Profile: Emma Burke

Pitch:

Emma Burke: UNE Student-Athlete Mental Performance Coach

I think Emma would be an interesting profile subject because we often associate sports with an athlete’s physical abilities—practicing, training, and competing—while overlooking the mental strength required to succeed. This profile on Emma would explore not only her personal story and background, but also what a sports performance coach does and why that role is so crucial in an athlete’s journey. It would give insight into her character and personality, while also highlighting activities and resources available for student-athletes at UNE through her experiences.

Update (10/31):

For my profile project, I selected Emma Burke as my subject. I conducted the interview on October 29, where we discussed her background and career path in depth. The conversation primarily focused on her experiences growing up as an athlete, particularly how she managed recurring injuries and the mental challenges that accompanied them. Emma began gymnastics later than most, around sixth grade, which made entering a highly competitive environment difficult. She also reflected on how physical strain at a young age can impact development—something she observed among her teammates—which helped shape her understanding of the connection between athletic performance and mental well-being.

Currently, Emma serves as the Student-Athlete Mental Health Performance Coach at UNE and as an assistant coach for the university’s gymnastics team. To strengthen my profile, I plan to interview Mallory Nugent, the head gymnastics coach, to gain additional insight into their working relationship. Emma described their coaching dynamic as a strong balance between her emphasis on mental health and Mallory’s focus on physical performance. I am also finalizing my written draft and have resolved a minor issue with the headshot, deciding to use an official UNE photo of Emma for the project.

First Draft (200 Words & Outline):

Emma Burke: Balancing Mind, Body, and Resilience

I. Emma’s Early Life

In the small coastal town of Harwich, Massachusetts, where the ocean laps quietly against the shore and neighbors mostly keep to themselves, Emma Burke’s story began not with gold medals or podiums, but with curiosity and a sense of play.

The youngest of three sisters in a family of five, she grew up trying a little bit of everything, from tennis with her father to softball with her siblings, but never fully committed to organized sports. That freedom, her parents believed, would allow their children to find their own passions.

For Emma, that passion revealed itself in sixth grade. Her mother, a gymnastics coach, had brought her and her sisters to the gym, and Emma immediately knew she had found her calling.

“I remember thinking, ‘this is it. I want to do gymnastics,’” she recalls, smiling.

For most gymnasts, starting this late would be a disadvantage. Many of her peers had been training for years, and Emma’s adolescent growth spurt meant she towered over girls who were far more diminutive—a physical difference that could stunt progress in the sport.

But Emma was undeterred. “I realized if I want to work really hard, I’ll catch up with them eventually,” she says.

II. Overcoming Injury and Discovering Mental Strength

• Emma’s early gymnastics challenges and the physical toll of intense training.
• Her sophomore-year back injury and year-long recovery process.
• Visualization and mental imagery became her method for staying connected to the sport.
• These techniques helped her manage anxiety and OCD.

III. Redefining Competition and Finding Balance

• Emma’s return to gymnastics with a deeper focus on mental performance.
• Her decision to join UNE’s Club Gymnastics team instead of pursuing NCAA competition.
• She values enjoyment, growth, and self-understanding over perfection.

IV. Academic and Career Path

• Her choice to major in Environmental Studies with a minor in Art Therapy at UNE.
• Her academic interests reflect her family’s background and her passion for helping others.
• Her experiences in sport inspired her to pursue graduate studies in Athletic Counseling and Clinical Mental Health at Springfield College.

V. Professional Life and New Role at UNE

• Her current positions: Student-Athlete Mental Health Performance Coach at UNE, licensed counselor at Wayfinder Wellness, and assistant gymnastics coach.
• She integrates mental health strategies into athletic coaching.
• “Mental toughness is a very overused word in sports,” she explains. “For a lot of coaches, it means, ‘Suck it up.’ To me, it’s recognizing the emotions you feel, honoring them, then coping and moving forward. You can be competitive while being kind to yourself.”

VI. Impact and Philosophy

• Emma collaborates with UNE coaches and student-athletes through workshops and one-on-one sessions.
• Athletes respond to her approach and the growing awareness around mental health in sports: “I want to give athletes a space to vent without judgment,” she says. “A lot of times, if you talk to parents or friends, they try to fix things. Here, we process it, understand it, and then build the tools to move forward.”
• Her impact is already evident, with student-athletes increasingly seeking her guidance throughout the highs and lows of the season.

VII. Coming Full Circle

• Emma’s journey from young gymnast to mentor and counselor.
• Her experiences of injury, anxiety, and perseverance now shape her coaching style.
• Her philosophy: ensuring that the next generation of athletes not only excels in performance but also understands the value of self-compassion, mental resilience, and the quiet strength that comes from knowing they are not alone.

Peer Review Draft:

Peer Review Experience:

Participating in the peer review process was a helpful and valuable experience, and I genuinely felt that it strengthened my profile. Overall, I thought the session went well and provided exactly what I needed at this stage of drafting. While I did not receive a large number of suggestions, the feedback I did get was thoughtful, specific, and immediately useful. One of the most impactful suggestions was to end with a quote from my subject. I had not originally considered this, but once it was mentioned, I realized that it was a natural and powerful way to bring the profile full circle and allow Emma’s own voice to have the final word. Another piece of feedback that helped me significantly was guidance on where I could tighten or trim the story to meet the required word count. I was well over the limit, and hearing a peer point out sections that could be condensed without losing meaning helped me approach revision in a more strategic way.

I also appreciated having the chance to hear how my writing came across to someone reading it for the first time. The peer responses suggested that the themes I hoped to express—mental health awareness, positivity, and support—were clear and present. Knowing that these ideas were communicated effectively gave me confidence that the tone and message of the profile were working as intended. Overall, the peer review not only improved my draft but also gave me a better sense of how readers interpret my work, which will help me in future revisions and future writing projects.

Revised (Final) Profile Piece

Profile Story Reflection:

This profile assignment was a positive experience from beginning to end, especially since I have spent much of the past year writing profiles in my Community News Fellowship. Human-centered storytelling has been at the core of my work, and I have come to appreciate the impact of spotlighting individuals whose stories deserve recognition. In today’s social climate, where the news cycle can often feel heavy, chaotic, or overwhelming, I think that sharing individual successes and personal journeys helps bring balance, positivity, and perspective. Because I already had experience writing profiles, I entered the process with a clear sense of how I wanted to structure my interview questions. I approached the interview strategically, creating questions that would encourage a natural and chronological conversation, beginning with Emma’s childhood and early athletic experiences and moving toward her current role at UNE. I also crafted specific questions about her work as a student-athlete mental health coach, since I wanted the theme of mental health support to be woven throughout the narrative. Scheduling the interview was straightforward. I reached out via email, and I knew that if I did not receive a response quickly, I had contacts in the athletics office who could help me connect with her. The interview itself was relaxed and conversational. Emma’s calm personality contributed to that atmosphere, but I also intentionally worked to create a space where she could speak openly. Over the past year, I have learned how important interviewer presence is. When people feel at ease and not rushed, their answers tend to be more thoughtful, natural, and revealing. Writing the profile was also a smooth process, largely because the interview structure made it clear how the story should unfold. I used the narrative style I normally rely on, but I also incorporated a new technique I encountered in another reading for class: structuring the profile with clear section headings. I feel it made it easier for readers to follow Emma’s progression through different stages of her life and career. Even though I did not receive a large volume of suggestions, the feedback was specific and helpful. Peers encouraged me to end with a strong quote from my subject and pointed out areas where I could trim length to meet the word limit without losing meaning. Most importantly, the feedback confirmed that the themes I wanted to convey—positivity, mental health awareness, and support—came through clearly to readers.