Once hailed as the fastest female athlete in the U.S. at the age of 17, Mary Cain’s promising running career took a dark turn due to a toxic environment of mental abuse, body shaming, and harmful training practices. This ordeal forced her to abandon the sport she once excelled in and cherished.
In an interview with The Current‘s Matt Galloway, Cain revealed how she endured years of mistreatment at the Nike Oregon Project under the guidance of renowned coach Alberto Salazar. Her decision to speak out about her harrowing experience in a 2019 New York Times op-ed led to other elite athletes coming forward with similar tales of mistreatment. In 2021, Salazar faced a lifetime ban from the U.S. Center for SafeSport for his misconduct, a penalty he unsuccessfully contested.
Now at 29, Cain is vocal about identifying “tough coaching” as a form of abuse. In her recent memoir, This Is Not About Running, she sheds light on how toxicity often begins in educational institutions and permeates the upper echelons of sports.
As a teenager, Cain competed against elite international runners, achieving remarkable feats such as participating in the World Championships and becoming the first high schooler to break the two-minute mark in the 800 meters. However, her success drew unwarranted hostility from parents and peers, with her high school coaches endorsing the negative treatment she received.
“The seeds of mistreatment were sown even before my time with Alberto, as my high school experience was marked by negativity, including parents and peers verbally attacking me,” Cain explained.
Upon signing with Nike in 2013, Cain found herself excusing Salazar’s unacceptable behavior in a bid to earn his approval, as detailed in her book.
Public scrutiny
Cain accuses Salazar of transitioning from improving her running technique to fixating on controlling her diet and appearance, including publicly weighing her and berating her for surpassing 114 pounds.
“Over time, the mistreatment became normalized to some extent. Despite my emotional resistance and deep embarrassment, I almost resigned myself to the situation,” Cain reflected.
When she confided in her parents, they confronted her coaches, but instead of altering their behavior, Cain claimed they punished her, leading her to suffer in silence.
She highlighted the relentless criticism faced by young female athletes, particularly criticizing media commentary that objectifies and scrutinizes their bodies, perpetuating harmful stereotypes.