Whistleblower and Professional Soccer Player Ciara McCormack is seen after appearing at the Heritage Committee looking into Canadian sport on Monday, April 24, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Four former and current athletes reiterated calls for a national inquiry into sports culture in Canada at a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday.
Soccer players Ciara McCormack and Andrea Neil, along with Olympic boxer Myriam Da Silva Rondeau and fencer Emily Mason echoed each other in pushing for an inquiry into the handling of abuse and mismanagement at their respective sporting organizations and across the country.
The women spoke to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the institutional roadblocks they faced when reporting misconduct and the need for better protection for athletes who raise concerns, including legislation protecting athletes who speak out.
McCormack, who wrote about the abuses committed by former Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian women’s soccer head coach Bob Birarda, says she doesn’t feel safe living in Canada because of her previous comments. Birarda was sentenced nearly 16 months in jail in 2022 for sex offences that “immeasurably harmed” four female teenage athletes.
Rondeau says she is facing a lawsuit from the director of high performance at the Canadian Boxing Federation for comments she posted on social media about alleged misconduct.
Rachael Denhollander, an attorney and former gymnast who was a whistleblower against Larry Nassar with USA Gymnastics also spoke.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2023.
