We know the world loves women, but just how much do they love women in sports? 

The numbers tell a story that many of us have fought decades to write: over 1.1 million viewers for the NWSL Championship; WNBA viewership up more than 20% this season.

These are powerful statistics; they're ALSO evidence of what happens when we insist that women's sports deserve the same platform, the same investment, and the same respect as any other competition. Every person who tuned in, every parent who brought their daughter to a game, every journalist who gave these athletes the coverage they earned... you're all part of this momentum.

When I began my Olympic journey in 1976, just four years after Title IX passed, we were still making the case that women belonged in sport at all. Today, we're proving that when given the opportunity, women's sports don't just survive: they thrive.

But visibility is only the beginning. The next chapter is about access: making sure every young person, regardless of their background or zip code, can see themselves in these athletes and find a pathway to participate.

The arena is filling up. Now let's make sure everyone has a ticket to get in!

-- Anita

This Thanksgiving, I'm reflecting on the incredible gift of community: the athletes, advocates, and changemakers who've worked alongside me to make sports more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
I'm grateful for every young person who's discovered their strength through sport, for the organizations that open doors instead of closing them, and for those who believe, as I do, that rowing - and every sport - belongs to everyone.
Thanksgiving reminds us that our greatest achievements are never solo efforts; they're the product of countless hands, hearts, and voices working together toward something bigger than ourselves.
To everyone who's been part of this journey: thank you. Your dedication to equity, inclusion, and opportunity inspires me every day.
Wishing you all a day filled with gratitude, good food, and the warmth of those you love.
- - -  Anita

This has always been my truth: Rowing belongs to everyone, and we need everyone to take part.
​
Not just rowing, but ALL of sport. Every person, regardless of their background, their ZIP code, their identity, or the obstacles they face, deserves the chance to discover what sport can teach them about themselves and what they can achieve.

I've spent nearly 50 years in this movement because I believe that deeply. Because I've seen what happens when we open doors instead of guarding them. 

Because I know that the young person picking up an oar for the first time today might be the one who changes everything tomorrow.

We don't just need everyone to take part because it's fair: though it is. We need everyone because our sport, our movement, and our world are better when everyone has a place at the table and a seat in the boat.

So here's my challenge to all of us as we close out this incredible month: How will you open a door? How will you invite someone in? How will you make sure that one more person knows they belong?

Rowing belongs to everyone. Let's make sure everyone knows it.

I am truly speechless. @USRowing has announced that they are renaming their highest organizational honor the "Anita DeFrantz Medal of Honor."

When I first picked up an oar, I never imagined this moment. When I fought to compete in the 1976 Olympics: the first year women's rowing was included, I was simply fighting for the right to compete. When I filed suit in 1980 to defend athletes' rights, I was standing up for what I believed was just.

To have my name associated with an award that will honor excellence, integrity, and dedication to rowing for generations to come is beyond anything I could have dreamed. But here's what I want everyone to know: this isn't about me. It's about what we can accomplish together when we believe that rowing - and all sport; belongs to everyone.

As I told USRowing: Rowing belongs to everyone, and we need everyone to take part.

Thank you to USRowing, to Chair Kirsten Feldman, to CEO Amanda Kraus, and to the entire rowing community. I am honored, humbled, and inspired to continue the work of opening doors and ensuring that everyone who wants to row has the opportunity to do so.

Read more:
​https://usrowing.org/news/usrowing-renames-its-highest-honor-as-the-anita-defrantz-medal-of-honor

#Rowing #USRowing #SportForAll #Legacy #RowingCommunity​

I am deeply honored to have received the Olympic & Paralympic Torch Award from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in Salt Lake City last month. Established in 1965, this award recognizes individuals whose work has had a lasting impact on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Being in that hall, I couldn't help but think of everyone who has been part of this journey --- the athletes I've fought alongside, the young people served through the LA84 Foundation, the colleagues who've worked tirelessly to make sport more inclusive and accessible. This recognition belongs to all of us.

From my days rowing for the U.S. team to serving on the IOC, from fighting for athletes' rights in 1980 to helping bring the Games to Los Angeles in 2028, the privilege has been mine...to serve, to advocate, and to work alongside so many dedicated people who believe in the power of sport to transform lives.

Thank you to the USOPC for this extraordinary honor. The work of building a more equitable Olympic and Paralympic movement continues, and I'm grateful to be part of it.

Read more: https://usrowing.org/news/anita-defrantz-awarded-olympic-paralympic-torch-award​

September has tested our nation's soul.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. The attack on the Dallas ICE facility. The horrific violence at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado. The wounds from the Annunciation Catholic School attack still fresh in Minneapolis.

I've spent nearly five decades in two worlds that should have nothing in common with these tragedies: the Olympic movement and the Law. Yet both have taught me the same lesson: we are strongest when we compete with ideas, not violence. When we resolve conflicts through dialogue, not destruction.

In 1980, I sued my own government to allow athletes to make their own choice about competing in Moscow. I lost that legal battle.  But, I never stopped believing in the power of peaceful discourse, even, and especially, when we disagree.

On the Olympic stage, athletes from nations in conflict stand side by side. They compete fiercely, yes. But when the race ends, they embrace. They recognize the humanity in their opponent. They understand that the person across the finish line shares the same dreams, the same sacrifices, the same hopes.

That's what we've lost. The ability to see each other's humanity.

As an attorney, I learned that the courtroom exists because civilized societies choose argument over violence. We present our case. We listen to the other side. A neutral party decides. Nobody picks up a weapon.

But we've allowed our public discourse to become so toxic, so dehumanizing, that some believe violence is the answer. It never is.

To the families grieving in Utah, Texas, Michigan, Colorado, and Minnesota: there are no words adequate for your loss. But please know that millions of us are choosing, today, to recommit ourselves to building the America your loved ones deserved to live in.

🟢 We can disagree without demonizing.
🟢 We can debate without dehumanizing.
🟢 We can compete without destroying.

I've seen it work on the Olympic stage. I've seen it work in the courtroom. It can work in our communities, our schools, our places of worship, and our public squares...but only if we choose it.

The alternative is more coffins. More families shattered. More communities traumatized. More children afraid to go to school. More people afraid to pray.

We are better than this.

Our young people are watching us. They're watching how we respond to tragedy. They're watching whether we choose dialogue or division. They're watching whether we build bridges or burn them.  Let's show them the America we believe in: not with platitudes, but with action. Call someone you disagree with and listen. Really listen. Find common ground where you can. Agree to disagree where you can't.  But do it with respect for their humanity.

🟢  Violence is not strength. It's surrender. It's giving up on everything that makes us human.
🟢  Choose dialogue. Choose peace. Choose each other.
🟢  In memory of all those we've lost, and in hope for all those who remain.

🕊️

--- Anita
September 30th, 2025

#PeaceNotViolence #ChooseDialogue #UnitedWeStand #EndTheViolence #RememberTheVictims #OlympicValues #LawAndPeace #CommonHumanity #ChoosePeace

From the Field to the Boardroom: Why 94% of Women CEOs Have a Secret Weapon
By Anita L. DeFrantz

On March 20, 2025, history was made in Costa Navarino, Greece. Kirsty Coventry, a seven-time Olympic swimming medalist from Zimbabwe, became the first woman and first African elected as President of the International Olympic Committee in its 131-year history. At 41, she shattered one of the highest glass ceilings in global sport governance.

As I watched Kirsty's election unfold, having served alongside her as an IOC member and Executive Board colleague; I reflected on a striking piece of research that recently crossed my desk. According to a 2015 study by EY and espnW, 94% of women in C-suite positions played sports, with 52% competing at the collegiate level. Even more telling, 80% of Fortune 500 female executives had athletic backgrounds.

This isn't coincidence. It's a blueprint.

The Playing Field as Leadership Laboratory

When I first gripped an oar as a college student at Connecticut College in the early 1970s, I had no aspirations of Olympic glory or boardroom influence. I was simply a tall young woman trying something new. But that rowing shell became my first real classroom in leadership: far more formative than any course I'd take at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

In 1976, I had the honor of captaining the U.S. women's rowing team at the Montreal Olympics, where we won bronze in the inaugural women's eight event. What people often miss when they see that medal is what happened in the months and years leading up to those six minutes on the water. We learned to move as one despite our differences, to push through pain when our bodies screamed for relief, to trust our teammates implicitly when the race got hard, and to make split-second strategic decisions while our lungs burned and our muscles trembled.

These weren't just athletic skills. They were governance competencies in disguise.


Four Lessons the Playing Field Teaches That Boardrooms Desperately Need

1. High-Stakes Decision Making Under Pressure

In sports, you learn to think clearly when the stakes are highest and time is shortest. A wrong decision in the middle of a race can't be undone. Similarly, in the boardroom, directors must evaluate complex scenarios: a merger proposal, a CEO succession, a crisis response; often with incomplete information and compressed timelines.

The just-released Women Business Collaborative 2025 report on women CEOs underscores how sports instill "critical leadership traits -- discipline, teamwork, resilience, and strategic decision-making -- that translate directly into business success." After 26 years serving on the board of Western Asset Management, I can attest that the composure I developed during Olympic competition serves me every time we face market volatility or strategic inflection points.

2. True Teamwork Transcends Ego

In a rowing shell, one person cannot carry the boat. Eight rowers must synchronize perfectly, subordinating individual timing to the collective rhythm. The strongest rower in the boat may not sit in the most visible seat, but she's no less essential to success.

Effective boards operate on the same principle. Directors bring different expertise: financial, operational, technological, legal; but the board's power lies in its collective judgment, not any individual's brilliance. The best board discussions I've participated in are when we've challenged each other respectfully, listened deeply, and reached decisions that none of us would have made alone.

When Kirsty Coventry took the IOC helm in June, she inherited a complex global organization navigating geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, and evolving stakeholder expectations. Her success will depend not on her individual prowess, but on her ability to forge consensus among 100+ IOC members from diverse backgrounds...the ultimate team sport.

3. Resilience Is Built Through Repeated Failure

Athletes lose far more often than they win. I qualified for the 1980 Olympics, trained for years, and then watched my dreams evaporate due to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games. It was devastating. But it taught me something crucial: setbacks don't define you...your response to them does.

Corporate boards need directors who've experienced real adversity and emerged stronger. Directors who've only known success often lack the resilience to guide companies through genuine crises. The boardroom doesn't need people who panic at the first sign of turbulence; it needs people who've learned to steady the boat in rough water because they've capsized before.

4. Discipline Creates Freedom

The paradox of elite athletics is that the more disciplined your preparation, the more freedom you have in performance. Hours of repetitive training translate to instinctive execution when it matters most. You don't have to think about your stroke technique during the race, it's ingrained: so you can focus on strategy, competition, and adaptation.

In governance, this translates to directors who've done the work. They've read the board materials thoroughly. They understand the industry context. They've built relationships with management and fellow directors between meetings. When crisis strikes or opportunity emerges, they're not scrambling to get up to speed; they're ready to lead.

The Pipeline Problem We Must Address

Here's what troubles me: while 94% of women C-suite executives played sports, we're still not seeing enough women in the C-suite or in boardrooms. Women represent only 9.2% of CEOs across Fortune 1000, S&P 500, Russell 3000, and large private companies, according to the Women Business Collaborative's latest report. And despite improvements, women still hold only about 30% of Fortune 500 board seats.

The talent is there. The training is there. But the pathway remains obstructed.

For decades at the LA84 Foundation, where I served as president from 1987 to 2015, we invested more than $250 million in youth sports programs across Southern California. We knew then what the research confirms now: girls who play sports develop the confidence, competitiveness, and leadership skills that translate directly to professional success.

Yet girls drop out of sports at alarming rates during adolescence, precisely when these leadership lessons become most crucial. Research from the Women's Sports Foundation shows that the longer someone plays sports, the more likely they are to hold formal leadership roles. We're losing future board members and CEOs because we're not keeping girls in the game.

What Boards Should Do Differently

Actively recruit athletes. When identifying candidates for board positions, ask about athletic backgrounds. The skills are transferable, the mindset is invaluable, and you may discover exceptional talent that traditional recruitment methods miss.

Value diverse forms of excellence. A woman who captained her college basketball team may not have a traditional finance background, but she brings strategic thinking, team dynamics, and high-pressure decision-making experience that can't be learned in a classroom or corner office.

Support Title IX and youth sports access. Corporate commitment to girls' sports isn't charity: it's talent development for your future leadership pipeline. Companies that sponsor girls' sports programs today are investing in the directors and executives they'll need tomorrow.

Recognize that governance itself is a team sport. The best boards, like the best teams, combine complementary strengths. Don't just look for people who've already been directors or CEOs. Look for people who know how to be excellent teammates in high-stakes environments.

The Coventry Moment

When Kirsty Coventry stood at that podium in Greece as the newly elected IOC President, she said something that resonated deeply with me: "Glass ceilings have been shattered today, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities as a role model."

She's right. But here's what I want every corporate board to understand: Kirsty didn't shatter that ceiling despite being an athlete. She shattered it because she was an athlete. The discipline, resilience, strategic thinking, and collaborative leadership she developed in the pool prepared her to lead one of the world's most complex global organizations.

The question isn't whether athletes can make great leaders. The research is clear: they already do. The question is whether boardrooms are ready to recognize this talent and recruit accordingly.

I've spent nearly five decades moving between the world of Olympic sport and the world of corporate governance. I can tell you with absolute certainty: they're not as different as people think. Both require strategic thinking, collaborative excellence, resilience under pressure, and the ability to subordinate ego to collective success.

The 94% isn't a statistic. It's a signal. Boards that learn to read it, and act on it...will find themselves with a significant competitive advantage in the years ahead.
---

Anita L. DeFrantz is a 1976 Olympic bronze medalist in rowing, attorney, and member of the International Olympic Committee since 1986. She served as the first woman elected Vice President of the IOC and has been a director of Western Asset Management since 1999. She is the founder and president of The Tubman Truth Project.

135 days until Milano Cortina 2026! ❄️⛷️

There's something magical about the Winter Olympics—athletes defying gravity on ice and snow, pushing the boundaries of what the human body can achieve in the most unforgiving conditions.

From the speed of downhill skiing to the artistry of figure skating, from the precision of curling to the raw power of bobsled—winter sports demand a unique blend of courage, elegance, and determination.

To all the athletes training right now in the cold, the dark, the early mornings: the world is about to watch you soar. Your dedication inspires us all.

And to everyone watching from home: these aren't just competitions. They're stories of perseverance, dreams realized, and the universal language of sport bringing our fractured world together: even if just for a moment.

Who are you most excited to watch in Milano Cortina? 🏔️

#MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics #Olympics #WinterSports #OlympicSpirit #ItalyOlympics #CountdownToMilano #OlympicAthletes #WinterGames #Olympics2026

Breaking the Ultimate Glass Ceiling: What Kirsty Coventry's IOC Presidency Means for Corporate Boards

By Anita L. DeFrantz

When Kirsty Coventry was elected as the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee this past March, she didn't just make history—she shattered a 130-year-old glass ceiling. As I watched my colleague become the first woman to lead the IOC, I couldn't help but reflect on my own journey as the first female Vice President of the organization and what this moment means for boardrooms everywhere.

I first met Kirsty when she joined the IOC many years ago, still competing as one of Zimbabwe's most decorated Olympians. Even then, her leadership qualities were evident: thoughtful, inclusive, unafraid to ask difficult questions. Her "Pause and Reflect" approach to her new presidency—inviting all IOC members into consultation before charting our path forward—exemplifies the collaborative leadership style that modern governance demands.

The Long Road to This Moment

When I became the first woman elected to the IOC Executive Board in 1992, women comprised less than 7% of IOC membership. Today, we're at 42.3%. This isn't just progress, but is solid transformation. But it took three decades of persistent advocacy, policy changes, and countless women refusing to accept "that's how it's always been" as an answer.

Corporate boards, take note: the IOC's journey mirrors your own challenges. According to recent studies, women hold approximately 30% of board seats in Fortune 500 companies—progress, yes, but we're still far from parity. More concerning, women CEOs lead only about 10% of these companies. Sound familiar?

Why Kirsty's Leadership Style Matters

What strikes me most about Kirsty's approach is her immediate focus on consultation and reflection. Rather than arriving with a predetermined agenda, she's listening first—to athletes, to member nations, to stakeholders at every level. This isn't indecision; it's wisdom.

In my 26 years serving on the board of Western Asset Management, I've seen how this collaborative approach yields superior outcomes. Diverse perspectives don't slow decision-making; they prevent blind spots. When boards include leaders who've navigated different paths to the table, you get questions that wouldn't otherwise be asked and solutions that wouldn't otherwise be considered.

The Athletic Advantage in the Boardroom

Kirsty brings something else crucial: the athlete's mindset. She's competed at four Olympic Games, winning seven medals. She knows what it means to prepare meticulously, perform under pressure, and bounce back from setbacks. These aren't just sports skills—they're leadership competencies that every board needs.

This is why I've long advocated for athletes on corporate boards. We bring:
- Strategic thinking honed through years of competition planning
- Crisis management skills developed in high-pressure moments
- Team dynamics expertise from navigating complex sporting environments
- Global perspectives from competing internationally
- Resilience built through both victories and defeats

Breaking Your Own Glass Ceilings

For organizations seeking to replicate the IOC's transformation, here are lessons from our journey:

1. Set Bold Targets: The IOC established clear goals for female representation. What gets measured gets done.

2. Change the Pipeline: We created pathways for female athletes to transition into governance roles. Where's your talent pipeline?

3. Address Cultural Barriers: We confronted longstanding traditions that excluded women. What unwritten rules need rewriting in your organization?

4. Celebrate Milestones: Kirsty's election isn't just symbolic—it's inspirational. Make your breakthroughs visible.

5. Keep Pushing: First female president? Check. But our work isn't done. Neither is yours.

The Ripple Effect

Kirsty's presidency sends a powerful message to every young woman athlete, every female sports administrator, every girl with leadership dreams: the highest positions are no longer hypothetical. They're achievable.

But this message extends beyond sports. When a 130-year-old institution can transform its leadership, what's your organization's excuse? When a woman from Zimbabwe can lead a global organization and break convention, what barriers are truly insurmountable?

Looking Forward

As Kirsty leads us toward Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28, her presidency represents more than gender progress—it's about governance evolution. Her collaborative style, athlete-centered approach, and fresh perspective are exactly what modern leadership demands.

For corporate boards still debating diversity's value, let me be clear: this isn't about political correctness. It's about competitive advantage. The IOC didn't elect Kirsty because she's a woman; we elected her because she's the best leader for our future. Her gender is significant because it was historically a barrier, not because it defined her qualifications.

Your Move

Every time I entered an IOC gathering as the only woman, I carried the weight of representation. Now, thanks to pioneers like Kirsty and countless others, that weight is shared among many shoulders. But in too many boardrooms, women still sit alone or not at all.

The question isn't whether your organization will eventually break its glass ceilings—it's whether you'll lead that change or be dragged into it. Kirsty Coventry's presidency proves that when we stop accepting limitations as permanent, transformation becomes inevitable.

To my fellow board members across industries: study what the IOC has done. More importantly, study what we haven't done yet. Because if a 130-year-old Olympic institution can revolutionize its leadership, your organization has no excuse.

The ceiling has been shattered. Now let's clear away the glass.

Behind every Olympic moment that takes our breath away stands a coach who never stopped believing. 🏅

The 2025 IOC Coaches Award nominations are NOW OPEN, and this is personal for me. My rowing coach at Penn didn't just teach technique: he taught me to fight for what's right, lessons I carried from the water to the courtroom to the IOC.

Think about it: Coaches see potential when we see limits. They push when we want to quit. They celebrate our victories and carry us through defeats. Yet too often, they work in the shadows.

This award changes that. It's our chance to say THANK YOU to those who transform lives, not just athletes.

Who's the coach that changed YOUR journey? Whether they coached you to Olympic gold or simply taught you to never give up in youth sports—they deserve recognition.

Nominate at https://www.olympics.com/athlete365/news/ioc-coaches-lifetime-achievement-awards/nominate-your-coach-for-the-2025-ioc-coaches-award before the deadline! Tag a coach below who made a difference. Let's flood this feed with gratitude. 🙏

Coaches: You are the backbone of our Movement. This is your moment.

#IOCCoachesAward #CoachesChangeLives #OlympicCoaches #BehindEveryChampion #NominateYourCoach #Gratitude #TeamUSA #CoachingMatters #Olympics #ThankYourCoach #LA28 #SportsLeadership