Daring to Speak Out: The Lonely Road for a Whistleblower - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Daring to Speak Out: The Lonely Road for a Whistleblower

Renée Anne Shirley

Tackling Doping in Sport 2014

March 19-20, 2014, London, UKSlide2

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

It’s All About Clean Athletes

Clean athletes deserve to play on a level playing field

World Anti-Doping Code is designed to protect clean athletes

Fairness

Equality

Health

But is there the political WILL amongst governments and sport to catch the big cheats?

IMO current global testing statistics and educational programs indicate that we are only seeing the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to catching those who cheat.Slide3

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

Why Speak Out?

I’ve been fascinated since the

Balco

revelations by the “doping protocols” used by Victor Conte, Angel Heredia, Tony Bosch et al to ensure that athletes who cheat never/rarely get caught.

The more that I have delved the more impressed I’ve become with seeing where the faint threads of information lead to:

“the silken threads in the spider’s web of doping in sport”Slide4

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

Why Speak Out? (contd.)

IMO cheating is rampant in the elite sports in the Olympics & Paralympics as well as non-Olympic professional sports

There are strong links between the “spider’s webs” re:

Doping in Sport

Organized Crime

Match Fixing

The threads are interwoven more than most of us want to acknowledge –

Most nations/IFs/professional sports don’t want to admit that some of their elite athletes cheat. Slide5

Sports are in Denial if They

D

on’t

Think They’ve a Doping Problem"There is doping, there is cheating, in every sport. If you're in sport and you say you don't have a doping problem, well, you're in denial, I'm afraid, my friend

.'‘

UCI President, Brian CooksonSlide6

Sports are in Denial if They

D

on’t

Think They’ve a Doping Problem"There is doping, there is cheating, in every sport. If you're in sport and you say you don't have a doping problem, well, you're in denial, I'm afraid, my friend

.'‘

UCI President, Brian Cookson

"If you are generous with the percentages, the testing system misses four out of five athletes who dope",

WADA Founding President

,

Dick Pound

Pound: International Anti-Doping System is FailingSlide7

Sports are in Denial if They

D

on’t

Think They’ve a Doping Problem"There is doping, there is cheating, in every sport. If you're in sport and you say you don't have a doping problem, well, you're in denial, I'm afraid, my friend

.'‘

UCI President, Brian Cookson

"The number of tests goes up, and this makes the public feel good, but it doesn't catch

anyone.

"Targeted testing is key. We need to target the right people, at the right times and for the right things…understanding the cocktails of drugs used is key. Understanding which substances work with others and the threshold levels for substances that help to mask others."

WADA Founding President

,

Dick Pound

Pound: International Anti-Doping System is Failing (contd.)Slide8

John Fahey, Former WADA President Concurs

''Is there doping across the board? Of course there is. Are we catching all the cheats? Not by a long shot.''

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Fahey on Sport Ministers’ Reaction

Fahey:

“If you're a sports minister, the last thing you want is one of your athletes to be picked up for doping.”

Firstly, it brings shame on your country. Secondly, it is seen as a failure.

Thirdly, any sports minister is going to say, 'Why has this happened on my watch?’ Slide10

Fahey on Reactions from Sport

Fahey:

“Then come to the sport itself: no sport wants to have cheats in their ranks.”

It impacts on their capacity to get sponsorship,

It impacts on their membership, it impacts on their crowd levels … and

It's a black mark in many cases against those officials.

“I'm not saying they deliberately avoid finding out the truth, I'm simply saying that they pay lip service to the problem.”Slide11

It’s Within this Context that I Chose to Speak outSlide12

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

Why Speak Out? - My Story

I believe it’s imperative that we all vigorously pursue the fight against doping in sport

This was not the case with the Jamaica Anti-Doping Program – we talked as a nation about being committed to the fight, but did not put the necessary resources in place.

Not only were there limited resources when I took over as CEO of JADCO in July 2012 (many staff vacancies, virtually no out-of-competition testing & few education workshops), but I perceived “threads” involving doping and sport in Jamaica going back to the

Balco

scandal through to today that (no matter how faint) need to be investigated.Slide13

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

Why Speak Out? - My Story (contd.)

I also feel that in order to protect clean Jamaican athletes we need to have a strong, rigorous Jamaica Anti-Doping Program in place that places emphasis on

OOC testing

plus:

Intelligence Gathering & Investigations

Education of Elite Athletes as a priority with the Education of Junior

A

thletes next (not vice versa)

Testing Program needs to immediately include:

Blood tests (including

hGH

testing)

EPO &

CIR tests

Despite my speaking to the authorities in the government & the sporting movement in Jamaica I got no traction.Slide14

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

My Name is Judas & I’m Demented

I committed the “unpardonable sin” of writing an article in Sports Illustrated in August 2013 which has been viewed with disapproval by most Jamaicans.

I’ve been vilified in the local press and to my face. I’ve been:

named a traitor,

someone who is clearly demented,

who exaggerates the truth in order to get personal attention & money, and

I singlehandedly damaged the good name of Jamaican athletes & Jamaica across the globe. Slide15

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

Others Have been Affected

Pressure was also placed on my family to ask me to shut up

.

I have been blacklisted in government and business circles.

Persons are afraid of speaking out in my defense given the backlash that has hit Dr. Paul Wright (my strongest and most vocal supporter) and potential business partners.

Most of my true friends worry about my personal safety and want me to walk away. Slide16

Daring to Speak Out Renée Anne Shirley - 19/03/2014

The Deafening Silence from ADOs

Aside from WADA and USADA officials, I’ve been struck by the complete silence and lack of support from any other National Anti-Doping Organizations or International Federations.

“We don’t have a doping in sport problem – just countries like Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, China, etc.”

“Our athletes are clean!”Slide17

Would I Do It All Over Again?

YES

!!Slide18

I Will Continue to Speak Out

This is my Commitment to Clean AthletesSlide19

The Fight Against Doping in Sport

The Way Forward from my Perspective

IOC & IAAF need to Retest Stored Samples from Past Olympic (Summer & Winter) Games & World Championships using CIR & “Cologne” tests

IOC/WADA need to Set up a Series of Investigations including (but not limited to):

The “Threads” from

Balco

to the present day in Track & Field (linking USA, Canada, Jamaica, other Caribbean Countries & over into Europe)

The German Report about post-East German Doping

The Russian Lab + other post-Soviet Doping Practices

The Indian & Kenyan Doping in Sport

I

ssues

The Prescription Medication + Energy Drinks/

Supps

Issue

The Intertwined links between Organized Crime + PEDs/PESs + Match Fixing

Consumption of Supplements & Energy Drinks by Junior athletes

All ADOs to Increase # of Blood, EPO & CIR TestsSlide20

“The Race is not Given to the Swift, nor the Strong, but to Those who Endure to the End.”

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I thank you.