Safe Sport Community Gathers in London

London (FIL/22 Sept 2023) The Safe Sport International (SSI) 2023 Global Conference took place in London from September 18-20, 2023.

The International Luge Federation (FIL) was represented by its new Sport Integrity Manager, Stephen Harris, who had the opportunity to meet individually with several Safe Sport partners.

The three-day conference brought together a diverse cross-section of the global Safe Sport community for effective sessions and valuable networking. "I am always inspired by the powerful contributions given by the presenters, especially the athlete voice of survivors. Conferences such as this enable all of us in the safe sport community to continue the vital work of making sport fun, safe and a positive environment, regardless of level, from grassroots to high performance," said Stephen Harris at the end of the conference.

This year's theme at the world-leading Safe Sport Conference was Hope and Healing: Supporting Athletes & Transforming Sports Cultures. Conference sessions explored and shared best practices that included the athlete voice (of survivors) - finding healing in advocacy, trauma informed legal practice, organisational safeguarding through a trauma informed lens, and addressing the increase of abuse through the use of technology.

Safe Sport International https://www.safesportinternational.com/ brought together many international partners for this conference. "This underscores the need for the global Safe Sport community of volunteers and professionals to continue working to create an athlete-centered, trauma-informed sport environment, a safe place where all participants can trust and thrive in sport. This is an important part of the FIL's vision as we continue to build our framework for integrity in sport," said Stephen Harris.