Sailing at any level needs to be fair, it needs to be honest, it needs to be safe and respectful. Without these things, without integrity, sailing can lose its relevance and meaning. If participants in sailing do not have belief and trust in what we do, in going sailing and participating in races and regattas, then why would people do it? Threats to sports integrity such as competition-manipulation, doping, and abusive or bullying behaviours will negatively impact people’s positive experience of sailing and undermine our strengths and future. Integrity is important.
Belinda Stowell, gold medal winning sailor at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics shared her views on integrity. “We can only be a winner in sport if we hold true to strong values and execute our best performances in line with honesty and respect for ourselves, our opponents and the rules of our sport.”
Sailors as athletes, no different to other sports people, need a team and strong support to succeed. Belinda advised that to get the best from your team “…the values such as respect and honesty, and being a fair player, help you to understand yourself. This enables you to grow and push through the tougher times, working with others to be able to achieve at the highest level.”
Integrity not only protects the strength and future of sailing, but it also helps you the same at an individual level.
One of Australia’s eminent sport professionals, Dr Sacha Fulton has excelled as a sport scientist, athlete preparation and performance, wellness coach and trainer. Fulton shares the view that integrity is at the heart of the individual.
“Ethics and values matter in sport because of the innumerable parallels between what it takes to be successful both in real life and on the playing field. There is a connection between a person’s character off the field and their good sportsmanship on it.”
“In short, the qualities that go in to making a good person are the same ones that contribute to being a great competitor.” Fulton concluded.
Belinda Stowell OLY
Dr Sacha Fulton
The National Integrity Framework and its policies are here.
An online induction about the National Integrity Framework and its policies can be done here.
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