Taking a Stand for Clean Sport as an Active Athlete

Standing up for clean sport is task that can quickly be brushed aside as too time consuming, too risky, and too isolating for athletes in the full swing of their careers. For swimmer and Olympic medalist Lilly King, those reasons pale in comparison to the reason she took a stand for clean sport – because it was the right thing to do.

King became widely known as a clean sport advocate in dramatic fashion when she publicly confronted a competitor with past doping violations at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. While this move led to both support and criticism from the sporting world, King didn’t let the censure deter her from continuing to take strong and public stands on behalf of clean sport, which included statements at a White House Anti-Doping Summit in October 2018.

Here, King explains how she hopes to inspire and help more active athletes take a stand for clean sport at the peak of their influence in sport.