Meet Kelli Fitzpatrick, PsyD
Hi, I’m Kelli Fitzpatrick — a Sport and Performance Psychology professional with a doctoral degree from the University of Arizona. My work focuses on helping athletes and high-performers strengthen the mental skills that drive consistency, resilience, and competitive performance.
I’ve been a CrossFit coach since 2019, but my journey into performance psychology started much earlier. I grew up competing in swimming and soccer and have always been drawn to environments that demanded grit and self-discipline. During my sophomore year of college, I took an Intro to Sport and Exercise Psychology course and realized I had discovered the field that explained everything I had intuitively felt as an athlete.
Shortly after, I pursued my Master’s degree while undergoing major reconstructive knee surgery — and finished both at the same time. What could have been a setback became a catalyst, and it ultimately led me to CrossFit, where I fell in love with the culture of training, coaching, and pushing limits.
I completed my Doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology in May 2025 and have since made it my mission to bridge the science of the mind with the culture of athletics. My goal is to make mental performance training accessible, practical, and something athletes can apply inside and outside the gym.
ABOUT MENTAL ENGINE ATHLETICS
Mental Engine Athletics was created from the belief that the mind is not just an accessory to performance — it is the engine driving every rep, decision, adaptation, and recovery process an athlete makes. While physical training builds capacity, mental training determines how consistently that capacity shows up under pressure, fatigue, and uncertainty.
The brand was built to close the gap between sport psychology research and real training environments. Too often, mental skills are talked about abstractly or reserved for elite athletes. Mental Engine Athletics makes those skills structured, repeatable, and accessible to athletes and gyms at every level by integrating them directly into the culture of training.
Why the name Mental Engine Athletics
Mental Engine Athletics was built on the belief that the mind is not an accessory to performance — it is the engine that drives execution, consistency, and competitive output. Our mission is to make mental skills trainable, measurable, and accessible to athletes and gyms, instead of something reserved for elite teams or clinical settings.
The name reflects that philosophy. “Mental” speaks to the psychological skills that influence performance, while “Engine” represents a system that can be developed, tuned, and strengthened under load. “Athletics” grounds the brand in real sport environments — on the floor, under the bar, and on the competition floor — where these skills actually matter.
