing Egypt in artistic swimming at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, to becoming an internationally recognized coach who emphasizes “impact over titles.”
Rather than focusing solely on podiums and prestige, Reem’s coaching philosophy centers around:

• Mental well-being
• Resilience
• Empowering athletes to thrive beyond medals

Her transition from athlete to coach was ignited by a powerful mentoring relationship—one that helped her understand the value of creating safe, supportive environments for athletes to grow both in and out of the pool.

Coaching Tips: Reem’s Top 3 Ways to Have a Bigger Impact

Reem’s message to coaches is clear: Your influence is profound. Make it count. Here are her top three tips for making a lasting, positive impact:

1. Know the Athletes You Support“Recognize that each athlete is unique.”
Get to know who your athletes truly are - beyond their performance. Understand their backgrounds, personalities, and goals. Your words and actions shape their self-belief, so be intentional and compassionate in your communication.
2. Always Seek to Become a Better Human “Embrace lifelong learning and a beginner’s mindset.”
Great coaching starts with self-awareness. Reflect on your own coaching approach, seek mentorship, and prioritize your own health and well-being. Stay open to creativity, innovation, and growth.
3. Empower Athlete Autonomy “Create space for athletes to explore their identities.”
Help athletes discover who they are - what drives them, where they struggle, and what they want from their sport. Empowerment begins with trust and the freedom to take ownership of their journey.

🌍 A Global Impact in Artistic SwimmingReem’s coaching credentials are as impressive as her Olympic career. A former collegiate All-American at Lindenwood University, she captained the team to its first national title. She has since:

• Coached the U.S. Senior National Team
• Led South Africa’s duet to the Tokyo Olympics
• Earned USA’s first international Coach of the Year award

Through it all, Reem has stayed true to her values - bringing mindfulness, care, and cultural awareness to every team she supports.

This episode is an enlightening listen for:

• Coaches seeking to grow and lead with empathy
• Athletes navigating their identity and purpose
• Anyone who believes sport can be a tool for transformation

👉 Listen to the full episode of the AthMindset® Podcast here 

🙌 Join the Movement

At The True Athlete Project, we believe sport can and should be a force for good. Reem Abdalazem embodies this belief through her work as a TAP Mentor, and we are grateful to share her story.

Written by: The True Athlete Project Team
Featuring: Lisa Bonta Sumii and Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY
Podcast: AthMindset® – Mental Health in Sport

We’re thrilled to share that our very own Oz Marginean, Head of Community at The True Athlete Project, recently joined Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, on The AthMindset® Podcast for a powerful and deeply personal conversation.

Oz, who brings a unique blend of experience as a former NCAA Division 1 athlete, professional basketball player, movement coach and now a community leader, is on a mission to transform the sport culture. Her work focuses on weaving mindfulness, movement, and creativity into the fabric of athletic development, creating a more compassionate and holistic approach to sport.

In this inspiring episode, Oz and Lisa explore themes that are often left unspoken in the world of sports:

• The complexities of athlete identity
• The emotional process of transitioning out of sport
• The power of mindfulness to anchor and heal
• The role of playful movement and creativity in development

Oz offers insights not just from her professional lens, but from her own journey, from overcoming performance anxiety, to rediscovering herself beyond basketball, and redefining success on her own terms.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

- Explore your identity beyond sport—even while still playing
Many athletes wait until they retire to explore who they are outside of their sport. Oz encourages starting that process early, which helps make the eventual transition less overwhelming and more fulfilling.
- Performance anxiety and burnout are more common than you think
Oz opens up about her own struggles with anxiety and the pressures of being “on” all the time. These are not weaknesses, but invitations to reflect and reset.
- Mindfulness and playful movement are powerful tools
Learning to connect to the body through awareness and curiosity enhances not just performance, but presence and joy—on and off the field.
- Creativity fuels holistic well-being
When athletes tap into creative practices, they gain new ways of expressing themselves and processing experiences. It’s about more than just sport—it’s about wholeness.
- Relationships beyond the athletic bubble are essential
Cultivating friendships and support systems outside of sport builds a stronger, more rounded sense of self.
- Start the transition while you're still playing
Oz encourages athletes to explore their values, passions, and relationships before they leave sport. Doing this helps create a more grounded and purpose-filled life after athletics.
​
This episode is part of a special 3-part series. Stay tuned for upcoming conversations with Sam Parfitt and Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY as we continue to explore the inner life of athletes and the future of sport culture.

Check out Oz´s IG for movement ideas and tools:
​https://www.instagram.com/oz.marginean/

🎙️ “This idea of doing these types of practices in a dynamic sporting setting that's normally about the competition and noisy... I had like maybe eight kids come up to me for mental health support conversations. They'd never seen that before at a training camp. There was just something that it unlocked in the athlete's idea of what the space was about. It's about all of me.” – Sam Parfitt

What if sport was designed to develop both performance and well-being?

On the latest episode of AthMindset®, TAP Founder & CEO Sam Parfitt shares how sport can be a vehicle for compassion, resilience, and holistic development—not just results.

Key Takeaways:

- Athletes are humans first, not just performers. Too often, sports culture prioritizes winning at the cost of an athlete’s well-being. A healthy training environment recognizes that emotions, mental health, and personal growth are just as important as physical performance.
- Mindfulness is a practical tool for focus, well-being, and resilience. Athletes are constantly managing pressure, uncertainty, and competition. Mindfulness provides tangible strategies to stay present, regulate emotions, and handle challenges with clarity—helping both performance and long-term mental health.
- Compassion and discipline are not opposites; they enhance each other. Some believe that pushing harder and ignoring emotions leads to success, but in reality, a balance of self-compassion and grit produces more resilient and motivated athletes. When athletes feel safe and supported, they are more likely to test their limits in a sustainable way.
- The best sports cultures don’t just produce great athletes, they nurture great humans. TAP’s approach is about shifting the paradigm: Instead of seeing athletes solely as competitors, we recognize their full humanity. Through connection, creativity, and self-awareness, sport can be a space for both personal and athletic transformation. Simply creating space for openness changes the environment.

Imagine the impact if this approach was the norm.

🎧 Listen to Sam’s conversation on Athlete Mindset:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytj2wl5MXb0​