On this World Olympian and Paralympian Day, I鈥檓 reflecting on the motto of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles: “play a part in history.” I did.
Standing on the podium in L.A. as the first American woman, and first Black woman, to win gold in the 100-meter hurdles, I felt in my soul what years of hard work and sheer determination made possible.
I realize that moment didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of the people who believed in me, the culture that supported me, and policies like Title IX, which celebrates its 54th anniversary today, that opened the door for me to compete. I reached the pinnacle of sport because I had people I trusted alongside me every step of the way. Safe environments where athletes can thrive should be commonplace, but too often a culture of abuse and secrecy creeps in.
When dozens of brave gymnasts came forward to expose Larry Nassar鈥檚 crimes, and the insidious connection between sexual, emotional, and physical abuse in sports, they sparked a movement to protect athletes that resonated globally. Their voices led to a reckoning that prompted Congress to authorize the U.S. Center for SafeSport as the first-ever national organization responsible for addressing abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sport.
There was no roadmap when SafeSport opened in Denver in 2017, and within the first year, it received 281 reports of alleged abuse and misconduct. Fast forward to 2025, SafeSport received nearly 9,700 reports, a 20% increase over the previous year.
Nine years after starting this work, there are now more than 2,600 individuals banned or restricted from participation in sport listed on our Centralized Disciplinary Database, a first-of-its-kind public resource for parents, employers, youth-focused volunteer programs, or anyone with a stake in athlete safety.
Today, SafeSport is run by committed professionals, athletes, and survivors who believe deeply in the mission, the imperative to get it right, and the need to drive historic system-wide change. The potential to impact systemic change is what called me to join as SafeSport抖阴ap new Chief Executive Officer in February.
This role draws on my athletic career as an Olympic hurdler, my training as an engineer, and my tenure as a sports and nonprofit executive, including my past role as CEO of the U.S Olympic & Paralympic Committee, where I helped establish the first-ever safe sport policies. I also see this job through the lens of my most important role: mom to young athletes.
On my first day at SafeSport, I launched a nationwide listening tour to better understand the needs of those we serve. We asked athletes, coaches, survivors, parents, leaders across sport, and our own staff to help guide our path forward. And we heard from more than 1,000 individuals. We heard calls for greater communication and transparency. For fairness and consistency. For clarity, stronger collaboration, and a better experience for those who participate in our process.
And we agree. That抖阴ap why our 2026-2028 strategic plan is driven by this very feedback. With LA28 on the horizon, we are laser-focused on developing the gold standard for athlete safeguarding by:
鈥� Elevating our programs and services to enhance understanding and the experience with SafeSport;
鈥� Coordinating with our athlete and stakeholder communities to optimize safeguarding in sport; and
鈥� Building a people-first culture and sustainable operating model that strengthens our capacity to deliver on our mission.
Athletes lit the torch for this movement. Now it抖阴ap up to all of us to carry it forward. Championing safe and healthy sport environments is our shared responsibility. Whether parents, coaches, sport administrators, spectators, or athletes ourselves, we can take action by: getting trained on abuse prevention, adopting policies that protect minors, challenging harmful behavior, and reporting abuse.
In 1984, I felt the weight of gold around my neck and the pride of representing Team USA. Every athlete who takes to the field, track, pool, or court deserves to chase that feeling–safely and free from the fear of harm. That’s the hard work we鈥檝e begun. And future generations of athletes deserve to see it finished. We have an opportunity to 鈥減lay a part in history鈥� by leading the movement to make sport safer for all.
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is the CEO of the Denver-based nonprofit, the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The Center is the nation鈥檚 independent organization dedicated to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sport.
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