Olympians Call on the 2020 Tokyo Organizing Committee to Host a Healthier Olympics for All
Jennifer Barckley
Dotsie Bausch, 2012 silver medal Olympian with Team USA, 8-time U.S. National Champion and Former World Record Holder has come forward with eight other athletes from the US, Canada and New Zealand, to launch Legacy for Animals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Tokyo, Japan - August 22, 2018) Dotsie Bausch, 2012 silver medal Olympian with Team USA, 8-time U.S. National Champion and Former World Record Holder has come forward with eight other athletes from the US, Canada and New Zealand, to launch Legacy for Animals, a campaign urging the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee and Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, to source better food options, including 100% cage-free eggs and 100% stall-free pork for its 10,500 athletes and guests. This request is in-line with policies adopted by the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Hens confined in small cages—prohibited in the EU and several US states such as California, Michigan and Massachusetts—suffer immense pain and stress. According to Bausch, eggs produced outside of cages, in free-range environments, contain more protein, vitamin E, βcaroten and omega-3 than eggs from conventional, caged facilities—key nutrients that influence the performance and results of elite athletes.
Like chickens, pigs are also subject to severe confinement, stress and abuse. In the EU and US states, including Florida, Oregon and California, the confinement of pregnant sows is banned—saving these social animals from close to two years alone in a tiny crate, repeatedly pregnant and sick from living in their own waste and consuming antibacterial drugs. Bausch notes that when pigs are under such stress their production of hormones, such as Glucocorticoids increases, linked to a loss of muscle and bone mass and a depressed immune system when absorbed by humans through the pork on their plates.
“The Olympic Games are the most important moment in an elite’s athletes life, so the very best quality of food and nutrition are necessary,” says Bausch. “If the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are not able to provide the best and most performance enhancing food then the city will fall behind from a world that is moving away from confining animals in horrifying and miserable conditions because all of that stress ends up in our food.”
As part of this health-impacting campaign, Bausch has written a request letter to Tokyo Governor Koike and the committee, urging the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to align with the policies adopted by previous Olympic committees. This effort is supported by The Humane League, The Humane League Japan, The Open Wing Alliance, and the Animal Rights Center Japan—animal protection nonprofits committed to a more humane and healthy Olympics for all. Together, they are also calling on consumers to tell the committee just how much they care via a change.org petition.
About The Humane League The Humane League is an international farm animal protection nonprofit that works to reduce animal suffering in our world. Since its founding in 2005, The Humane League has focused on effectively ending the worst abuses in factory farming, securing strong animal welfare commitments from major foodservice providers, restaurants, food manufacturers and hospitality leaders around the world, changing the lives for billions of farm animals suffering everyday.
About Dotsie Bausch and the Olympians behind this campaign An Olympic silver medalist from the 2012 London Games, 8-time U.S. National Champion, former world record holder and two-time Pan American gold medal winner, Dotsie Bausch has transitioned in full stride from professional athlete to influential advocate and a leading voice in sports technology, health, wellness and animal rights. Known as an avid animal advocate, she lectures as a nutrition expert and shares the importance of farm animal welfare for the health of animals and humans.
Joining Bausch in this campaign are Rebecca Soni, 2008 & 2012 Team USA swimmer—gold and silver medalist, Dustin Watten, 2016 Team USA Volleyball, Meagan Duhamel, 2018 Team Canada Figure Skater—gold and silver medalist, Kara Lang, 2008 Team Canada soccer and Canadian Hall of Famer, Jennie Reed, 2004, 2008 & 2012 Team USA Track cycling silver medalist and World Champion, Lauren Fendrick, 2016 Team USA beach volleyball player, Tamara Jenkins, 2000 Team USA Canoe/Kayak competitor, and Jo Kiesanowski, three time New Zealand Olympian in road and track cycling.
MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Barckley +1 (917) 756-9177 Jbarckley@thehumaneleague.org www.thehumaneleague.org
