Speedskater breaks silence about abuse | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA

Dave Boling has written another amazing article. I was in Salt Lake and say Chris Witty win her gold. This article tells of how she has dealt with childhood sexual abuse.

Speedskater breaks silence about abuse | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA: "Witty captured a gold medal in long-track speedskating in Salt Lake City in 2002 to add to the silver and bronze she collected in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. A rare crossover athlete, she also competed in the Sydney Games in 2000 as a cyclist.

It was shortly before the Salt Lake City Games that Witty revealed her troubled history to a sports psychologist, who initiated the regimen of counseling that has allowed her, now, to exploit her platform as an international athlete to speak out about the problems that led to so many years of emotional turmoil.

“I felt the need to talk about it,” Witty said. “Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. That’s why it continues. If I started talking about it, other people can talk about it. Or if it’s started with someone, maybe I can inspire them to go tell somebody about it and they can get help. I just wanted to break the silence.”"