Fri, January 30, 2026
Former AIS athletes express concern that new documentary could retraumatise victims of past abuse
Former Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes are worried that the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) decision to release a documentary, ‘Forging Champions,’ on the institute could retraumatise previous AIS attendees who claim to have suffered abuse there, especially if it overlooks the darker nature of the institute’s past, according to ABC Sport.
The Australian Sports Commission, which manages the AIS, has planned for this documentary to air on Channel 9 on Monday, 2 February 2026. The former athletes have not seen the documentary in advance.
The AIS is Australia’s elite sports training centre. It is run by the government to develop elite athletes. Forging Champions will explore the 40-year history of the organisation, featuring some of the country’s top sporting stars from across the past 4 decades. However, some former athletes who attended the institute claim they were physically, psychologically and sexually abused during their time there, silenced by a “climate of fear.” These athletes are concerned that the documentary could retraumatise them, such as by ignoring the problematic nature of the institute’s past.
The Australian Sports Commission issued the following apology on 7 May 2021:
“The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Board offers our apology and ongoing support to former Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes treated inappropriately in the past…
We know incidents and practices occurred that are not acceptable. For this, we are truly sorry…
We admire the courage of people who have come forward to share their stories. We assure you, we are listening and you have been heard. We have begun reaching out personally to athletes to offer our support…
The AIS ran athlete scholarship programs for various sports from 1981 to 2012. Thousands of athletes have been part of the AIS story and we know most will remember their time fondly. Unfortunately, that is not everyone’s experience…
Today, we acknowledge our past so we can continue to lead Australian sport into the future.”
Former AIS gymnast, Jenny Richardson, told ABC she was instructed to train fully clothed in a sauna. She also said she was pinched, slapped and called “a pig.” Former gymnasts who attended the live-in scholarship program claimed to have been unfed, triggering body dysmorphia and anorexia, bullied and forced to train whilst injured.
Richardson stated: “I fell out of love for gymnastics. Gymnastics was my whole life before I went up there, but I felt like a failure.”
When addressing the Australian Sports Commission’s Chief Executive, Kieran Perkins, Richardson voiced: “I want him and the restorative team who are meant to be helping me not to put this to air because they know it's going to damage a lot of people.”
Richardson, along with some of the other abuse victims, are part of the ASC’s Restorative Programme which includes restoration payments of up to $50,000 and counselling, but this will not receive further funding beyond this December.
An email was sent to all from Perkins, and she was outraged that this was how he warned previous AIS athletes that the documentary will be released. The email read:
“I appreciate that not everyone had a positive experience at the AIS and the ASC Board's 2021 apology and Restorative Program recognises and responds to AIS scholarship athletes who experienced harm from inappropriate practices or abuse as a result of their time at the AIS…
Your wellbeing remains a priority for us. If this notification or the documentary raises any questions or concerns, or if you would like support at any stage, please know that help is available…
Thank you for the part you have played in the history of the AIS. Your experiences, achievements and contributions continue to inform who we are today and who we aspire to be.”
Another former athlete told ABC that the email felt like a “power punch” and was “traumatic” and “triggering.” She stated: “as an athlete in the 80s and 90s, I think the Australian public need to be aware it wasn't just vulnerable young girls that were abused, it was men and women, girls, boys, any sport, all suffered different forms of abuse." She also stated that she felt suicidal at the time.
The former athlete described the unhappiness athletes had to endure even after leaving the institute: “You are no longer an athlete. A doctor doesn't care about you, physios aren't fussing over you, masseuses aren't dying to help you…
You are thrown out like a piece of rubbish, and that was the experience of everybody in the 80s and 90s. You were dispensable.”
In defence, Perkins told ABC: “This documentary offers a timely opportunity to reflect on where we began, how we have evolved, and where we are heading next…
The early communication to former athletes was trauma informed to ensure they hear about the project from us first and have awareness and the opportunity to engage if they wish.”
He also stated: “the ASC went into this project with a willingness to share all elements of the AIS's journey…
We do not shy away from the fact that some athletes were treated inappropriately in the past.”
However, the promotional video for the documentary suggests otherwise, according to Alison Quigley, the founder of advocacy group, Athletes Rights Australia. She voiced that the Restorative Program had a principle of ‘do no further harm.’
However, since the promotional video showcases the best of the institute, she stated: “How does this upcoming promotional video address ‘do no further harm?’ Overall, there is concern that the institute’s problematic past will be erased in the documentary airing early next week.
