Penny Werthner

Penny Werthner, born on July fifth, nineteen fifty-one, is a distinguished retired track and field athlete who represented Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympics in the women's 1,500 metres. Her athletic prowess was evident early on, as she claimed a bronze medal in the women's 800 metres at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, followed by another bronze in the 1,500 metres in nineteen seventy-nine.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Werthner has made significant contributions to academia and sport psychology. She served as the Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary before taking on the role of interim Provost and Vice-President Academic. Her extensive experience includes twelve years at the University of Ottawa, where she was the Director and Associate Dean for the School of Human Kinetics from two thousand eleven to two thousand twelve.

As one of Canada's leading consultants in sport psychology, Werthner has been recognized as one of CAAWS's Top Twenty Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity. Since nineteen eighty-five, she has provided her expertise to national and Olympic teams, including advisory roles for the Canadian Olympic Committee during the two thousand eight Beijing and two thousand four Athens Olympic Games. She continues to support numerous national sport organizations and athletes while supervising sport psychology research at the University of Calgary.

Werthner earned her Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University, followed by a Master’s and PhD from the University of Ottawa. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and contributed to various books, serving as a reviewer for journals such as Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise and the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. Additionally, she is a member of the editorial board of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching and holds the position of Chair of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association.

Residing in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband John Bales, who is the President of the Coaching Association of Canada, Werthner is a proud mother of two children. Her commitment to sport and education continues to inspire many in the field.