American Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hageshed continues her struggle against sexual assault in sport after she reached the age of 57, where she had been subjected to an attempted rape by a stranger during her training outside the campus in 1981, where the heroine then responded during the 1984 Olympic championship In Los Angeles by winning three gold and silver medals.
In an interview with France Press ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, the heroine said she remains "unrealistically optimistic" about her work and her life in general.
“I think I should have worked to try to win the Olympics and try to tackle sexual abuse in sports,” Hegshid said. “They are very bold goals.”
The newspaper reported that the day before the interview, Heggsid was working until the early hours of drafting a speech to the US Congress on bipartisan legislation calling for more protection for amateur athletes from abuse by coaches and staff.
Heggshed's work ethic reflects the dedication that formed the cornerstone of her swimming career - from the age of 11, she spent four hours a day in the waters of her own training pool.
Former Olympic swimmer Nancy Haghshid dedicated her life to gender equality while fighting sexual abuse in sports