Couper Tanko
Couper Tanko

Couper Tanko

Mental Performance Coach · Gymnastics & Youth Athletics

Couper helps athletes understand that mental blocks are not weakness; they are signals that the right support and tools are missing.

Works best with

Best for gymnasts and youth or collegiate athletes dealing with fear blocks, performance anxiety, confidence drops, injury stress, identity strain, or the emotional side of sport.

Background

A former high-level gymnast, Couper experienced mental blocks, anxiety, and confidence loss first-hand. A spinal cord injury at 19 changed how she understood sport, identity, and support. She later earned her MSW at the University of Michigan and built her work around what she wished young athletes had been offered earlier.

Approach

Couper blends social-work training with performance coaching, creating a space where athletes feel understood first, then learn practical tools for confidence, emotional regulation, and return-to-performance.

A Division I swimmer came in close to burnout: panic before races, obsession over times, and constant replaying of mistakes. The work moved her from outcome fixation to process routines, kinder race reviews, and real-time thought resets. Over one season, she went from scratching events out of anxiety to racing more calmly and consistently, with personal bests becoming possible again.

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