Why Forza?

The competitive edge every high performance athlete needs

Athletic competition is intense. To be a top performer you need to be consistent. Forza Consulting uses a unique approach that incorporates physical movement, sport specific skills and real life sporting situations to help the elite athlete learn how to apply and maximize their mental strength strategies for the ultimate performance.

Power both body and mind

The connection between the mind and body is undeniable – a mental block can be as limiting as a physical injury. In the quest for the ultimate performance, athletes must also train for mental strength. High performance mental strength training is an important component in building resilient, successful athletes. Knowing how to apply mental strength skills to physical training gives athletes the power they need to win – every time.

About Jackie Bardana

Photo by Suzy Lamont

High Performance and Mental Strength Consultant
PT, BScPT, CPC, CSCS, CAT, AHHP

It runs in the family

Competitive athletes live and breathe their sport. As a former competitive gymnast, the partner of a former National Team athlete and the parent of two National stream athletes, I know the unique pressures high level sports bring to athletes and their families. This first-hand experience using mental strength training to help better my own athletic performance as well as to support my children through the rigours of competition, gives me a different perspective that many of the competitive athletes I work with find very useful.

Working with the world’s best

For over 20 years, I have worked with high level athletes as a physiotherapist and athletic therapist in Canada, the United States, Australia, Kosovo, and Belgium. Working in these 5 countries not only expanded my professional knowledge and skill set but also provided invaluable insight into the incredible self-discipline required in sport and the overwhelmingly clear link to the importance of mental strength training in combination with physical training for optimal performance.

US Olympic Training Centre, Colorado

While in the United States, I was granted security clearance to the US Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs and was exposed to the high level intensity of competitive Olympic training. I also had the opportunity to work in a university multidiscipline sports medicine centre where I worked with many high achieving elite varsity, amateur and professional athletes. These experiences inspired me to obtain my certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist to further my knowledge in this field and better my abilities to greater serve my clients.

Australian Ballet Academy & Australian Football League, Melbourne

As a physiotherapist with the Australian Ballet Academy in Melbourne – the nation’s centre for elite dancers – I worked with dancers aged 12 and up who were under immense pressure to secure a spot with the National Ballet Company. I also had the opportunity to work with Aussie Rules Football (rugby) teams who were competing at the State and National level.

University of Pristina, Kosovo

In Kosovo, I developed and taught an all-encompassing Sports Medicine Program for Physical Therapy students at the University of Pristina. This opportunity required me to acquire a deeper understanding of the specific athletic demands and challenges that athletes confront when pushing their physiology to the highest level.

NATO, Belgium

In Belgium, I was fortunate enough to work with NATO Military members to maximize their physical training abilities so that they could be prepared for some of the most grueling conditions. The physical and mental strength required by these men and women reinforced the powerful body and mind connection required to perform under extreme circumstances.

International Coaching Federation, New York City

In 2006, I graduated as a Certified Professional Coach with a specialization in Performance Coaching from iPEC Coaching in New York City, a recognized accredited International Coaching Federation program. This year-long program gave me the additional education and skills needed to better assist competitive athletes with the mental strength techniques required to achieve their absolute best.

Queen’s University, Canada

Back in Canada, I focused on the treatment and training of athletes from Queen’s University varsity teams and clubs in Kingston, Ontario. I also worked with local triathletes, runners, gymnasts, swimmers, figure skaters, rowers, hockey players, rock climbers, as well as soccer, rugby and football teams. Over time, I recognized that a short and long term plan detailing how to assist a competitive athlete to gain peak performance is often lacking, leaving athletes unsure how to proceed or even begin.

The power to win – every time

Over the last several years, I have combined all of my skills together in my work with competitive athletes. Watching the improvement of these athletes was the inspiration behind the creation of Forza Consulting. I have been able to expand my work into other regions of Canada and have had the opportunity to work with Olympic athletes in the Greater Toronto Area and Montreal. I have helped many high level athletes and Olympians reach their goals and overcome difficult barriers. Combining strength training of the body and mind together has given my clients their best chance at realizing their dreams. The results have been outstanding, and the successes have been rewarding.

I am passionate about the human body, the power of the mind and the quest for the ultimate performance. Forza Consulting allows me to use all of my experience and skills to best guide and support the whole athlete to reach their maximum potential with consistent optimal performance. Forza will help give you the power you need to win…every time.

Professional Credentials:

PT – Registered Physiotherapist, College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, 1998
BScPT – Queen’s University with a Baccalaureate in Physical Therapy, 1998
CPC – Certified Professional Coach, iPEC Coaching, 2006
CSCS – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), 1999
CAT – Certified Athletic Therapist, Canadian Athletic Therapy Association, 1999- 2017
AHHP – Applied Health & Human Performance (Level -1), Institute of Motion, 2020-2021

Specialized Certifications:

• Integrated balance training (BOSU)
• Running mechanics and gait analysis
• Get Fit to Ski
• Respect in Sport
• True Sport Clean
• Level 1 Coaching (gymnastics, trampoline & swimming)
• Fitness instructor

Learn more about how Forza can improve your athletic performance