Using their platform for good.
For the “On Her Turf” virtual athlete panel, hosted by E!’s own Erin Lim, Olympians Laurie Hernandez, Sydney McLaughlin, Ibtihaj Muhammad and Breanna Stewart touched on a variety of topics, including raising their voices for social issues.
“We all have very big platforms. So, I think with that comes a lot of responsibility, especially because people do limit us just to being athletes,” American hurdler Sydney started off. “I think it’s so important to understand that we’re only athletes so much out of the day.”
As she continued, Sydney reminded those tuning into the panel that “everyone has a platform” they can use, regardless of size.
“I think there’s power in numbers,” the 20-year-old athlete noted.
This conversation comes amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others.
Going off of Sydney’s point, Laurie emphasized that while they are athletes, they are humans first and foremost.
“Yeah, I’m a gymnast! Like, yeah I’m a professional athlete, but I’m a human being before that,” the gold medal winning gymnast expressed. “And taking care of people and helping other people is the foundation before anything else.”
