We love our #sporting heroes in Australia. We celebrate them, we admire them, we want to hear their stories. But what happens when a sporting dream doesn’t go to plan? What happens when the lines between “toughening the athlete” #coaching practices and abuse become blurred? What happens when a sporting culture that normalises abuse leaves a long-lasting legacy on your life — and the life of countless others? This is Dr Jennifer McMahon’s deeply personal story. An Australian swimming gold and silver medallist at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, Jennifer went from being on top of the world one minute to her dream crashing down the next. This year, she received an OAM for her research into helping protect #athletes from abuse in sport. You’ll hear what happened behind the scenes at training and at home — and how she turned her painful experiences into positives.
Need someone to talk to? Please reach out for help.
- Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au
- Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au
Jennifer was my coach at this time. This explains a lot. Hope your doing well now!