Women of Winter Wednesdays: Courtney Hess

As athletes chased their moments on the snow, another crucial part of Team Australia was working quietly behind the scenes, helping them perform at their best when it mattered most.

For performance psychologist Courtney Hess, the Games were the culmination of years of preparation, partnership and trust, supporting athletes not just physically, but mentally and emotionally on the world stage.

Snow Australia spoke with Hess about her role within the team, the complexity of the Games environment, and the impact of those working behind the scenes.

Hess attended the Games as both performance psychologist and wellbeing officer, roles that saw her embedded across the para alpine and para snowboard programs, with her work beginning long before the Opening Ceremony.

Over the past four years, Hess has worked closely with athletes to evaluate and develop the mental skills required for high performance, helping them better understand their motivations and build the tools needed to handle the demands of elite sport.

“That includes things like understanding their ‘why’, developing skills to regulate intensity, and building recovery routines that allow them to be at their best when they need to be,” Hess said.

“It’s about making sure the whole team around the athlete is connected.

“That might involve conversations around the language we use to build confidence, focusing on process and mastery rather than just outcomes, and supporting athletes as they return from injury.”

At the Games, that preparation is put to the test in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment, and for Hess, the experience was both demanding and deeply rewarding.

“The Games were a complex mix of emotions,” she said.

“There were days that were challenging and tiring, and others that were incredibly exciting and full of celebration.”

Working across both alpine and snowboard programs meant there was little downtime, with athletes constantly rotating between training, recovery and competition.

“There was always something happening, someone preparing, someone competing, someone recovering,” she said.

“That meant shifting focus quickly and being present for each athlete in the moment they were in.

“At the end, I felt really excited to review everything we’d done and look ahead.

“With another four years in front of us, it’s an opportunity to break things down and build them back up again.”

Among her highlights was witnessing athletes consistently return to their processes under pressure, something she emphasises heavily in her work.

“We talk a lot about focusing on learning and mastery, especially in high-pressure environments,” she said.

“To see that play out on the world stage, where it would be easy to focus only on results, was incredibly rewarding.

“The village was also really special, just being able to sit down for a meal together, to have those informal moments, that’s something I really love. 

“It allows the work to feel natural and integrated within the relationships we have as a team.”

Hess believes the impact of those working behind the scenes is significant, even if it’s not always visible.

“There are so many roles that make up the team behind the team,” she said.

“And if your ‘why’ is about helping others move closer to their dreams, then it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.

“There are a lot of roles and a lot of needs and if you check your own ‘why?’ and if it is aligned with the drive to help other people achieve or move closer to their dreams, then it is one of the most worthwhile and rewarding experiences you can have.”

Following the Games, Hess returned quickly to her work, while also turning her attention to reviewing performance and planning for the next Paralympic cycle.

“We’ll move into team review and start shaping what the next four years looks like,” she said.

“It’s something I’m really excited to dive into.”