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About Anxiety in Athletes

Anxiety in Athletes was developed by the International OCD Foundation to reduce the negative impact of anxiety and OCD in sports.

Meet the members of Anxiety in Athletes:

Lead Advocate Tom Smalley, MS, CSCS

Tom Smalley is the Founder of Struggle into Strength Performance, LLC. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Tom received his Masters of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Merrimack College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Siena College. Tom was diagnosed with OCD in 2014 at the age of 16 and shortly after became passionate about spreading awareness about what real OCD is in an effort to break down the wall of stigma. Tom was the recipient of the 2019 IOCDF Hero Award. He speaks at the Annual OCD Conferences along with different schools around the northeast. He has also appeared on a variety of blogs and podcasts as well.

In January 2021, Smalley co-founded the Anxiety in Athletes initiative – a task force and online resource center with the help of the IOCDF in an effort to break down the stigma around mental health in athletics.

Smalley has a strong passion for weightlifting and began competing in 2021, 8 years after his mental health forced him to put a halt to his athletic career. He is a USAW Adaptive Division 2x Gold Medalist.

Advocate Cali Werner, LMSW

Cali Werner’s clinical interests focus on OCD in athletes. She also focuses on anxiety and performance, and mental health stigma.

Werner received her bachelors degree from Rice University. There, she also competed as a Division I collegiate distance runner, receiving a national honorable mention in track. She then received her masters degree in social work with a specialization in OCD from Baylor University.

Werner continues to pursue distance running and competed in the Olympic Trials for the marathon in 2020. Her current research on OCD and athletes coincides with her love for running.

Cali is raising awareness and speaking on behalf of those with mental illness by educating and providing resources and hope.

Advocate Sarah Farris, LCPC

Sarah Farris, LCPC is a licensed therapist in Chicago. Farris specializes in treating adults with anxiety, OCD, and related disorders. She also has a special interest in mental health and athletics. Previously, she has worked in research and in university settings.

Farris received a BS in psychology at Roanoke College and an MA in counseling at UTSA. She grew up in New Orleans, LA and began riding horses at the age of eight. Farris then developed a passion for hunter/jumper equestrian sports. Later, in graduate school, she worked part-time as a riding instructor and horse trainer.

Today, Farris enjoys lifting weights and participates in amateur barbell and kettlebell competitions.

About the International OCD Foundation

The mission of the IOCDF is to ensure that no one affected by OCD and related disorders suffers alone. Our community provides help, healing, and hope.

Our vision is that everyone impacted by OCD and related disorders has immediate access to effective treatment and support.

The IOCDF provides up-to-date education and resources, strengthens community engagement, delivers quality professional training, and advances groundbreaking research.

The International OCD Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. Founded in 1986 by a small group of individuals with OCD, the Foundation has grown into an international organization serving a broad community of individuals with OCD and related disorders, their family members and loved ones, and mental health professionals and researchers around the world. We have affiliates in 25 states and territories in the US, in addition to global partnerships with other OCD organizations and mental health non-profits around the world.

To learn more about our resources, visit iocdf.org.