A pioneering high‑performance leader in global sport, Chelsea Lane is best known for transforming athlete care through her human‑centred approach across the NBA and elite international programmes. She is the Head of Performance – Silver Ferns, guiding one of New Zealand’s most iconic teams with a philosophy that blends cutting‑edge sports science, holistic wellbeing, and world‑class performance leadership.
Chelsea rose to international prominence through her groundbreaking work with the Golden State Warriors, where she served as Director of Performance and Sports Medicine. During the team’s championship era, she redefined how elite organisations support their athletes – championing a model that treated players as whole people, integrating physical, mental, and personal development to sustain excellence under pressure. Her approach was widely credited with helping maintain the health, durability, and peak performance of some of the NBA’s biggest stars throughout demanding seasons and historic playoff runs.
Her impact deepened further in her executive role with the Atlanta Hawks, where she continued to evolve performance systems, recovery frameworks, and organisational culture at scale. Chelsea’s work bridged the often‑separate worlds of high‑tech sports science and compassionate, people‑first leadership, creating environments where individuals and teams could thrive.
In her leadership role with the Silver Ferns, Chelsea brings home a wealth of global expertise, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to advancing performance in a way that protects and develops the whole athlete. Her philosophy has resonated widely across sport, business, and human development – a reminder that exceptional performance is built on trust, wellbeing, and the courage to innovate.
Talking Points
Building High-Performance Cultures Through Human-Centric Leadership
Chelsea shares her proven methods of fostering a culture that prioritises the holistic health and growth of team members, a strategy she used to maintain the resilience of top-tier athletes under intense pressure.
Building High-Performance Cultures Through Human-Centric Leadership
The Science of Well-Being: Lessons from Professional Sports
Drawing from sports medicine, Chelsea reveals the science-backed strategies she used to optimise well-being among NBA players, providing valuable insights on how organizations can apply these methods to enhance team and individual health.
The Science of Well-Being: Lessons from Professional Sports
Innovation in Performance: Balancing Technology and Human Touch
In this topic, Chelsea discusses the delicate balance between integrating cutting-edge technology and preserving the essential human aspects of performance, a nuanced approach she pioneered within the NBA.
Innovation in Performance: Balancing Technology and Human Touch
Creating Sustainable Excellence Through Holistic Development
Chelsea explores her approach to sustainable excellence by considering mental, physical, and emotional development, emphasizing the importance of nurturing each dimension for long-term success.
Creating Sustainable Excellence Through Holistic Development
Leading with Empathy: Transforming Team Dynamics
Chelsea explains how empathetic leadership transformed team dynamics within elite sports teams, showcasing how understanding and connecting with individuals on a deeper level can strengthen performance and cohesion in any organization
Leading with Empathy: Transforming Team Dynamics
Chelsea achieved everything we asked of her! She was fantastic! I personally could listen to her speak for hours. ... keep reading Physiotherapy New Zealand
Chelsea was engaging, energetic, humble and invested in being at our Sports Awards. Easy to chat with (everyone wanted to chat with her after the awards) and funny.
Chelsea was fantastic at both of our events. Her story was super inspiring and her messages in her presentation resonated very well with our staff. We sent out a staff survey following our two conferences and Chelsea's section rated 9.4 out of 10 for the 60 people who completed this. Overall we are very happy with what Chelsea delivered fro us.
Chelsea’s presentation received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, with many highlighting her as a standout of the day. Her ability to connect through personal experience, authenticity, and practical insights left a lasting impact on the audience. Attendees appreciated the relevance of her message, particularly those working in high-performance environments and found her practical advice directly applicable to both personal and professional contexts. Key takeaways such as the distinction between Excellence vs. Perfection, embracing fear and failure, and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone were especially resonant. Overall, Chelsea delivered a powerful and engaging presentation that left a strong impression and sparked meaningful reflection among attendees. Many walked away feeling inspired, motivated, and better equipped to take on challenges in their own fields.
