Four-time Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser has a message for athletes targeted with harassment: Don鈥檛 be afraid to seek help.
The hockey champ has been enlisted to help spread the message that the International Olympic Committee has a program in place to help athletes facing abuse.
鈥淲e are there for you,鈥� she says in a video posted to 鈥淲e believe in you,鈥� she adds. 鈥淲e鈥檒l do the best thing possible to protect every athlete that鈥檚 competing at the Olympic Games.鈥�
Wickenheiser tells CTV鈥檚 Joy Malbon in Pyeongchang that the abuse exposed at U.S.A. Gymnastics and the #MeToo movement made clear that the IOC has 鈥渢o take a stronger stance.鈥�
As a female growing up in a male-dominated sport, Wickenheiser says she鈥檚 known countless athletes who have faced 鈥渃hallenges鈥� and that it鈥檚 鈥渕ore common than people would think.鈥�
鈥淵ou name it, I鈥檝e heard it,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ven some of the hazing or initiations I was put through when I was a younger player -- today you would never be allowed to do that in minor hockey, both male and female.鈥�
Wickenheiser says that abuse and harassment is 鈥渘ot OK鈥� but sometimes athletes are afraid to speak up, 鈥渂ecause they don鈥檛 feel they have a voice or they鈥檒l have their spot on the team.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of power you give away as an athlete to people that can control your fate and that鈥檚 a scary thing for athletes -- especially when something goes wrong,鈥� she says.
Still, the former team captain says people shouldn鈥檛 be afraid to approach the who can refer them to legal or medical experts confidentially.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been athletes that have used it,鈥� Wickenheiser says from the athletes village, where posters are plastered advertising the service.
鈥淚 believe in Rio there were approximately 12 cases that came forward.鈥�
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Joy Malbon in Pyeongchang, South Korea
