WADA Talks with Travis Tygart

In this edition of WADA Talks, we sit down with Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and one of the most vocal advocates of the anti-doping movement. 

Known, to many, as the person who exposed the US Postal service doping program, Tygart explains in the interview the valuable role whistleblowers played in coming forward with information, ultimately ensuring that doped athletes were held accountable and that those in “the system”, including team doctors and directors, were removed from the sport.

In the interview, Tygart recollects the first time he discovered the far reaching consequences of doping when he started coaching at the high school level where he saw parents, coaches and sport organizations pushing young athletes to the point that they turned to Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).

That experience renewed his sense of urgency to do everything possible to bring back what he says winning truly is. “Winning is not a victory, podium position, medal or yellow jersey by fraud. It is doing it the right way, and having great pride and satisfaction in knowing that you were the best athlete that day and that you did it the right way, by the rules”, he said.

WADA Talks sees the agency’s Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, Ben Nichols, interviewing leading figures from the athlete community, sport, government and other partners involved in the clean sport movement.

To watch WADA Talks with Travis Tygart, and to see other videos from the Agency’s collection, please visit the WADA Talks Playlist on WADA’s YouTube Channel.

*This WADA Talks interview was filmed in November 2015