The Silent Vulnerability of Athletics

(Courtesy of Newhouse)

I had the pleasure of joining #espn investigative journalists Mark Fainaru-Wada and Mike Kessler this afternoon as they shared their story behind their investigation of former Olympian, Conrad Mainwaring.

The story came as a tip to Kessler who was contacted by a friend who said his brother, Victor, had been sexually assaulted and had later died due to what was believed to be reckless behavior related to the assault. Victor's alleged assailant was a counselor who he worshipped during the mid- to late 1970s. The counselor's name was Conrad Mainwaring.

An archival photo of Mainwaring coaching boys at Camp Greylock in Massachusetts. (Courtesy of ESPN)

Mainwaring was an Olympian, competing for Antigua in 1976. Mainwaring was present at #syracuseuniversity in 1980, where he earned a master’s degree in counseling and guidance. He also worked for the school in student housing. He later became a counselor and track coach at multiple high schools and colleges, including Colgate and UCLA.

After learning of Victor's fate and the possibility of more victim's, Kessler began to reach out to former athletes. Realizing the seriousness of the story, he got in touch with ESPN, and ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada. During their visit to Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse school, they shared the story behind the investigation and how they convinced 41 of Mainwaring's victims to come forward - including 14 from his days at Syracuse University.

Due to the statue of limitations, 40 out of the 41 men who came forward were unable to make a case. "I had by doubts whether anyone would care about the story or not" stated Mark Fainaru-Wada. Both Kessler and Fainaru-Wada were left wondering where the story would fit into ESPN. However, the notion of sexual abuse and manipulation of athletes has become an epidemic within the past decade and so Fainaru-Wada found that ESPN believed in the power and importance of the story.

Kessler also touched upon the idea of storytelling. Initially the duo thought about writing based on whether or not Syracuse, Cortland, and UCLA campuses had done enough to protect their students. However, they felt that the stories of the men were more important than placing blame on the institutions in which they were molested. Although Kessler and Fainaru-Wada could have decided to stop their investigation after discovering 15 victims, they chose to allow as many men as possible to tell their stories. Their perseverance led to the Los Angeles Police Department arresting Mainwaring on a charge of sexual misconduct that occurred in California in 2016 after 44 years of abuse.

Finally, Fainaru-Wada and Kessler were asked how they were able to deal with the story in regards to their mental health. Kessler responded by stating, "The heaviness is very real and palpable, but I never felt as if I could no longer do this, I am honored and humbled that these people trusted me to tell their story”. Kessler had a personal connection to the story as a Syracuse Alum which he said allowed him to dive deeper and bond with a few of the victims. Their overall and final message regarding the investigation was that the vulnerability of athletes, proving that everyone and anyone can be a victim of sexual assault.