Today, as we celebrate Safe Sport Day 2025, we catch up with Nicola Minichiello, IBSF Academy Manager who leads the IBSF Safeguarding initiatives, helping to ensure athletes are able to train and compete in a safe and respectful environment.
Safe Sport Day, established in 2020 by worldwide supporters of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport Initiative, is designed to celebrate progress and motivate new commitments for athlete protection.
Why is Safe Sport Day celebrated today + who is involved?
“Safe Sport Day is held on 8 August to acknowledge the eight International Safeguards and is strategically timed to coincide with peak global sports attention,” explained Minichiello, who is also member of the IOC Safeguarding Working Group as the Winter Olympic Federations representative.
“The initiative is supported by major institutions like the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Commonwealth Games Federation and a network of over 140 organisations across six continents – including IBSF.”
How can our community support Safe Sport Day in 2025?
“#TakeThePledge is a key part of this year’s Safe Sport Day campaign. Together we can show collective support and create a groundswell of opinion that safeguarding our athletes is of the upmost importance – visit safeinsport.org,” underlined Minichiello.
“From social media Safe Sport shoutouts, to spotlighting those who go above and beyond to safeguard – from athletes, to staff, to volunteers – and simply joining the conversation by sharing activities with #SafeSportDay25, #TakeThePledge and #ThePeopleWhoMakeSportSafe is also key.”
IBSF Academy’s Safe Sport course – what’s new in 2025 + where can I find it?
“IBSF Academy’s Online Safeguarding course, available in English and German, was created in 2024 and features scenario-based learning and great examples of best practice,” said Minichiello.
“By taking this course, which is free of charge, our coaches, medical personnel – and basically anyone coming into contact with our athletes, so including fellow teammates – can understand via IBSF Academy what safeguarding means, define why it’s important and understand the role they can play in preventing abuse and harassment in the international sports community.
“We urge everyone involved and interested in Safe Sport to take this course – full details are in IBSF Academy here.”
About IBSF Safeguarding
Our Bobsleigh and Skeleton athletes, coaches and officials deserve to feel a huge sense of achievement and delight when training and competing in our sports, feeling safe and treated with respect. The IBSF has developed a Safeguarding Policy to help and assist its Members – we also have our own safeguarding reporting email: safeguarding@ibsf.org
About International Olympic Committee’s Safeguarding Resources
The IOC has developed information and educational tools on harassment and abuse and the prevention of this forms a key part of the IOC Olympic Charter.
The IBSF strongly recommends that everyone involved in sport – in particular parents, race organisers, mechanics, coaches, medical personnel and sport officials – familiarise themselves with this information. Furthermore the IOC has developed resources for IFs, NOCs and NFs, as well as a Safeguarding Toolkit – with a dedicated International Olympic Committee Integrity and Compliance Hotline.