An Olympian’s Path to Improving Mental Health Outcomes Through Public Policy

This story was written by Kimberly Iverson as part of the McCourt School's annual alumni magazine, Policy Perspectives.

Before she analyzed policy briefs at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Camilla Feeley (MPP'26) perfected routines on the Olympic mat. The journey from representing Team USA in Tokyo to Georgetown University has been a seamless one, trading the pursuit of athletic excellence for a passionate drive to shape mental health policy.

She began her rhythmic gymnastics journey at age 5 in Maryland and was dedicating four to five hours to the sport daily by age 8.

"Even at that young age, there was an internal drive, a feeling that this was something I was meant to do," Feeley recalled. "The hours were long, but the pursuit of excellence - of pushing my own boundaries - was incredibly rewarding."

Her path to the world stage was forged in fierce dedication. After her family moved to Illinois for a more competitive environment, Feeley's life became a master class in discipline, balancing homeschooling with hours of demanding training twice a day. This sacrifice paid off as her international career blossomed, leading to a trove of medals at the Pan American Games and Pacific Rim Championships. The journey culminated in the ultimate challenge: the road to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. When the pandemic delayed her debut in the games by a year, she faced the dual pressure of maintaining an elite training regimen while simultaneously beginning her undergraduate students online at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

An unexpected back injury ended her dream of competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics. It could have been a devastating blow. Instead, the moment became a catalyst. The themes of pressure and well-being she had explored in her psychology senior thesis were now intensely personal, transforming her desire for tangible solutions into an urgent mission that led directly to Washington, DC.

"My background in psychology opened by eyes to systemic issues," Feeley said. "Policy was the most effective avenue to make the changes I wanted. I'm most interested in work focused on communities in need of federal assistance for mental health care and substance use prevention and treatment."

She sought the data-driven tools to build on her research, and McCourt's emphasis on quantitative analysis offered the rigor she craved, all within a city where policy is not just studied but forged.

"It just felt like the perfect fit," said Feeley.

Her commitment to community echoes for the campus to the city, with her new role as vice president of the McCourt Student Association mirroring her work as a research assistant at the think tank New America. One role serves her peers, the other serves the nation.

Her academic interests weave together to form a cohesive tapestry: psychology offers a window into human behavior, comparative literature hones her ability to communicate complex narratives and data science provides the tools to interpret the intricate patterns of society. It is a rich intellectual landscape, one where even the century-old insights of Feeley's favorite author, Oscar Wilde, can illuminate her understanding of societal structures and individual freedoms.

Feeley says the same simple guide she used to ground herself in her past life in competition still applies to the pressures of her current policy dilemmas: slow down, take a deep breath. It's a powerful tool for staying present, but her most vital form of solace is ending each demanding day with a good book in the comfort of her bed. "That's my happy place, my form of self-care," she said.

Feeley's past now fuels her future. Her intimate knowledge of the mental strain born from a life in elite gymnastics informs her focus on underserved communities that need resources most. Her journey has been a transformation of purpose: from an athlete finding her balance on a beam to an advocate working to restore it in the lives of others.