Featured
Stories
Champion's Corner
Welcome to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s home for content that illuminates athlete safety from new angles, and introduces the people and principles that help ensure every athlete everywhere is safe, supported, and strengthened.
AlLison Wagner
This 1996 Olympic medalist swimmer details her priorities as an Athlete Advisory Team member.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: ALLISON WAGNER
Since winning a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Allison Wagner has left a long wake as an advocate for fairness and safety in sport. Allison spoke with us recently about her priorities as a SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team member, and her own experiences and perspectives as an elite swimmer and as a scholar and professional in sport integrity.
WE ASKED ALLISON:
Of all your experiences in swimming and throughout sport, what stands out as most memorable or important?
Wagner: I really loved racing, and the standard of resilience and hard work I established for myself. That’s turned out to be really valuable for other areas of my life so far.
You have swam against some competitors known for anti-doping rule violations. I understand you're now at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Tell us about your current work there?
Wagner: During my athletic career, I raced against some athletes who were doping, and it was frustrating and disheartening to say the least. When watching the Russia doping scandal unfold, I decided to get involved to do what I could to protect clean athletes from experiencing the injustices I experienced.
USADA has consistently demonstrated a dedication to the protection of clean athletes.
What brought you to the SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team and other Center efforts supporting athletes?
Wagner: I had some negative experiences in sport. And I think sports should be an activity and arena in which kids and people can pursue goals, self-development, and learn lessons valuable for any life pursuit—not a place where athletes suffer high costs that too often lead to negative, life-changing developments.
I've been studying for a master’s degree in sport ethics and integrity these last two years, and have been able to delve into research on abuse in sport and understand where the world is, in terms of addressing this problem.
I've also talked to athletes who’ve experienced abuse in sport, and I think they need more advocates to speak up on their behalf. The SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team is an opportunity to do that. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in how the Center serves athletes, so I applied for a spot.
What can we tell stakeholders about the Athlete Advisory Team’s priorities?
Wagner: My main goal is to represent athletes. Also, to offer feedback to the Center, and question the Center on what athletes are saying they experience, in terms of reporting as well as abuse in sport. And to generally voice concerns.
It’s fair to say we know there are athletes who feel there is more the Center can and should do. What might you want us to know about how we can improve athlete experiences of Center processes?
Wagner: It’s great that the Center is open to feedback and improvement. Generally, there are criticisms and feedback about the process of responding to and resolving abuse reports. I think that change and improvement can happen in a variety of ways within the workings of the Center. One possible idea is to consider involving a counselor whenever there's interaction between an investigator and survivor. I also think there could be more transparency related to the process and the investigators, in terms of who they are and their background. The bottom line is that there are too many athletes that don’t trust the process: the Center is here to help athletes and help sport, so it’s important that the process works better to protect and serve athlete well-being.
In the Athlete Culture & Climate Survey, we got feedback from many athletes about how we can better serve athletes throughout and beyond the process. What were your impressions of findings from that survey, in terms of any particularly worth highlighting?
Wagner: In general, a lot of findings in the SafeSport survey align with findings I’ve seen elsewhere in my research. One thing that does surprise me, here and in other research I’ve seen, is that I’d think the percentage of athletes experiencing physical harm would be higher: the definition or gauge of that, and how athletes understand it, can vary. [Data from athlete responses can be found on page 20 of this full survey report.]
Have you seen signs of progress? What would you hope to see to feel positive progress is being made?
Wagner: There is progress, in that people are more aware and understanding the problem of abuse in sport, especially as it pertains to sexual abuse and harassment: that’s one step toward change. In addition, there are resources being allocated to this issue, especially in the U.S., and there needs to be more resources allocated internationally.
What are your hopes for what will happen as a result of your academic or professional work?
Wagner: Generally, I aim to advocate for the protection of athletes from all sorts of injustices. In my work with USADA, I’m dedicated to protecting athletes from an unfair playing field. We have work to do as a national and global sport community to create a field of fair play and evaluate what’s working (and not working) in terms of protecting and serving athletes.
Anything else you’d like athletes to know?
Wagner: That they have someone on the Athlete Advisory Team to represent their concerns. I can be reached at allisonwagner.com. I also recently finished my thesis work, which was focused on the importance of identifying risk factors for abuse and harassment in sport, and I’m happy to discuss that work with athletes as well. I'm happy to talk to anyone with concerns, or who’d like to talk about the subject of abuse and harassment in sport.
I understand you were a founding member of the Art of the Olympians program? How does your swimming inform the way you see your art?
Wagner: I've always enjoyed creating and appreciating art. For me, sport and art are similar, as ways to express myself. That’s why I love Art of the Olympians, which is all about the pursuit of excellence captured in the Olympic spirit as expressed through sport and art. I've enjoyed painting water and swimming-related pieces, just because I love the water, and it’s really aesthetically appealing to me to depict and paint. After I finish my master’s degree, I’m hoping to have a little downtime so I can get back to some of that!
Lauren Kuntz
This double decathlon American record-holder details her experiences and athlete safety ambitions.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: LAUREN KUNTZ
Lauren Kuntz forges new paths wherever she goes: as a double decathlete—an event in which she won the world championship in August—climate researcher, and survivor.
A SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team member, Lauren spoke with us about her experiences within and beyond sport, and her athlete safety ideas and ambitions. (Interview edited for length and clarity.)
WE ASKED LAUREN:
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR PATH AS A POLE VAULTER AND DECATHLETE?
Kuntz: I was 5 when the Magnificent Seven were in the Olympics [1996], and I originally planned to do gymnastics in college at MIT. Unfortunately, MIT cut the team. So I emailed every coach, saying, “I’ve never done your sport, but want to try and would do anything to walk on.” The track & field coach responded, “We’ve had success transforming gymnasts into pole vaulters, so we'll give you a shot.”
I’m in love with that sport. I was a volunteer coach after graduation and continued to train people during grad school. During that time, I started coaching decathlon and wanted to get involved in the other events. So I’ve expanded beyond pole vault. It’s fun to keep learning.
YOU GAVE A TED TALK IN 2009 ON EQUITY IN SPORT, REFERENCING THE INEQUITY OF THE DECATHLON [AN OLYMPIC SPORT FOR MEN BUT NOT WOMEN]. YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING A SURVIVOR OF ABUSE. TELL US ANYTHING YOU MIGHT WANT READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Kuntz: It was a long process for me to get to where I could, one, even identify as a survivor, and two, talk about it.
I was abused by a coach in my track and field experience, and it took me over eight years to really acknowledge the abuse that occurred.
One thing that triggered it: While I was volunteer coaching, I noticed an assistant with behavior patterns and red flags similar to the coach that had abused me. Athletes were bringing this to my attention: there was emotional abuse occurring, concerns about physical abuse as well.
I spent a year trying to work with athletes to get this addressed, with very little change from university administration. Seeing these young athletes in a situation similar to what I’d been in, I said, “I cannot just sit back and see what I went through happen to others.” That helped me decide I needed to speak up about this.
Initially, it was easier for me to speak up about what I saw happen to others. But during that process, I realized I couldn’t continue to be quiet about what happened to myself, that I deserved to speak up on my own behalf, just as these girls had somebody speak up on their behalf.
So I went through a process of talking about my own experience, saying “I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like.” It helped their healing process, while at the same time healing myself.
Ultimately, this paired well with my desire for decathlon. When we view women as too weak and incapable of doing decathlon … it’s easier for people to say, “Well, these young girls don’t know what they’re talking about when they’re speaking out about abuse from a coach.” My view is: If we don’t view one another on equal footing on the field, how the hell do we expect to view one another on equal footing off the field?
So it’s been two parallel tracks. Strive for equity in what I do, become a female decathlete to grow the sport and show young girls, “You can do this.” And also, share my story and tell people: “Understand you’re not alone.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY IN SHARING YOUR STORY. IN YOUR TALK, YOU TOUCHED UPON POWER IMBALANCE AS A FACTOR OF ABUSE OF MISCONDUCT. WHAT ARE YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON THAT TOPIC?
Kuntz: I wish people understood that when power imbalance exists, it’s basically impossible to give true consent.
Survivors get pushback: “Well, why didn't you say no? Why didn't you push back more?” But it’s very easy for retaliation and retribution to occur in a dynamic in which one person can say, “You don't get playing time,” or impact whether you get a college scholarship. That can lend itself easily to abuse of power.
I think that’s why it becomes so hard for people, especially in athletics, to get at the root of abuse. You put a ton of your life into this, and it becomes easy for an abuser to manipulate how much you’ve poured yourself into it and take advantage of you.
TELL US HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE SAFESPORT ATHLETE ADVISORY TEAM AND YOUR PRIORITIES WITH THE GROUP?
Kuntz: I learned about SafeSport initially through an investigation, when I got called to speak of various coaches’ behavior. I was intrigued by this idea of a centralized body, independent of U.S. sporting associations, whose entire role is to promote healthy environments in sports, and to investigate cases of abuse and handle those appropriately.
When the Center formed the Team, a friend who knows my survivor story said to me, “You should apply.” I figured, “Why not?” This felt like an amazing opportunity with a new organization trying to combat issues I’m really passionate about, to bring what I’ve seen and experienced, and turn those negatives into a positive.
I hope to impact two areas at SafeSport. One relates to communication. These issues are really hard to talk about. I wish we had a better vernacular to discuss what normal and abnormal behaviors are, what red flags to look for, why certain things are inappropriate, what dangers arise when abuse happens.
Looking back at my own story, so much could have been prevented if I had language to describe what behaviors were, and were not, appropriate. I want us to create dialogue on how to recognize, deal with, and ideally prevent abuse.
The second area is to help the Center increase transparency in investigation processes. I think the biggest risk SafeSport faces is people start to view it as a “cover” for all Olympic organizations. There have been so many high-profile cases, and there’s been broken trust in the system.
SafeSport has a big challenge not only in communicating the importance of these issues, but also in rebuilding trust in the athletic community. Increasing transparency, saying, “We’re striving for these markers of improvement. Here’s where we’re falling short. Here’s how we’re going to improve…”: that is essential for the Center.
It’s great to have the SafeSport Athlete Advisory team and athletes like you to point us the way and best direct us toward our goals. Another way we’ve heard from athletes has been through the Athlete Culture & Climate Survey [released in July 2021].
WHAT ARE YOUR INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF FINDINGS?
Kuntz: The findings verified what people know as a problem: how prevalent abuse is, and how not prevalent reporting abuse is. That was clear by how few survey respondents who said they were abused that knew the pathway for reporting that abuse.
Another big finding: There's a disconnect between what people consider abuse to be, and what they recognize as abuse. Another that is disappointing is the intersectionality of minorities and those with disabilities experiencing these issues at a deeper level.
Unfortunately, we normalize a lot of these abusive behaviors. It makes our job now a lot harder. When I was a gymnast, my coach would tell me, “When I say jump, don't say, ‘Why?’… Just ask, ‘How high?’” In many ways, it set me up for abuse I later experienced in track & field, because I was taught, “Don’t question what the coach says: just do it, and trust that they have best intentions in mind.”
We have work to do to change what we view as normal. We can’t keep viewing “tough coaching,” yelling and screaming, as acceptable behavior.
HAVE YOU SEEN MUCH EVIDENCE OF SPORT CULTURE EVOLVING IN POSITIVE WAYS?
Kuntz: A big one is that while SafeSport still may not have the name recognition it needs, it’s growing and improving.
At USA Gymnastics trials, there were SafeSport information packets for every participant. That’s a huge step in the right direction. It’s nice to see SafeSport posters and information at meets, building recognition. When I was coming up in the sport, that wasn’t a thing. Cultural waves, including the #MeToo movement, have helped increase dialogue as well.
It’s easier to talk about sexual misconduct. There’s still uncertainty as to what emotional misconduct entails, but at least those words are entering people’s vernaculars.
YOU HAVE A PHD FROM HARVARD IN CLIMATE SCIENCE AND ARE CEO OF A STARTUP: WORK THAT SEEMS PRETTY IMMERSIVE. ARE YOU STILL INVOLVED IN SPORT AS AN ATHLETE?
Kuntz: I’m still training and competing at the regional level, and I’m actively training for a double decathlon—20 events over two days [soon after this interview, Lauren won the 29th annual Icosathlon World Championship in Epinal, France]. I hope to continue doing decathlons as long as my body will allow.
ANY OTHER THINGS YOU’D WANT READERS TO KNOW?
Kuntz: A hope of mine for the Athlete Advisory Board is to be an avenue for athletes to feel comfortable talking to SafeSport and raising issues. Since the Center is here to serve athletes, athletes need to step up and help guide the Center on what needs to be done, what they can do better, and how they can better serve athletes.
I hope the survey will empower athletes to know, “The Center wants to hear from you. The Center wants to do better: it just needs your guidance, it needs you to be an engaged stakeholder in this process.”
The easiest way to earn trust and understanding is for people to go through the Center’s process and say, “Wow, that helped me heal as a survivor. And I’d recommend other survivors go through it, because it was a huge stepping-stone in coming to terms with what happened, and ensuring that sport is safer moving forward.” The best way for the Center to communicate those issues is have those positive advocates.
April Holmes
This three-time Paralympics medalist, shares her experiences in sport and her views on safer sport.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: APRIL HOLMES
April Holmes achieved outstanding success as a sprinter and long jumper, rebounding from losing her left leg in a 2001 train accident to compete in four Paralympics, winning three medals, and breaking over a dozen Paralympic world records along the way.
Now an author, motivational speaker, and U.S. Center for SafeSport board member, April shares her experiences in sport, and her views on safer sport.
WE ASKED APRIL:
TELL US WHAT MOTIVATED YOUR JOURNEY AS A PARALYMPIC ATHLETE.
Holmes: Athletics was something I loved and excelled at from an early age. I earned a scholarship to Norfolk State University and ran track there, then worked in the Philadelphia area for a few years before pursuing a master's degree. About two weeks into my master’s program, I got into an accident and lost my leg. I was initially devastated—you need your leg to be athletic, so I thought.
I didn't know anything about the Paralympics. My doctor came in one day and gave me some magazines about the Paralympics. And I'm like, “OK, they look like hope to me… now I can do something else. I can still do athletics. I can still be physically active, I can still do the things I love to do.”
So I set some goals and dreams: to represent the United States in the next Paralympic Games. That was my focus every single day during rehab, to stand on the podium as the best in the world. It made rehab very fun. It made it challenging to my therapist, but she did whatever she could do to help.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF RUNNING ON A PROSTHETIC LEG,
COMPARED TO YOUR FEELING OF RUNNING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT?
Holmes: It was so weird at first. It felt like I was running on eyeliner pencil, like it was not going to hold me at all. Running on it was like… “Left leg hits the ground, I'm scared. Right leg hits the ground, I’m comfortable… scared, comfortable… scared, comfortable…” Once I began to trust that my leg was there, that it was going to be there, and would brace me every time I stepped on it, the faster and faster I was able to run.”
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH ATHLETES WHO HAVE FACED ADVERSITY, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL?
Holmes: I believe it's our responsibility to share our life and experience with others. Muhammad Ali said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for our time here on earth.” That is part of my DNA.
When someone shares experiences with you—and they’ve been through something, but they’ve overcome and achieved—it makes your journey that much easier. I feel it’s my role to be an example of someone who has faced adversity, come out on the other side, and blazed a trail.
For me, it was going from laying on the train tracks, to a hospital bed, to a podium. While so many people can't identify with being trapped underneath a train, they can identify with having “train instances” in their life, when something stopped them from going where they wanted to go.
One thing I talk about is: “What is your train right now?” Whether financial, in relationships, or your health… what do you have to do in your mind, your body, your spirit to allow that train to move? Once you get up, ask: “What are your goals, dreams, and desires?” Then it’s helpful to trust, because without trust, a whole lot of things are not possible. As I'm running down the track, I’m trying to go as fast as I can, but I realize I can only go so fast until I learn how to trust.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES COMMUNITY EVOLVE?
Holmes:In 2001, when I lost my leg, I’d never even heard about the Paralympics: to this day, you'll hear people say that. But NBC announced it would show a significant amount of the Tokyo Paralympic Games on television. With parents around the world looking to showcase the greatness of their kids and provide hope for them—especially ones that love sports—when NBC broadcasts people like myself doing great things, word of Paralympic sport can get out, and of how remarkable those athletes are.
It speaks to people in the Movement behind the scenes doing all they can to push Paralympics into the forefront. Does it have a ways to go? Sure. But there are so many people in the fight, in the trenches, that believe. It's only a matter of time before the Paralympics come out of its shell and fly like a beautiful butterfly.
HOW HAVE YOU COME TO SERVE ON THE U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
Holmes: It’s been a blessing, something I totally believe in, as an athlete for so long and hearing stories of abuse to athletes. For so many years, abuse was not talked about, there was not support, there was not a SafeSport. It’s important for young athletes to know there’s a safe place for them to share their pain or experience, and to let predators know they're not welcome here.
As an athlete on the board, I believe it’s important to lend my opinion, my judgment, and my experience to things we think about moving forward. When you look across any board, it should be representative of the people you serve. I sit there not for myself, but for all the other athletes currently competing, and who have desires, dreams and goals to compete--which should never be cut short because someone was abusive to them.
I've been fortunate to have amazing coaches in my life: great role models who I still talk to years after competing, who provided a very safe environment, didn't allow anyone to abuse us, and were always uplifting. If I could have an environment like that and get to a podium, every kid deserves that opportunity.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW ON THE RISK OF ABUSE FOR ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES,
AND ON WHAT WE ALL SHOULD KNOW OR CONSIDERATIONS THAT SHOULD BE MADE?
Holmes: Those who want to be abusive, prey on those who are vulnerable. But there's so much education being pushed now about Paralympic athletes. They're not being isolated in a room by themselves, or on a track by themselves. They're now surrounded by community. And the more you're trained to understand what abuse looks like, the better able you are to recognize it and take action when it occurs.
If SafeSport continues to push out education [like the course related to athletes with disabilities], which I'm really excited about—the more it reaches dark corners, and athletes wind up better equipped to handle it.
WHAT WOULD YOU MOST WANT YOUNG ATHLETES AND THEIR ALLIES TO KNOW
ABOUT THE U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT?
Holmes: You don't have to feel uncomfortable, and you have a country that's cheering for you. You don't have to be abused. You deserve happiness. You deserve joy. No one deserves to be bullied. No one deserves to be inappropriately touched or have their character demeaned. You don't deserve any bad treatment that comes your way.
Know that there's an entire support system of people, willing and wanting to help and listen to what you're going through. Whether it’s Team USA or a local peewee-league team, you're surrounded by people who desire to help you and see you smile and have an opportunity in life. That should not be cut short by anyone.
It's important for people to know SafeSport exists. Years ago, it didn't, and how many more lives could have been saved if it had? It might seem like, “OK, here's one more webinar, one more session I have to sit through.” But if that one session not only helps you, but also helps you share the word to someone else that SafeSport exists—and that helps protect the community and integrity and innocence of sport and young people—then I absolutely believe it's necessary, and for sure it’s wanted.
So I'm more than honored to sit on this board. I absolutely believe in the cause. The momentum is shifting toward every sporting opportunity being a safe place for young people.
AlLison Wagner
This 1996 Olympic medalist swimmer details her priorities as an Athlete Advisory Team member.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: ALLISON WAGNER
Since winning a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Allison Wagner has left a long wake as an advocate for fairness and safety in sport. Allison spoke with us recently about her priorities as a SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team member, and her own experiences and perspectives as an elite swimmer and as a scholar and professional in sport integrity.
WE ASKED ALLISON:
Of all your experiences in swimming and throughout sport, what stands out as most memorable or important?
Wagner: I really loved racing, and the standard of resilience and hard work I established for myself. That’s turned out to be really valuable for other areas of my life so far.
You have swam against some competitors known for anti-doping rule violations. I understand you're now at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Tell us about your current work there?
Wagner: During my athletic career, I raced against some athletes who were doping, and it was frustrating and disheartening to say the least. When watching the Russia doping scandal unfold, I decided to get involved to do what I could to protect clean athletes from experiencing the injustices I experienced.
USADA has consistently demonstrated a dedication to the protection of clean athletes.
What brought you to the SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team and other Center efforts supporting athletes?
Wagner: I had some negative experiences in sport. And I think sports should be an activity and arena in which kids and people can pursue goals, self-development, and learn lessons valuable for any life pursuit—not a place where athletes suffer high costs that too often lead to negative, life-changing developments.
I've been studying for a master’s degree in sport ethics and integrity these last two years, and have been able to delve into research on abuse in sport and understand where the world is, in terms of addressing this problem.
I've also talked to athletes who’ve experienced abuse in sport, and I think they need more advocates to speak up on their behalf. The SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team is an opportunity to do that. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in how the Center serves athletes, so I applied for a spot.
What can we tell stakeholders about the Athlete Advisory Team’s priorities?
Wagner: My main goal is to represent athletes. Also, to offer feedback to the Center, and question the Center on what athletes are saying they experience, in terms of reporting as well as abuse in sport. And to generally voice concerns.
It’s fair to say we know there are athletes who feel there is more the Center can and should do. What might you want us to know about how we can improve athlete experiences of Center processes?
Wagner: It’s great that the Center is open to feedback and improvement. Generally, there are criticisms and feedback about the process of responding to and resolving abuse reports. I think that change and improvement can happen in a variety of ways within the workings of the Center. One possible idea is to consider involving a counselor whenever there's interaction between an investigator and survivor. I also think there could be more transparency related to the process and the investigators, in terms of who they are and their background. The bottom line is that there are too many athletes that don’t trust the process: the Center is here to help athletes and help sport, so it’s important that the process works better to protect and serve athlete well-being.
In the Athlete Culture & Climate Survey, we got feedback from many athletes about how we can better serve athletes throughout and beyond the process. What were your impressions of findings from that survey, in terms of any particularly worth highlighting?
Wagner: In general, a lot of findings in the SafeSport survey align with findings I’ve seen elsewhere in my research. One thing that does surprise me, here and in other research I’ve seen, is that I’d think the percentage of athletes experiencing physical harm would be higher: the definition or gauge of that, and how athletes understand it, can vary. [Data from athlete responses can be found on page 20 of this full survey report.]
Have you seen signs of progress? What would you hope to see to feel positive progress is being made?
Wagner: There is progress, in that people are more aware and understanding the problem of abuse in sport, especially as it pertains to sexual abuse and harassment: that’s one step toward change. In addition, there are resources being allocated to this issue, especially in the U.S., and there needs to be more resources allocated internationally.
What are your hopes for what will happen as a result of your academic or professional work?
Wagner: Generally, I aim to advocate for the protection of athletes from all sorts of injustices. In my work with USADA, I’m dedicated to protecting athletes from an unfair playing field. We have work to do as a national and global sport community to create a field of fair play and evaluate what’s working (and not working) in terms of protecting and serving athletes.
Anything else you’d like athletes to know?
Wagner: That they have someone on the Athlete Advisory Team to represent their concerns. I can be reached at allisonwagner.com. I also recently finished my thesis work, which was focused on the importance of identifying risk factors for abuse and harassment in sport, and I’m happy to discuss that work with athletes as well. I'm happy to talk to anyone with concerns, or who’d like to talk about the subject of abuse and harassment in sport.
I understand you were a founding member of the Art of the Olympians program? How does your swimming inform the way you see your art?
Wagner: I've always enjoyed creating and appreciating art. For me, sport and art are similar, as ways to express myself. That’s why I love Art of the Olympians, which is all about the pursuit of excellence captured in the Olympic spirit as expressed through sport and art. I've enjoyed painting water and swimming-related pieces, just because I love the water, and it’s really aesthetically appealing to me to depict and paint. After I finish my master’s degree, I’m hoping to have a little downtime so I can get back to some of that!
Lauren Kuntz
This double decathlon American record-holder details her experiences and athlete safety ambitions.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: LAUREN KUNTZ
Lauren Kuntz forges new paths wherever she goes: as a double decathlete—an event in which she won the world championship in August—climate researcher, and survivor.
A SafeSport Athlete Advisory Team member, Lauren spoke with us about her experiences within and beyond sport, and her athlete safety ideas and ambitions. (Interview edited for length and clarity.)
WE ASKED LAUREN
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR PATH AS A POLE VAULTER AND DECATHLETE?
Kuntz: I was 5 when the Magnificent Seven were in the Olympics [1996], and I originally planned to do gymnastics in college at MIT. Unfortunately, MIT cut the team. So I emailed every coach, saying, “I’ve never done your sport, but want to try and would do anything to walk on.” The track & field coach responded, “We’ve had success transforming gymnasts into pole vaulters, so we'll give you a shot.”
I’m in love with that sport. I was a volunteer coach after graduation and continued to train people during grad school. During that time, I started coaching decathlon and wanted to get involved in the other events. So I’ve expanded beyond pole vault. It’s fun to keep learning.
YOU GAVE A TED TALK IN 2009 ON EQUITY IN SPORT, REFERENCING THE INEQUITY OF THE DECATHLON [AN OLYMPIC SPORT FOR MEN BUT NOT WOMEN]. YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING A SURVIVOR OF ABUSE. TELL US ANYTHING YOU MIGHT WANT READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Kuntz: It was a long process for me to get to where I could, one, even identify as a survivor, and two, talk about it.
I was abused by a coach in my track and field experience, and it took me over eight years to really acknowledge the abuse that occurred.
One thing that triggered it: While I was volunteer coaching, I noticed an assistant with behavior patterns and red flags similar to the coach that had abused me. Athletes were bringing this to my attention: there was emotional abuse occurring, concerns about physical abuse as well.
I spent a year trying to work with athletes to get this addressed, with very little change from university administration. Seeing these young athletes in a situation similar to what I’d been in, I said, “I cannot just sit back and see what I went through happen to others.” That helped me decide I needed to speak up about this.
Initially, it was easier for me to speak up about what I saw happen to others. But during that process, I realized I couldn’t continue to be quiet about what happened to myself, that I deserved to speak up on my own behalf, just as these girls had somebody speak up on their behalf.
So I went through a process of talking about my own experience, saying “I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like.” It helped their healing process, while at the same time healing myself.
Ultimately, this paired well with my desire for decathlon. When we view women as too weak and incapable of doing decathlon … it’s easier for people to say, “Well, these young girls don’t know what they’re talking about when they’re speaking out about abuse from a coach.” My view is: If we don’t view one another on equal footing on the field, how the hell do we expect to view one another on equal footing off the field?
So it’s been two parallel tracks. Strive for equity in what I do, become a female decathlete to grow the sport and show young girls, “You can do this.” And also, share my story and tell people: “Understand you’re not alone.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY IN SHARING YOUR STORY. IN YOUR TALK, YOU TOUCHED UPON POWER IMBALANCE AS A FACTOR OF ABUSE OF MISCONDUCT. WHAT ARE YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON THAT TOPIC?
Kuntz: I wish people understood that when power imbalance exists, it’s basically impossible to give true consent.
Survivors get pushback: “Well, why didn't you say no? Why didn't you push back more?” But it’s very easy for retaliation and retribution to occur in a dynamic in which one person can say, “You don't get playing time,” or impact whether you get a college scholarship. That can lend itself easily to abuse of power.
I think that’s why it becomes so hard for people, especially in athletics, to get at the root of abuse. You put a ton of your life into this, and it becomes easy for an abuser to manipulate how much you’ve poured yourself into it and take advantage of you.
TELL US HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE SAFESPORT ATHLETE ADVISORY TEAM AND YOUR PRIORITIES WITH THE GROUP?
Kuntz: I learned about SafeSport initially through an investigation, when I got called to speak of various coaches’ behavior. I was intrigued by this idea of a centralized body, independent of U.S. sporting associations, whose entire role is to promote healthy environments in sports, and to investigate cases of abuse and handle those appropriately.
When the Center formed the Team, a friend who knows my survivor story said to me, “You should apply.” I figured, “Why not?” This felt like an amazing opportunity with a new organization trying to combat issues I’m really passionate about, to bring what I’ve seen and experienced, and turn those negatives into a positive.
I hope to impact two areas at SafeSport. One relates to communication. These issues are really hard to talk about. I wish we had a better vernacular to discuss what normal and abnormal behaviors are, what red flags to look for, why certain things are inappropriate, what dangers arise when abuse happens.
Looking back at my own story, so much could have been prevented if I had language to describe what behaviors were, and were not, appropriate. I want us to create dialogue on how to recognize, deal with, and ideally prevent abuse.
The second area is to help the Center increase transparency in investigation processes. I think the biggest risk SafeSport faces is people start to view it as a “cover” for all Olympic organizations. There have been so many high-profile cases, and there’s been broken trust in the system.
SafeSport has a big challenge not only in communicating the importance of these issues, but also in rebuilding trust in the athletic community. Increasing transparency, saying, “We’re striving for these markers of improvement. Here’s where we’re falling short. Here’s how we’re going to improve…”: that is essential for the Center.
It’s great to have the SafeSport Athlete Advisory team and athletes like you to point us the way and best direct us toward our goals. Another way we’ve heard from athletes has been through the Athlete Culture & Climate Survey [released in July 2021].
WHAT ARE YOUR INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF FINDINGS?
Kuntz: The findings verified what people know as a problem: how prevalent abuse is, and how not prevalent reporting abuse is. That was clear by how few survey respondents who said they were abused that knew the pathway for reporting that abuse.
Another big finding: There's a disconnect between what people consider abuse to be, and what they recognize as abuse. Another that is disappointing is the intersectionality of minorities and those with disabilities experiencing these issues at a deeper level.
Unfortunately, we normalize a lot of these abusive behaviors. It makes our job now a lot harder. When I was a gymnast, my coach would tell me, “When I say jump, don't say, ‘Why?’… Just ask, ‘How high?’” In many ways, it set me up for abuse I later experienced in track & field, because I was taught, “Don’t question what the coach says: just do it, and trust that they have best intentions in mind.”
We have work to do to change what we view as normal. We can’t keep viewing “tough coaching,” yelling and screaming, as acceptable behavior.
HAVE YOU SEEN MUCH EVIDENCE OF SPORT CULTURE EVOLVING IN POSITIVE WAYS?
Kuntz: A big one is that while SafeSport still may not have the name recognition it needs, it’s growing and improving.
At USA Gymnastics trials, there were SafeSport information packets for every participant. That’s a huge step in the right direction. It’s nice to see SafeSport posters and information at meets, building recognition. When I was coming up in the sport, that wasn’t a thing. Cultural waves, including the #MeToo movement, have helped increase dialogue as well.
It’s easier to talk about sexual misconduct. There’s still uncertainty as to what emotional misconduct entails, but at least those words are entering people’s vernaculars.
YOU HAVE A PHD FROM HARVARD IN CLIMATE SCIENCE AND ARE CEO OF A STARTUP: WORK THAT SEEMS PRETTY IMMERSIVE. ARE YOU STILL INVOLVED IN SPORT AS AN ATHLETE?
Kuntz: I’m still training and competing at the regional level, and I’m actively training for a double decathlon—20 events over two days [soon after this interview, Lauren won the 29th annual Icosathlon World Championship in Epinal, France]. I hope to continue doing decathlons as long as my body will allow.
ANY OTHER THINGS YOU’D WANT READERS TO KNOW?
Kuntz: A hope of mine for the Athlete Advisory Board is to be an avenue for athletes to feel comfortable talking to SafeSport and raising issues. Since the Center is here to serve athletes, athletes need to step up and help guide the Center on what needs to be done, what they can do better, and how they can better serve athletes.
I hope the survey will empower athletes to know, “The Center wants to hear from you. The Center wants to do better: it just needs your guidance, it needs you to be an engaged stakeholder in this process.”
The easiest way to earn trust and understanding is for people to go through the Center’s process and say, “Wow, that helped me heal as a survivor. And I’d recommend other survivors go through it, because it was a huge stepping-stone in coming to terms with what happened, and ensuring that sport is safer moving forward.” The best way for the Center to communicate those issues is have those positive advocates.
April Holmes
This three-time Paralympics medalist, shares her experiences in sport and her views on safer sport.
VOICE OF A CHAMPION: APRIL HOLMES
April Holmes achieved outstanding success as a sprinter and long jumper, rebounding from losing her left leg in a 2001 train accident to compete in four Paralympics, winning three medals, and breaking over a dozen Paralympic world records along the way.
Now an author, motivational speaker, and U.S. Center for SafeSport board member, April shares her experiences in sport, and her views on safer sport.
WE ASKED APRIL
TELL US WHAT MOTIVATED YOUR JOURNEY AS A PARALYMPIC ATHLETE.
Holmes: Athletics was something I loved and excelled at from an early age. I earned a scholarship to Norfolk State University and ran track there, then worked in the Philadelphia area for a few years before pursuing a master's degree. About two weeks into my master’s program, I got into an accident and lost my leg. I was initially devastated—you need your leg to be athletic, so I thought.
I didn't know anything about the Paralympics. My doctor came in one day and gave me some magazines about the Paralympics. And I'm like, “OK, they look like hope to me… now I can do something else. I can still do athletics. I can still be physically active, I can still do the things I love to do.”
So I set some goals and dreams: to represent the United States in the next Paralympic Games. That was my focus every single day during rehab, to stand on the podium as the best in the world. It made rehab very fun. It made it challenging to my therapist, but she did whatever she could do to help.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF RUNNING ON A PROSTHETIC LEG,
COMPARED TO YOUR FEELING OF RUNNING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT?
Holmes: It was so weird at first. It felt like I was running on eyeliner pencil, like it was not going to hold me at all. Running on it was like… “Left leg hits the ground, I'm scared. Right leg hits the ground, I’m comfortable… scared, comfortable… scared, comfortable…” Once I began to trust that my leg was there, that it was going to be there, and would brace me every time I stepped on it, the faster and faster I was able to run.”
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH ATHLETES WHO HAVE FACED ADVERSITY, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL?
Holmes: I believe it's our responsibility to share our life and experience with others. Muhammad Ali said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for our time here on earth.” That is part of my DNA.
When someone shares experiences with you—and they’ve been through something, but they’ve overcome and achieved—it makes your journey that much easier. I feel it’s my role to be an example of someone who has faced adversity, come out on the other side, and blazed a trail.
For me, it was going from laying on the train tracks, to a hospital bed, to a podium. While so many people can't identify with being trapped underneath a train, they can identify with having “train instances” in their life, when something stopped them from going where they wanted to go.
One thing I talk about is: “What is your train right now?” Whether financial, in relationships, or your health… what do you have to do in your mind, your body, your spirit to allow that train to move? Once you get up, ask: “What are your goals, dreams, and desires?” Then it’s helpful to trust, because without trust, a whole lot of things are not possible. As I'm running down the track, I’m trying to go as fast as I can, but I realize I can only go so fast until I learn how to trust.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES COMMUNITY EVOLVE?
Holmes:In 2001, when I lost my leg, I’d never even heard about the Paralympics: to this day, you'll hear people say that. But NBC announced it would show a significant amount of the Tokyo Paralympic Games on television. With parents around the world looking to showcase the greatness of their kids and provide hope for them—especially ones that love sports—when NBC broadcasts people like myself doing great things, word of Paralympic sport can get out, and of how remarkable those athletes are.
It speaks to people in the Movement behind the scenes doing all they can to push Paralympics into the forefront. Does it have a ways to go? Sure. But there are so many people in the fight, in the trenches, that believe. It's only a matter of time before the Paralympics come out of its shell and fly like a beautiful butterfly.
HOW HAVE YOU COME TO SERVE ON THE U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
Holmes: It’s been a blessing, something I totally believe in, as an athlete for so long and hearing stories of abuse to athletes. For so many years, abuse was not talked about, there was not support, there was not a SafeSport. It’s important for young athletes to know there’s a safe place for them to share their pain or experience, and to let predators know they're not welcome here.
As an athlete on the board, I believe it’s important to lend my opinion, my judgment, and my experience to things we think about moving forward. When you look across any board, it should be representative of the people you serve. I sit there not for myself, but for all the other athletes currently competing, and who have desires, dreams and goals to compete--which should never be cut short because someone was abusive to them.
I've been fortunate to have amazing coaches in my life: great role models who I still talk to years after competing, who provided a very safe environment, didn't allow anyone to abuse us, and were always uplifting. If I could have an environment like that and get to a podium, every kid deserves that opportunity.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW ON THE RISK OF ABUSE FOR ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES,
AND ON WHAT WE ALL SHOULD KNOW OR CONSIDERATIONS THAT SHOULD BE MADE?
Holmes: Those who want to be abusive, prey on those who are vulnerable. But there's so much education being pushed now about Paralympic athletes. They're not being isolated in a room by themselves, or on a track by themselves. They're now surrounded by community. And the more you're trained to understand what abuse looks like, the better able you are to recognize it and take action when it occurs.
If SafeSport continues to push out education [like the course related to athletes with disabilities], which I'm really excited about—the more it reaches dark corners, and athletes wind up better equipped to handle it.
WHAT WOULD YOU MOST WANT YOUNG ATHLETES AND THEIR ALLIES TO KNOW
ABOUT THE U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT?
Holmes: You don't have to feel uncomfortable, and you have a country that's cheering for you. You don't have to be abused. You deserve happiness. You deserve joy. No one deserves to be bullied. No one deserves to be inappropriately touched or have their character demeaned. You don't deserve any bad treatment that comes your way.
Know that there's an entire support system of people, willing and wanting to help and listen to what you're going through. Whether it’s Team USA or a local peewee-league team, you're surrounded by people who desire to help you and see you smile and have an opportunity in life. That should not be cut short by anyone.
It's important for people to know SafeSport exists. Years ago, it didn't, and how many more lives could have been saved if it had? It might seem like, “OK, here's one more webinar, one more session I have to sit through.” But if that one session not only helps you, but also helps you share the word to someone else that SafeSport exists—and that helps protect the community and integrity and innocence of sport and young people—then I absolutely believe it's necessary, and for sure it’s wanted.
So I'm more than honored to sit on this board. I absolutely believe in the cause. The momentum is shifting toward every sporting opportunity being a safe place for young people.
personal journeys
Series description goes here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Ju'Riese Colón
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit
EPISODE two
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit
EPISODE three
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit