Beyond the Podium: Olympic Medalists Advocating for Good

Ten thousand five hundred athletes have descended on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and it is the first time in history the number of women and men competing will be equal. The US will be represented by 588 athletes, 313 women and 269 men — not the first time women have outnumbered men on the US team.

To recognize this historic milestone, we’re going to introduce (or re-introduce) 11 exceptional US Olympians that have not only medaled in women’s events, but leveraged their presence on the global stage to advocate for positive change in their communities and country.

Simone Biles

Sport: Gymnastics

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Mental Health, Addiction Treatment and Recovery

Simone Biles is a powerful advocate for mental health. She brought global attention to the importance of mental health when she stepped back from gymnastics in 2020, missing much of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, to focus on her wellbeing. Biles also speaks openly about the impact substance abuse has had on her family, and supports campaigns for better treatment and recovery options.

Simone_Biles_US_Gymnastic_Trials[1] — Simone Biles competes on the balance beam at the 2024 United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials (AP Photo/Abbie Parr).

Simone_Biles_Medal_of_Freedom[1] — Simone Biles receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden (AP Photo/Susan Walsh).

Put mental health first, because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport, and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to … it’s OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor that you really are, rather than just battle through it.

Simone Manuel

Sport: Swimming

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Diversity in Swimming, Racial Equality in Sport

As the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming, Simone Manuel uses her platform to promote diversity in swimming. The Simone Manuel Foundation, aims to provide swimming lessons and programming to BIPOC youth and increase water safety awareness in communities of color. She has also joined several initiatives like the Make a Splash program, which provides free or low-cost swimming lessons to underserved communities.

Simone_Manuel[1] — Simone Manuel reacts after winning the Women's 50-meter freestyle finals at the 2024 US Swimming Olympic Trials (AP Photo/Darron Cummings).

“It’s unsettling when you’re always having to defend what you love. It’s hard to feel different as a kid, like you’re the only one, as I often was when it came to swimming.”

Allyson Felix

Sport: Track and Field

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Athletes’ Rights, Maternal Health

Allyson Felix has championed maternal health and athlete rights over the course of her career. She successfully pressured Nike to improve its sponsorship policies for pregnant athletes, and consistently speaks out about the inequity of care Black women, and women in general, can face in the healthcare system while pregnant. She also often speaks about equity in sport and the need for equal pay as well.

Allyson_Felix_Maternal_Health[1] — Allyson Felix races in a 400-meter heat at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Martin Meissner).

Allyson_Felix_Tokyo_Olympics[1] — Allyson Felix discusses the Black maternal health crisis with Vice President Kamala Harris in 2021 (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta).

For a long time, I tried to fit into this mold of a perfect athlete. [Speaking out] was absolutely scary and terrifying. It still feels uncomfortable. But you can’t let that get in your way. You can use your voice, even if it shakes. That’s something that I hold on to.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Sport: Track and Field

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Children’s Education, Health and Physical Education

Since 1988, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation has supported youth and families in underserved communities with resourcing, education, athletics, and opportunities for personal development. Jackie Joyner-Kersee also takes an active role in mentoring youth to encourage active living as a pillar of wellbeing in her hometown of East St. Louis, IL. She has also spoken out about issues of racial inequality in the US, worked with Comcast to create the Internet Essentials program, which provides high-speed internet access to low-income Americans, and is a founding member of Athletes for Hope.

Jackie_Joyner-Kersee[1] — Jackie Joyner-Kersee runs with US flag after winning gold at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, August 2, 1992 (AP Photo/David Longstreath).

“Your environment doesn’t define you. I don’t have a lot of money, but I can help train people and I can talk to people. We can all be mentors to the next generation.”

Ibtihaj Muhammad

Sport: Fencing

Olympic Medals: 🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Diversity and Inclusion, Muslim Women in Sport

As the first Muslim-American woman to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab, Ibtihaj Muhammad has long been an advocate for diversity and inclusion. She has written and often speaks about her experiences as a Muslim-American woman and athlete, and the importance of representation in sport. She also partnered with Mattel for the release of the first Barbie that wears a hijab. Muhammad supports many other social justice movements for underserved groups.

Ibtihaj_Muhammad_medal_win[1] — Ibtihaj Muhammad celebrates after winning a point against Russia in a women's team saber fencing semifinal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. Muhammad was the first Muslim-American woman to compete for the US (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini).

Ibtihaj_Muhammad_Galmour_Women_of_the_Year_Awards[1] — Ibtihaj Muhammad attends the 2017 Glamour Women of the Year Awards, 2017, in New York (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP).

“I’ve had to fight for every win, every place at the table, every ounce of respect on my path to world-class athlete. And I will continue to fight because the prize this time — an America that truly respects all of its citizens — is worth more than any medal. Inshallah: so, may it be.”

Aly Raisman

Sport: Gymnastics

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Mental Health, Consent, Systemic Change in Sport

Aly Raisman was one of the first athletes to speak out about the abuse perpetrated by a former USA Gymnastics doctor, and played a considerable role in bringing him to justice. Since then, she has continued to be a vocal advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, and speaks openly about the impacts the abuse she suffered continues to have on her through OCD, anxiety, and PTSD. She was a vocal voice in starting the #MeToo movement and speaks regularly to groups about the importance of self-advocacy and consent.

Aly_Raisman_Olympics[1] — Aly Raisman performs on the floor during the gymnastics gala at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky).

Aly_Raisman_trial[1] — Aly Raisman testifies at a Senate hearing regarding the FBI's handling of the Nassar investigation, 2012. Larry Nassar is a former doctor once associated with US Gymnastics and now in prison for sexual abuse offenses. (AP/Saul Loeb/Pool).

“My dream is that one day everyone … will be educated and able to protect themselves from predators … so that they will never ever, ever have to say the words, ‘me, too.’”

Megan Rapinoe

Sport: Soccer

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Pay Equality, LGBTQIA+ Rights, Racial Equality

Megan Rapinoe is a vocal supporter of pay equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and racial equality — something that earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020. She co-led a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation for equal pay for the US Women’s Team, works with many LGBTQIA+ organizations, and was one of the first white athletes to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Megan_Rapinoe_Medal_of_Freedom[1] — Megan Rapinoe at the White House, July 2022, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite).

Megan_Rapinoe_Olympics[1] — Megan Rapinoe (L) and Canada's Ashley Lawrence battle for the ball during the semifinal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Martin Mejia).

“[T]here’s no level of status and there’s no accomplishment or power that will protect you from the clutches of inequality. One cannot simply outperform inequality or be excellent enough to escape discrimination of any kind.”

Wilma Rudolph

Sport: Track and Field

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: American Civil Rights, Women’s Rights

Wilma Rudolph used the fame from her gold medal run at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics to speak out against segregation and discrimination against Black Americans. She insisted that her Olympic homecoming parade in Clarksville, TN, be integrated. It was the first event of its kind for the town. Rudolph was also a vocal supporting of Title IX, which was passed by Congress in 1972 and prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools or any education programs that have federally funding.

Wilma_Rudolph_Medals[1] — Wilma Rudolph (L) with the rest of Team USA after receiving the gold medal for the women's 4 x 100-meter relay race at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics (AP Photo).

Wilma_Rudolph_Olympics[1] — Wilma Rudolph starts a heat of the women's 200-meter at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Pool).

“I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams.”

Claressa Shields

Sport: Boxing

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Domestic Violence Awareness, Gender Equity in Boxing, Youth Empowerment

Claressa Shields has broken barriers for women in boxing by speaking openly about pay disparity and advocating for more recognition of women boxers. She uses her platform to highlight high-performing female athletes and to bring more media coverage to women’s sports. In 2021, she headlined the first all-women pay-per-view boxing event to prove the marketability of women fighters. Shields has also spoken openly about how domestic violence has impacted her life, and participated in campaigns to support survivors.

Claressa_Shields_Olympics[1] — Claressa Shields celebrates after winning her fight against Russia's Nadezda Torlopova during the women's middleweight 75-kilogram boxing gold medal match at the 2012 London Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky).

“We don’t get the equal TV time, the equal promotion, equal pay. That’s what I’ve been trying to do with my platform, make sure I get all of that.”

Dara Torres

Sport: Swimming

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Senior Women in Sports, Gender Equity, Pay Equality

Having participated in five Summer Olympics, Dara Torres is a well-known representative and advocate for older women’s athleticism and elite performance. She even wrote a book about it, Age is Just a Number. Torres has also been a vocal proponent for gender equity and pay equality in sports. She has spoken at various events and supports initiatives like ESPNW and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Dana_Torres_mother[1] — Dara Torres hugs her daughter, Tessa Grace Torres-Hoffman after swimming in the women's 50-meter freestyle final at the US Olympic swimming trials in 2012 (AP Photo/Nati Harnik).

Dana_Torres_Olympics[1] — Dara Torres starts the women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Petr David Josek).

“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind and above all, be humble.”

Serena Williams

Sport: Tennis

Olympic Medals: 🥇🥇🥇🥇

Advocacy Beyond the Podium: Social Justice, Gender Equity, Racial Equality

As one of the most famous athletes in the world, Serena Williams has used her platform to support many causes and philanthropic organizations. She speaks out frequently about police brutality and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2017, she wrote an op-ed calling out the gender pay gap for women, and more specifically how it disproportionately impacts Black women. Williams is also a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, and co-founded a community center in Compton with her sister Venus, honoring their older sister. The Yetunde Price Resource Center provides trauma-informed programming to families affected by violence in underserved communities.

Serena_Williams_Olympics[1] — Serena Williams after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia to win the women's singles gold medal match at the 2012 London Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano).

Serena_Williams_Conference[1] — Serena Williams speaks at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, 2018 (AP Photo/Matt Rourke).

“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind and above all, be humble.”

Legacies Beyond the Podium

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in Paris mark a historic first, with equal numbers of men and women competing across the events. The United States has sent 588 athletes, with 313 women and 269 men, continuing the trend of a female-majority team. In the same vein, many US Olympians, especially women, have notably used their platforms to support causes beyond sports. From the Black Lives Matter movement to better representation and pay for women in sport, these remarkable American women continue to make a positive impact in their communities and country. They are recognized for their excellence as humanitarians as well as athletes, and we can only hope this will inspire more athletes to leverage their platforms for good.

Sources

https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/competing-and-being-part-of-the-games/how-many-athletes-and-countries-take-part-in-the-olympic-games/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_at_the_2024_Summer_Olympics/
https://www.reuters.com/article/sports/women-outnumber-men-on-london-bound-u-s-olympic-team-idUSBRE8691IE/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/paris-olympics-2024-gender-parity/

About the Author

Jen Geoghegan

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Jen Geoghegan is a contributor at The Sports Geek with a focus on entertainment, politics, and news. She joined the team in February 2024. Holding a BA in English from the University of Guelph, Jen combines her writing prowess with her ever-expanding knowledge of the industry. Outside work, she enjoys outdoor activities like camping and skiing with her family.

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