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Turning the Tide - Igniting the Power of Change

Author of Turning the Tide, Michelle Ford, displays the courageousness of athletes and how we can apply it to our everyday lives. 

With the unwavering determination of an Olympian, author Michelle Ford illuminates how individuals can effect profound change amidst adversity on one of the world's grandest stages.

As a gold medallist in 800 metres swimming, focused on the 1980 Moscow Olympics, set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions and doping scandals, she confronted numerous challenges. Immerse yourself in Ford's journey from her formative days on Sydney's beaches, harbouring dreams of Olympic glory, to grappling with the harsh realities of international competition tainted by political tensions, doping controversies, and systemic issues within the sporting arena.

If you've ever navigated uncertain times in your career or life, harbouring the belief that you possess the potential to be a catalyst for change, then this is the Cuppa for you.

When: 12pm Wednesday May 22
Where: To join the conversation sign in or register for Amica

 

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MORE ABOUT MICHELLE FORD:

Michelle Ford-Eriksson MBE, a dual Olympic gold and bronze medallist at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games and a dual world record holder, boasts a Master's in Sports Psychology from the University of Southern California ('USC') and a Bachelor's degree in business communication. She has served on directorships at esteemed institutions such as the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Sports Foundation, and Swimming Australia. As Australia's first and founding member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission, she worked alongside luminaries like Thomas Bach and Sebastian Coe. Currently residing in Switzerland and Sydney, Michelle continues to leave an indelible mark.

Championing Change in "Turning the Tide"

Amidst the backdrop of the Soviet Union's incursion into Afghanistan, the 1980 Moscow Olympics assumed a decidedly political hue.
 
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser advocated for a boycott of the Games, aligning with the USA, yet many athletes harboured differing sentiments and opted to compete.
The true victims, as per Ford, were predominantly female athletes.
 
In "Turning the Tide," Michelle Ford, a gold medallist in 800 metres swimming, delineates the triumphs and tribulations from her idyllic days on Sydney's shores as a dreamy-eyed youngster to clinching Olympic glory amidst the cauldron of Cold War politics infiltrating sport like a toxic brew.
 
Olympic boycotts, threats of violence, deliberate ignorance, and misogyny converged with the advent of the most virulent, systematic, state-sponsored doping regimen ever witnessed.
 
As Paris gears up to host the 2024 Olympics, marking a century since the Modern Olympics' progenitor Pierre de Coubertin pronounced that "Women have one task, that of the role of crowning the winner with garlands," an apathy towards female athletes endures.
 
In this roller-coaster chronicle of fortitude and resilience within the Olympic sphere, "Turning the Tide" stands as a clarion call for transformation.
 
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