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Cracking Down on Sporting Cheaters
By Tyree Washington, California
I have been a professional athlete in track and field for the last 10 years and I can say with a smile I have always been clean. I have won five world titles - three in the 400 meters and two in the 4 x 400 meter relay. I'm currently a world record holder in the 4X400 meter relay which was set in New York at the 1998 Goodwill Games.
"The question is - if the cheaters out there continue to raise the bar so high, then what money will be left for the clean athletes to make?" -Tyree Washington
But my accomplishments didn't come easy, I had to stay focused and work very hard. Have I ever been tempted to use performance enhancing drugs? Yes. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But at the end of the day, it's about doing what's right. Doing what's right is not always easy when it comes to professional sports and the general public is totally unaware of what goes on.
Some years ago I was attending a retreat in Miami along with other elite Track and Field athletes. At the time a close friend confided in me that he had tested positive for steroids twice in his career. I was totally amazed. He was a two-time Olympic medalist who didn't need drugs at all. I asked him why? Basically it boiled down to the pressure to remain on top.
That conversation forever changed me. I saw how a great man got caught up believing he could play Russian roulette with his body just to please society. To this day I still talk to my best friend because I can't cast the first stone. No one can because it's not the healthy that need help, it's the sick.
My friend received a four year ban which he served rightfully. I don't condone what he did, but I realize it's the meet promoters, the shoe companies and other endorsement agencies that are pushing athletes like my friend to compete at these extremely high levels. The question is - if the cheaters out there continue to raise the bar so high, then what money will be left for the clean athletes to make?
In track and field, if we get caught using a performance enhancing drugs twice we are banned from competing for life. We are tested randomly and subjected to blood and urine testing if the doping agency feels we're not in compliance with the rules and regulations that are set forth.
Some athletes believe this procedure and the subsequent punishment is harsh. But as professional athletes we have to be role models and teachers both on and off the field. I feel very strongly about this and that's why I dedicate myself to speaking out about this issue. I have spoken to over 20,000 kids, teachers and parents during Red Ribbon week. Most of the kids seem pleased that I am being real with them and not telling them what they wanted to hear. I really want them to understand that steroids are no different from cancer - the affects are often silent but very deadly. Steroids can kill regardless of your race, color or financial status.
The sad thing is, as more and more young kids go pro at an earlier age, they are pushed to develop quickly. Their childhood passes by like a leaf blowing in the wind. Athletes need more than their coaches and their fans telling them how good they are. They need unconditional love and reassurance that if they don't make it to the pros or become the all-American athlete that family, friends and coaches will love them for their accomplishments and not for the things they didn't accomplish.
