Unprecedented Sports and Dark Times For Olympic Champions

It is unheard of to use inmates as rag dolls in bull riding competitions and to wrangle dangerous animals for others entertainment. This is only done at Angola (Louisiana State Penitentiary), and it draws in a crowd of thousands each weekend they have the event.

There is also an olympic athlete theme going on with the other two stories, but they have no relation to one another. One is about a former olympian taking sexual advantage of his coaching and olympic background. The last is about a former olympian taking her own life due to her home life and not feeling good enough ever for anyone.

Those themes are seen in this week’s stories: “44 Years. 41 Allegations. Now the Past is Catching Up.” by Mike Kessler and Mark Fainaru-Wada, “The Exiled and the Devil’s Sideshow” by John Griswold, and “Olympic Cyclist Caitlin Was Driven to the End” by Kent Babb. The events that take place in these stories are often portrayed in the media and other times not at all.

In Kessler and Fainaru-Wada’s story, it follows the sexual advantages the Conrad Mainwaring took on the kids he was coaching. This has happened over 44 years and took place in two countries. Mainwaring also took sexual advantage of the boys at the sleepaway camp he worked at using his Olympic past as a way of allowing this to happen.

This story is broken down into segments and goes back and forth between the past and present. It aids in the storytelling aspect and realistic way this would be handled as a case in which it turned into. It truly depicts how Mainwaring thought and approached everything and how it’s become such a bigger topic due to the #MeToo movement.

The Angola Prison Rodeo, staged at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, is the longest running prison rodeo in the United States. As part of the prison rodeo, there is a biannual Arts and Crafts Festival. Prisoners make handmade work.

The rodeo’s slogan is “the wildest show in the South”, and Griswold spares no detail to share about how wild it is. He explains what each event is: Grand entry, Bust Out, Bareback Riding, Wild Horse Race, Barrel Racing, Bull-Dodging, Buddy Pick-up, Wild Cow Milking, Bull Riding, Convict Poker, and Guts and Glory. All of these events are depicted with such imagery, it’s like being there in the moment with him.

Another story about a former olympian, but this time it’s about mental health and how home life affects you. Caitlin was a triplet and did not receive affections growing up, they all competed to be the best. This was her mindset as she grew up and went to the Olympics.

Babb’s piece is very heart wrenching and realistic because everyone fears they are not good enough. Even though this situation is much different than most, it also embraced how the parents felt after learning why their daughter killed herself. It more so focuses on the father’s point of view, but mixes in the siblings and mother too.

All three of these stories would look great as a documentary, video post or regular social media post with pictures. Adding another layer of media would help these stories stand out in the media.