Sport and Athlete Power (with Anastasia Bucsis)

In this episode we explore the immense power that athletes have by using their voice to talk about challenging issues in society. From Simone Biles talking about mental health at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, to Lebron James speaking out on social injustice, to over 300 British Olympians and Paralympians signed a letter to United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on the government to lead a green recovery as the UK deals with the coronavirus pandemic. These issues that athletes are passionate about are real and very serious.   We speak with Anastasia Bucsis who is a Canada Games alumni, 2X Olympic Speedskater, and born and raised in Calgary. In the lead up to Sochi 2014 Anastasia came out publicly in opposition to Russia's anti LGBTQ+ laws, and competed as the only 'out' athlete from North America. Following her athletic career Anastasia joined the CBC Sports team where she launched and hosted the Player's Own Voice Podcast. She is a host and analyst at CBC, hosting on multiple platforms while still staying connected to her speedskating roots, by providing colour commentary on Road to the Olympic Games. Anastasia is a passionate advocate for mental health issues, eradicating homophobia in sport, and telling the stories of Canada's High Performance athletes. Be sure to check out the Player's Own Voice Podcast anywhere you get your podcasts! --- Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the sport industry into the conversation! Send us an email at [email protected] Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SportsSocImpact Visit our website at https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/