In Their Own Words: Miyako Tanaka-Oulevey MA ’95 on Life as an Olympian, Sports Psychologist, TV Commentator, and More

In Their Own Words is a series in which we introduce you to the Gaels you need to meet—students, alums, faculty, and staff—and let them tell their stories, in their own words.

Meet Miyako Tanaka-Oulevey MA ’95, a medal-winning Olympian from Japan. Following her career as an athlete in global competitions, she embarked on a career as a sports psychologist that has led her to work with business leaders and athletes. Those athletes include the Japanese men’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics—where the team won their first-ever medal, a silver. She works with the International Olympic Committee, and viewers of broadcaster NHK in Japan will hear her commentary during the 2024 Paris Olympics.  

You’re a sports psychologist, TV commentator, you’ve taught as an associate professor, and served as a consultant. How would you best summarize your professional career? 

My expertise is mental training and career transition in the field of sport psychology. I am involved in individual mental training sessions, corporate seminars, graduate school research projects, and media activities, all based on sport psychology.

You’re also a medal-winning Olympian! Can you tell us about the experience of representing Japan in the games in Seoul? And you assisted the US synchronized swimming head coach and earned graduate degrees in the US. I’m curious about any insights from that role. 

I was a synchronized swimmer, and in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, I won a bronze medal in synchronized swimming duet. From the age of 15 until I competed in the Olympics at 21, I participated in various international competitions as a member of the Japanese national team. At that time, the American team was always stronger than Japan, and among the American team members was a world champion from Saint Mary’s. After the Olympics, I started coaching the Japanese national team. Then, at the age of 24, I decided to go to the US and learn coaching in Walnut Creek, California. During that time, I stayed with a family, and the host was my Synchro friend, Michelle Svitenko, a world champion. She recommended Saint Mary’s to me.

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I attended Saint Mary’s from 1992 to 1995, initially studying in the Intensive English Program, then taking several undergraduate classes, and eventually graduating from the graduate program with a master’s in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. While studying coaching in the USA, I also coached American synchronized swimmers attending Saint Mary’s.

Can you tell me about your Saint Mary’s experience and how that has fit into your career? 

I have very fond memories. I attended a Catholic private girls’ school from elementary to high school in Japan, and I am a Catholic myself, so I enjoyed the Mass at Saint Mary’s. At Christmas, I could sing the soprano part of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah without looking at the lyrics, which surprised people around me.

I remember that I was always in the library—studying forever until midnight, it seemed. I was slow at reading textbooks, so it would take many hours to finish assignments. But studying in the library was fun! There were always so many students studying late. I was surprised to see many college students working so hard.

I learned sport psychology and coaching philosophy in the graduate program in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at SMC. One time, in the library, I found a textbook on sport psychology. The last chapter was on athletic retirement, and that chapter included an explanation about athletic identity. I started crying as I read the sentences: "Many top athletes struggle to come up with an answer to the questions, Who am I if I can’t compete?" That was me. I was so happy that I was not alone. I was not the only one who felt so sad over loss of the sport and loss of self-identity.

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Learning sport psychology and coaching philosophy from Dr. Craig Johnson really saved me at that time, which was during my career transition as an ex-athlete. Not only that, but that was the start of my new career.

After finishing my master’s at Saint Mary’s, I took some graduate sport psychology courses online. Then I came back to Japan in 2001 and started my career as a sport psychology consultant. After my kids were grown up, I went back to complete a PhD in Japan—and earned that in 2021 at the age of 54. My dissertation was on “Design of psychological self-help support for the Olympic athletes after retirement.”

The truth is, my career started from the Saint Mary’s library!

Earlier this year you took part in a program sharing business lessons from Olympians. So what are some you would highlight—either that seem like a natural fit, or might surprise people?

I do corporate seminars regularly. I teach secure base leadership— providing a safe, supportive environment that enables individuals to take risks and grow—as well as motivation and stress management to Japanese executive business people. All things from sport psychology can apply to the business field.

At Saint Mary’s, one of the highlights of the Tokyo games in 2021 was seeing some Gaels playing basketball with the Australian Men’s Team win the bronze. Were there any special highlights for you? 

In the Tokyo Games, I was the sport psychologist for the Japanese men’s wheelchair basketball team in the Paralympics. I have been involved with the national team since 2013, and in the 2021 Tokyo Games, we won a long-awaited silver medal. Before that, the team’s highest rank in the Paralympics was 9th place, so I was very happy.

Are there any special aspects of the 2024 games that you’re looking forward to?

For the Paris Games, I will be working as a commentator on NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, providing commentary on the Olympics.

You’ve also been working with the International Olympic Committee for the past seven years. What does that involve? 

I served on the IOC Marketing Committee from 2017 to 2022, and since 2023, I have been a member of the IOC Revenues and Commercial Partnerships Committee. Several times a year, I attend meetings at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, where we discuss how Olympic sponsors can collaborate with the IOC’s various activities.

Is there anything you would like to say to the Saint Mary’s community?

I loved Saint Mary’s. The professors were wonderful. Studying various aspects of American history and culture as part of the liberal arts program was very enriching for me. I still keep in touch with Dr. Johnson, who helped me a lot during my time in graduate school. When he came to Japan, we had a meal together.

I would love to visit Saint Mary’s again. I have fond memories of living in Walnut Creek and spending time on the campus and communities nearby.

Finally—and most important—I met my husband at Saint Mary’s in 1992! Jean-Philippe Oulevey ’94 was a Business major and a soccer player at SMC! So Saint Mary’s is a place that changed my life in more ways than one, and set me on the path I’m on now, after retirement from competitive sport.