Cathy Utzschneider, Ed.D.
Boston College's lead faculty of coaching and performance, Cathy Utzschneider -- Ed.D., M.A., M.B.A, and member of Team USA, certified as a running and swim coach (USATF and USMS) and strength trainer (ISSA) -- is the founder of MOVE!. MOVE! is a goal achievement method and coaching practice based on doctoral research with over 100 national- and world-class athletes. A writer and podcaster (National Masters News), she has written four books: MOVE!, Mastering Running, Mastering The Half Marathon, and High Performance in Midlife and Beyond.
Rooted in physical goals, the method helps people achieve professional and personal goals with PACE: Perspective, Achievement, Calm, and ultimately Excellence. All kinds of professionals -- executives, athletes, coaches, doctors, and professors -- are certified in the method. It has been chosen by National Masters News as the goal achievement method of choice for the 2025 National- and World- Masters Track and Field Championships.
Rooted in physical goals, the method helps people achieve professional and personal goals with PACE: Perspective, Achievement, Calm, and ultimately Excellence. All kinds of professionals -- executives, athletes, coaches, doctors, and professors -- are certified in the method. It has been chosen by National Masters News as the goal achievement method of choice for the 2025 National- and World- Masters Track and Field Championships.
MOVE! has produced over 65 national age-group champions, 6 world age-group record-holders, 18 Olympians and Olympic Trials runners, 16 Boston Marathon age group winners and dozens of personal bests in the Boston Marathon. MOVE! has also helped beginners learn to swim and experienced swimmers podium in swim events. Many people have used the method for professional goals as well -- from achieving sales goals, creating businesses, earning promotions, and strengthening team performances, to writing books.
Cathy has won nine USATF national age group running championships (track and field, cross country, roads) including age-grading over 90%, a silver medal at the Nike World Masters Games, and a gold medal at the North American World Regional Championships. Initially sponsored by New Balance, she achieved a No. 5 world age-group ranking in the mile in 2005. She has also won National and World Aquathlon Championships where she represented Team USA and podiumed in numerous swim races, including age-grading wins in open water swims, a first place age-group finish in the St. Croix Mile Swim race (2023), and a second place age-group finish in the Barbados 1.5K swim. In 2024 she placed fourth in her age group in the World Swim Championships (400 meters). In 2019, she was inducted into the Phillips Andover Athletics Hall of Honor. In 2022, she won a Woman of Influence award by WISE, Women In Sports and Events.
Professor, writer, and speaker on goal achievement, Cathy is the author of MOVE!: How Women Can Achieve Athletic Goals At Any Age (2011), Mastering Running (2014), Mastering The Half Marathon (2014), and High Performance in Midlife (2020). In 2011, she wrote the marathon training book for John Hancock, the Boston Marathon sponsor. She has been lead faculty of sports leadership and coaching for high performance at Boston College and also a columnist for National Masters News since 2006. She frequently speaks to professionals and organizations, including colleges, hospitals, and Fortune 1000 Leadership Conferences. She is Communications Advisor for USATF Masters Track and is also on the advisory board for Boston College's Masters in Sports Administration.
Cathy has won nine USATF national age group running championships (track and field, cross country, roads) including age-grading over 90%, a silver medal at the Nike World Masters Games, and a gold medal at the North American World Regional Championships. Initially sponsored by New Balance, she achieved a No. 5 world age-group ranking in the mile in 2005. She has also won National and World Aquathlon Championships where she represented Team USA and podiumed in numerous swim races, including age-grading wins in open water swims, a first place age-group finish in the St. Croix Mile Swim race (2023), and a second place age-group finish in the Barbados 1.5K swim. In 2024 she placed fourth in her age group in the World Swim Championships (400 meters). In 2019, she was inducted into the Phillips Andover Athletics Hall of Honor. In 2022, she won a Woman of Influence award by WISE, Women In Sports and Events.
Professor, writer, and speaker on goal achievement, Cathy is the author of MOVE!: How Women Can Achieve Athletic Goals At Any Age (2011), Mastering Running (2014), Mastering The Half Marathon (2014), and High Performance in Midlife (2020). In 2011, she wrote the marathon training book for John Hancock, the Boston Marathon sponsor. She has been lead faculty of sports leadership and coaching for high performance at Boston College and also a columnist for National Masters News since 2006. She frequently speaks to professionals and organizations, including colleges, hospitals, and Fortune 1000 Leadership Conferences. She is Communications Advisor for USATF Masters Track and is also on the advisory board for Boston College's Masters in Sports Administration.
Cathy graduated with high honors in English from Middlebury College and went on to earn a master’s degree in health science, an M.B.A. and an Ed.D. in physiology and performance from Boston University. Her doctoral dissertation compared national- and world-class masters runners who started running at a young age to those who started after 30.
She is certified as a coach by USATF (Level 1), U.S. Masters Swimming (Levels 1-3), International Sports Sciences Association (Strength and Conditioning) and by the Burdenko Water Training (Levels 1-3).
Cathy is married with two adult children and lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
She is certified as a coach by USATF (Level 1), U.S. Masters Swimming (Levels 1-3), International Sports Sciences Association (Strength and Conditioning) and by the Burdenko Water Training (Levels 1-3).
Cathy is married with two adult children and lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Learn more about Cathy and her accomplishments:
"Every Day Matters",
2022 Commencement Address
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October 2023: Listen Here
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Age group bronze medalist (far right), 2017, World Aquathlon Championships
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2014 National Age Group Champion, 3K
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