 Thank you, Maria and Noe! True heroes, good samaritans, and Olympic champions in their own right!
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 "A gold medal for Ninja Warrior skills? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think."
 Anita recently participated in Host City Americas' 2022 panel of THE ROLE OF EVENTS IN PROMOTING PEOPLE AND PLACES. Lots of interesting input from Anita in this one plus reflections upon the massive success of the LA84 Games....stay tuned for the link to this fascinating discussion!
 The IOC's report on the 2020 Tokyo Games has been released, and it's a great read. These Games were truly tough as it had to happen under the shadow of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many lessons learned and certainly will be useful to fortify future events!  I am honored to have been interviewed by a young man named Mr. Ryan Murphy, of New York City's Xavier High School. His documentary film, called "Shattered Ring," won Xavier's "Oscar" award for best film, and takes a deep exploration into the controversies surrounding boycotts of the Olympic Games. As you might be aware - this is a subject I know just a bit about! Please enjoy using the link below. Again, congratulations, Ryan!  It's an honor to have been recognized in Sports Business Journal's 2022 Champions class. Thank you for your kind consideration and I only hope to use my platform to inspire and educate others, especially the youth in the field of sport. Sports Business Journal
From the SBJ: "Anita DeFrantz was an American Olympic rower, winning bronze in the 1976 Games in Montreal in the women’s eight and qualifying for the boycotted 1980 Games in Moscow. She was the chair of the prototype of the IOC Women in Sport Commission and was elected in 1997 as the first female vice president of the IOC Executive Committee. She was elected back on the IOC Executive Board in 2013 and to a four-year term as IOC vice president in 2017. She is on the board of directors of the Al Oerter Foundation. DeFrantz was awarded the Olympic Order in 1980 for her contributions to the Olympics. She has twice been vice president of the International Rowing Federation." LINK: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2022/03/21/Upfront/Champions.aspx?ana=mk_sbj_jo_emjo  The issue continues to be the same today as I stated it was last year: it's about a lack of conclusive science, rather than a lack of equality and rights.
https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/03/23/transgender-athletes-testosterone-policies-ioc-framework
Absolutely heartbreaking - a wasteful, shameful loss of life. It's time to end this bloodshed already. I, for one, would like to see the leadership of my country at the negotiating table to serve as a broker of peace between Ukraine and Russia. #EndTheWar #PrayForUkraine
 What many people don't know is that filming in public spaces is a protected first amendment right in the United States. That includes public offices (in public areas), lobbies, in and around government buildings, etc. This ALSO includes public sector employees during the due course of their duties!
The behavior of one of the Las Vegas DMV employees, as well as some of the clients, was absolutely appalling. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that I've observed U.S. public sector employees behaving poorly in public. The U.S. has some of the most well paid (exceptionally well if you include government health insurance plans, pensions, perks, etc.) public sector employees in the world - on both the State and Federal levels. In turn, I believe that public sector employees should be held to a higher standard of code and honor than us private sector, rank and file folks - they are truly "servants of the people!" The video, for me, at least ended on a positive ending. "Lisa," the supervisor at the Las Vegas DMV, has a nice and cordial chat with Jason before he leaves. I hope that the worker who was out of line is not relieved, but rather receives remedial training from the supervisor on shift. All in all, another great "first amendment audit" from Jason and his son. As a civil rights attorney - I approve of all stress tests of our first amendment rights!  I've been consistent on this issue since 1980, when I sued the USOC for grounding U.S. athletes due to the Moscow Games boycott, spearheaded by President Jimmy Carter. In 1980 we could have showed up, as Americans, and beaten the Soviets on their own turf - which would be more powerful and meaningful than following a failed political stunt that had zero positive gains for the U.S. or its athletes.
More to the point - politics almost always ruins sports, especially the Olympic Games. The Games are to be a fair and even field for competition, for all of the peoples of the world to set aside their differences and compete together in unity. If athletes - Russians included - wish to #PrayForUkraine, that's not political. Wishing for an end to this devastating conflict and calling for peace - this is not political. But joining a political rally designed to highlight the actions of the Russian government - that is definitely political. I would advise all athletes to keep their politics to themselves and focus on using their platforms to aid and help the greater causes of unity, peace, and cooperation among all of the peoples of the world. ARTICLE: https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/03/23/russia-olympic-athletes-vladimir-putin-rally/ |
AuthorOfficial blog of author, athlete, and IOC official, Ms. Anita DeFrantz. Archives
May 2022
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