Sarah Ehekircher gives distressing account of sexual abuse by swimming coach as a minor

Former swimmer Sarah Ehekircher has revealed the mental and physical torture she went through as a teenager when her coach, Scott MacFarland, sexually assaulted her during the 1980s. The 51-year-old Ehekircher has now filed a civil case against MacFarland and disclosed how USA Swimming neglected her appeals for help as a minor. Ehekircher also recalled how she was an 'easy target' for MacFarland at the age of 16; young, motherless with a father who was addicted to alcohol.

Sarah Ehekircher case: Former swimmer files sexual assault case against former coach

Only last week, Sarah Ehekircher reportedly filed a case against her former coach, Scott MacFarland, nearly 35 years since she was first sexually assaulted by the California resident. MacFarland coached with the Magnolia Aquatic Club and Woodlands Swim Team during his mid-30s where he first met Sarah. At the time, Ehekircher had the ambition to participate as a swimmer in the Olympics but her dream soon turned into a nightmare.

ALSO READ: Rani Rampal Confident That India's New Fitness Approach For Olympics Will Bring Surprises

Ehekircher lost her mother at the age of 13 and her father’s alcohol problem turned into more than just a few drinks each night. He failed to pay attention to Sarah's rapid progress through the levels of the swim team and by the time she turned 16, she was confident in her ability and talent to fulfil her dream of taking part in the Olympics. However, Ehekircher's problems at home only began to grow as her father remarried and forced the teenager to move out after finding out about Sarah's low grades in school. 

Ehekircher had nowhere else to go when MacFarland, her swim coach, offered her the opportunity to move into his one-bedroom apartment. Ehekircher then recalled how the emotional torture began as MacFarland kept telling her about her weakness and inability to lose weight in order to participate as a swimmer at the top level. "The point was to break down my self-confidence as a 16-year-old so he could sexually abuse me later on", Ehekircher said to The Guardian. 

ALSO READ: Olympics Official Channel Gains 3.3 BILLION Views Since 2016 Across All Digital Platforms

Not long after she moved in with MacFarland, Ehekircher was sexually abused at a swim meet in California. When asked about why she didn't report it at the time, Ehekircher explained, "How could I?, I was scared. He was paying for my food, my clothes and providing me with a roof over my head." After accepting a scholarship at the University of Arkansas, Ehekircher was pregnant with MarFarland's child and flew to Colorado for an abortion. Just eight months later, Ehekircher had to end a second pregnancy by MacFarland. Over the decade, Ehekircher admitted that she was sexually abused multiple times and in 1999 she was hospitalised after a suicide attempt.

ALSO READ: Could Tokyo Olympics 2021 Be In Doubt? Survey Shows Disgruntlement In Japanese Companies

Ehekircher added that there was no help from USA Swimming as they neglected her cases against MacFarland in 2010. Ehekircher says: "It was no secret about what was happening between coach MacFarland and myself. It was considered normal in the USA for coaches to sexually assault athletes". Nearly 35 years after being abused by MacFarland, Ehekircher has now filed a lawsuit against MacFarland for the sexual abuse she suffered as a 17-year-old. However, she says, "Sadly, my story is only one of many."

ALSO READ: Anand Mahindra Inspires Followers On Friday Morning With THIS Olympics Example

Image Credits - Sarah Ehekircher Twitter