Dominique Kondo

And this is not about lowering standards or wrapping athletes up in cotton wool.

It's about raising awareness so we can pursue that excellence safely, intelligently and sustainably.

Now, some sport are leading the way in this space.

IOC, Safe Sport Initiatives and professional organisations like Swimming Australia who have invested in education, language training and measurement standards.

But it takes everyone, coaches, administrators and the public.

Now, you might still be sitting there thinking, really, what does this have to do with me?

Again, this is not just about elite sport.

All of us have felt the weight of appearance in some way.

For women, that might be to be smaller, thinner, more feminine.

For men, it may be to be taller, bigger, more masculine.

Think about it.

When was the last time you compared yourself in the mirror, at the gym or online?

praised for losing weight when no one actually asking if you're happy or healthy.

Or took 20 photos before posting one because you didn't like the way you looked.

Now imagine that pressure times by a thousand.

Your body constantly scanned, discussed, linked directly to your contract.

And men aren't immune to this either.

Research has shown that male athletes and teenagers also struggle with body image, maybe not to be thinner, but to be broader, stronger, more muscular, more defined.

Different pressure, same story.

The reality is we're all living under performance expectations shaped by appearance.