“You can’t fix a broken system with the same tools”: Survivors call for reform in sport

At the start of a session about survivors of abuse in sport, moderator Kat Craig – an award-winning human rights lawyer – opened by calling the women on the panel her “personal heroes,” crediting them with teaching her “a huge amount over the years about this important area of work.”

That work centers on survivors – in this case, athletes with lived experiences of abuse – and the urgent need for systemic reform across the sports world.

Athletes are dehumanised in sport's toxic culture

Kim Shore, a Canadian safe sports advocate and the founder of Project Safe Kids, spoke about “bringing humanity back to sports.” She described her experiences as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) gymnast, where toxicity was baked into the sport's culture. 

Sports, Shore argued, can be used as a tool of oppression, where performance and competitive success are valued far beyond the humanity of the athletes participating. It can take the form of verbal abuse, physical violence, and a culture of bullying that leads to a deluge of harm. 

“I wasn’t treated like a kid, or even a person, I was treated like a product…” Shore said, reciting a quote from one of the athletes she spoke to. 

Meanwhile, when survivors of such treatment come forward about their abuse, their testimonies are dismissed or discredited. They are viewed as threats to the system rather than partners in its repair. Because what actually matters to sports leaders is success, which is measured only in medals and championships, not in dignity or safety. 

To change the system, Shore issued a call to action to the various stakeholders across sports: give survivors a seat at the table, demand transparency, dismantle systems that prioritise medals over safety, and enforce accountability. 

“You can’t fix a broken system with the same tools used to build it,” Shore said.   

Sports organisations are not really listening to survivors

Julie Ann Rivers Cochran, the executive director of The Army of Survivors, which is committed to ending sexual assault against athletes by ensuring perpetrators and enablers are held accountable, spoke about her decade of experience listening to and working with survivors. She emphasised the listening part, noting that it isn’t common for sports leaders to listen to their athletes, nor do they center athletes in their regulations. 

Survivors are often objectified, coerced, not fully informed on why they were being consulted, and serve as a means for the sports league to check off the box of survivor engagement. 

“This is not true survivor engagement, yet this is happening today in the world of sports,” Cochran concluded.

Emily Austin, a senior policy and advocacy specialist for The Army of Survivors US, followed up by discussing the survivor workshop they have developed that enables survivors to become policy advocates. 

Athletes do not trust sports governing bodies

Joanna Maranhāo, a former Olympic swimmer, survivor of abuse, and a network coordinator at the Sports & Rights Alliance, presented the results of the organisation’s study on the participation of convicted sex offenders in mega sporting events and the effect on impacted individuals. 

The intention of the study was to contribute to a safer and more accountable sporting culture and sought to understand the ethical and social factors that should be considered when establishing eligibility criteria for mega sporting events. 

Maranhāo pointed out that, although the study was open to all genders, only women chose to participate. Her colleague, Dr. Gabriela Garton – a former professional footballer and player relations coordinator at the World Players Association – then presented the survey findings. 

The responses revealed several overarching themes: lack of trust, privilege, institutional shortcomings, ineffective messaging, and problematic culture. Together, these reflected the deep sense of distrust many athlete participants felt toward sports governing bodies.

“We need to have these conversations,” Maranhāo concluded. 

After the presentations wrapped up, Craig asked to bring Shore’s slides back on the big screen and advance to the final image – one she hadn’t reached earlier because of time. The slide showed a powerful montage of athletes, including Maranhāo, Caster Semenya, and Khayran Noor – some of the most recognisable survivors who have risked everything to speak out.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to them,” Shore said, as the room broke into applause.