Who is Kelsey?
Kelsey O'Connor is the founder of Life Beyond Labels®, Keynote Speaker, Certified Mental Performance Consultant®, and former Division I athlete.
Kelsey always had a drive and deep commitment to achieving her goals. Growing up, she played for a nationally ranked travel softball team, scored in the top percentiles academically, and was actively involved in community service. For years, 4 a.m. wake-ups, workouts, late nights, and constant "doing" shaped her identity. After being recruited to play softball at NC State University, Kelsey was living out her dreams as a Division I athlete, honors student, published research assistant, and active volunteer in the community.
On October 7, 2021, everything changed. After suffering a traumatic brain injury, followed by a second severe concussion from a car accident, Kelsey lost the labels she had spent her life earning. Forced to medically retire from athletics and uncertain if she could even continue school, Kelsey battled debilitating pain, cognitive challenges, and struggled to speak without stuttering or overwhelming brain fog. At just 20 years old, she did not know if she would ever recover or who she was without the identities she had built her life around.
During her recovery, Kelsey decided that instead of continuing to chase achievement and fill her calendar, she would focus on the type of person she wanted to become. Kelsey made a commitment to intentionally see and describe others based on their attitude, the way they treated others, and what made them unique. What began as a simple daily practice transformed the way she viewed herself. It became the foundation for rebuilding her identity, rediscovering joy, and finding a renewed sense of purpose.
In 2023, Kelsey was chosen to deliver a commencement speech at NC State that went viral, reaching millions of people worldwide. Messages from people of all ages and backgrounds served as a reminder that we are all more than the labels we carry. Today, Kelsey travels the country combining her story with evidence-based strategies from her education in performance psychology and social work to help people build resilience and live beyond labels by recognizing the unique strengths within themselves and in those around them.
Faith
My faith is the center of my identity and my foundation. It is where I draw my strength, joy, peace, and purpose from. I hope to reflect the light of Jesus in what I share and the person I try to be.
Family
My close relationship with my family has shaped so much of who I am. They are my biggest supporters and greatest blessing. I wouldn’t be who I am without them. Here is a picture of some of my family, but not all.
My family has inspired every part of who I am and what I do! On the athletics side, my dad played college football, worked for the Miami Dolphins for 13 years, and has since worked for major sports brands. My twin brother works for ESPN and my older brother was an elite runner...so I grew up in a sports family! On the other side of my profession, my mom is an Executive Leadership Coach. That is just a glimpse of what drew me to this kind of work!
Service
I have always been committed to making service a large part of my life and started volunteering regularly when I was about 13. I believe it is important to see beyond myself and to impact the lives of others in a meaningful way. I’ve been blessed with resources, education, and opportunities that I want to dedicate to giving back to my communities. I’ve included a page dedicated to causes I care about and have a personal connection to.
Athletics
I started playing softball when I was just 7 years old and my dream of playing in college started early! As I grew up, I was fortunate enough to travel and play for some of the top nationally ranked travel organizations in the country. After being recruited to play at NC State, I continued to play softball in college until my injury in October 2021.
I continue to stay involved in athletics, working out almost daily at Body Fit Training (BFT)!
Education
I am extremely passionate about education. I grew up wanting to become a teacher and had the opportunity to student-teach preschool, elementary, and high school classes as a junior and senior in high school myself! My pursuits shifted from teaching to social work, but I remained passionate about both education and mental health as I earned my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from NC State. I hope to both educate and inspire through my speeches, workshops, and coaching! I also love highlighting educators who changed my life. Featured is a picture of me speaking to Oklahoma University’s Academic Advising Department about supporting students.
Goals
My goal is to make a positive impact on the world. I hope to continue speaking, coaching those who want to use their voice for good, writing, and advocating for education and mental health!
On the horizon, I plan to write a book and deliver a TED Talk!
