About
Discover the Possible
A performance of the first water is a performance of the greatest clarity, resilience, and ability to flow under pressure; an allusion to the former system of grading diamonds by their water, which ought to be that of the clearest drop of water.
Our mission is help athletes, coaches, leaders and teams realize their best selves through sport, while living their values and working towards a greater good.
Whether you are lining up for an Olympic final, getting on stage for a big performance or simply showing up every day with more presence, compassion, and equanimity, First Water Performers have one thing in common: a willingness to be the change in the world.
Change the inner self
Change the outer performance
Change the world
Fundamentals to Mindful Performance
Mindful meditation is sometimes viewed in high performance or critical contexts as something that is soft or going to make us lose our edge. In fact, it has been proven to sharpen edges giving us greater attentional control; improve resilience giving us greater emotional responsiveness; and increase connection to be a better teammate. These skills are developed by training the mind in Attention, Awareness and Agility.
Attentional muscles are our EDGE which sustains our focus to play present and be disciplined. The mentally fit performer knows how to lead their thoughts and emotions, and not be led by them.
Awareness is our POWER to hold a brave space for emotions and allowing them to show up. We show resilience in being responsive & instinctive, and less emotionally reactive.
Agility is our STABILITY cultivated from a place of compassion, joy positivity, gratitude and knowing our strengths shifting our motivation from a place of fear of self-criticism towards a love of self-improvement.
We have an inner game and an outer game. We often focus our attention on managing our outer game, while letting our inner game manage us (or maybe just leaving it up to chance).
To Expand the Possible is to create an awareness that we are more than our thoughts and emotions giving us choice in directing our attention towards “what’s possible” – after that anything can happen and usually does.
Founder & Principal
Derek Covington, as Founder, and Principal is a trusted mindful meditation coach and innovator in creating elite sport performance cultures.
Derek combines his experience at nine Olympic Games with mindfulness and meditation training into a powerful approach to helping individuals attain their performance and well-being goals.
As the former Director of Performance for the Canadian Olympic Team and International athlete, he has learned first-hand the importance of mindfulness in achieving success – more than a series of techniques, but a personal journey.
Derek brings his personal and professional experience and decades of rigorous peer-reviewed scientific research to expand the boundaries of traditional mental performance training for individuals and teams who push themselves toward excellence.
Derek is a certified mindful performance enhancement (mPEAK) instructor through the School of Medicine, Centre for Mindfulness at the University California, San Diego.
Mindfulness Trainer/Coach
Renae Stevenson, is a former professional hockey (NWHL) player, as well as Hockey Canada Certified Coach. She is a retired police officer with over two decades of service who trains elite athletes and first responders in mindfulness skills throughout North America. Based on the West Coast, Renae Stevenson splits her time between Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. Renae is an IMTA Certified Professional Mindfulness Teacher. After completing an interdisciplinary graduate degree in Leadership, Education and Mindfulness, she obtained her teaching designations in both MBSR and mPEAK from the UC San Diego’s School of Medicine.
Renae has a strong understanding of the needs of elite athletes and first responders. Renae’s greatest passion is her service work for First Water, leading philanthropic programming to eliminate financial barriers to mindfulness skills training – for non-profit organizations, schools, First Nations, and youth.
