Every voice counts: In response to McKaYla Maroney

Our founder and Community Director, Jennifer Pinches, reflects on McKayla Maroney’s experiences from her time training as an Olympic gymnast, recently shared on social media.

Reading World and Olympic gold medallist McKayla Maroney’s recent social media post was yet another heartbreaking moment for us at Gymnasts for Change. Her words were tragically familiar      and echoed so many of the personal accounts that have emerged online since the start of the #GymnastAlliance movement, during the summer of 2020. 

McKayla wrote that her food was restricted, her physical appearance and personality picked apart and ridiculed, and that she was expected to remain at a pre-pubescent size throughout her career, despite competing until the age of 21. She claims she was shamed, starved and punished, and yet still feels she was the “spoiled” one and that others had it “way worse”.

Her post acts as a reminder that far too many gymnasts have been, and are being, coached through fear and punishment - which pressures them to look and act in a harmfully restrictive way ‘to succeed’. 

 As founder of the Gymnast Alliance, I’ve read hundreds of testimonies like McKayla’s from gymnasts around the world, all describing the same patterns of controlling behaviour, abusive coaching methods and unrealistic expectations.

Worst of all, I’ve found that many implicated coaches seem to be in denial about just how damaging their actions have been - and continue to be. These coaches appear unable to reflect on the way their coaching methods may have caused harm to young gymnasts. Some feel they’ve seen or heard of other coaches acting more unethically than them, so conclude that their own actions ‘weren’t that bad’. Others are too scared or defensive to admit their short-comings. Some don’t appear to be sorry at all, believing their actions were acceptable and justified, because their ‘intentions were good’. 

Let’s be clear: no ‘good intentions’ or ‘cruel to be kind’ justifications can ever excuse any amount of abusive behaviour. They may describe the motivation behind some actions - but they don't remove the significant hurt that's been caused, or change who's responsible for that. Such defence tactics ultimately fail to address the main point that hundreds of voices from around the world are saying - that abuse is rife within gymnastics and it’s time for it to end. It’s what happened, not why it happened, that’s key.

And yet, while actions do need to be answered for, this movement is not a witch hunt to find and punish the guilty. Redress does aid healing - but our main goal as a community needs to be to prevent abuse before it happens, and stop damaging cultural norms from being passed on. This is the most important reason for the leaders of our sport to engage in self reflection.

Thank you McKayla, for sharing your experiences and the impact it has had on you. Alongside every gymnast who speaks out, you are helping to challenge the status quo and raise awareness of the need for change. Your voice deserves to be heard, and always has done. We hear you.

 It’s time to usher in a new era of positive coaching. One where every coach, parent and supporting staff member fights in your corner with you, never holding power over you.

In a year defined by ‘new normals’, I hope Gymnasts for Change helps to create a new normal in our sport, where no gymnast is left craving validation for their efforts, and no coach is allowed to wield power by withholding it; where numbers on scores or scales don’t define how much love and praise a gymnast deserves, and health is always prioritised; and where relationships are always built on clear communication and trust, that serves to grow and never purposefully break an athlete’s self esteem.

I want to see a sport that doesn’t brush off bullying as “tough coaching”      and demands respect from all parties, as would be expected in any other business or educational setting. We know from past events, such as those detailed in Athlete A, that emotionally unsafe environments also open the door to physical and sexual abuse, none of which are acceptable. This is the dangerous truth that we need all members of our community to acknowledge and fight, or bear responsibility for allowing.

To McKayla, and any other gymnast who fought through punishing circumstances- know this: you didn't succeed because of your tormentor’s restrictions and cruelties. You succeeded in spite of them - because of your strength, hard work, talent and determination. Your skills could only have been amplified if you had been led by modern science and compassion, rather than outdated ideals and ego.

It’s sad to think that thousands more gymnasts could have remained in the sport to reach their potential, enjoy their journey, and maybe even give back as coaches, had they been treated differently and the harmful culture of abuse not been deemed ‘acceptable’ or ‘necessary’. There are countless ‘lost’ athletes who sustained injuries from overtraining, were refused coaching attention because they didn’t fit an imaginary definition of what a gymnast should look like, or chose to quit because of damage being caused to their mental health, as the toxicity overtook their passion.

(If ethics alone can’t persuade you that abusive practices have no place in the sport then perhaps thinking of the lost annual memberships and coaching fees will?)

My goal as the Community Director of Gymnasts for Change is to ensure that every person who speaks out and says “this was wrong" counts. I will strive to amplify every story and ensure each courageous whistleblower becomes a meaningful part of the chorus of voices fighting to transform this broken culture, and pave the way for a safer sport.  

By calling out abusive coaching practices and highlighting healthier alternatives, I believe that coaches, families and support staff, as well as gymnasts, will benefit from clubs that are happier, fuller and better places to work, train and belong.  

As McKayla said in the comments section on her post, enduring ‘stupid, unnecessary abuse’ should never be anyone's best shot at reaching their goals. There doesn’t need to be a choice between health and happiness or success. We can have it all.

We must eradicate unlawful and unethical behaviour from all gymnastics clubs, in all countries. It won’t be easy. But together we can make change happen. 

For all those young gymnasts with a dream... This is for you ♥️  ~ @GymnastsForChange #GymnastAlliance