'We were just children': Canadian gymnasts speak out against culture of abuse in their sport
It's a scene that didn’t make it into the documentary but is deeply revealing all the same.
While sitting around a backyard bonfire in their hometown of Sarnia, Ont., Abby Spadafora and Mel Hunt sound like so many other thirty-something moms.
They talk about their kids, housing prices in the area and long lost acquaintances. But when the reminiscing turns to the years they spent together training as elite athletes, the conversation takes a dark turn.
“We were just children, you know, doing a sport we love. And some people took advantage,” Abby told CTV W5.
Abby Spadafora speaks with CTV W5
Like a lot of gymnasts, Mel and Abby were not even school age when they were first introduced to the sport. By eight years of age both were training competitively at Sarnia’s then renowned Bluewater gym.
In the years that followed, they became among Canada’s top gymnasts in their respective age groups, competing internationally as members of Team Canada and dreaming of the ultimate goal: representing Canada at the Olympics.
Their head coach was a noted taskmaster, Dave Brubaker.
"He says jump, you say 'how high,'" recalled Abby. "I was petrified when I was in there."
Nevertheless, the girls excelled under Brubaker’s tutelage, capturing medals and countless headlines in the local papers. From the outside it appeared an ideal match: a strict though knowledgeable and caring coach, paired with talented and committed athletes. The reality of the true nature of those relationships remained a secret for years.
”Nobody knew anything,” said Mel.
Mel Hunt speaks with CTV W5
It would take nearly two decades before the truth about Brubaker’s behaviour and methods would come to light.
"I thought I was going to the grave with all of it," said Abby.
In 2019, more than a decade after they had stopped competing, Mel and Abby were among a group of 11 gymnasts that filed a complaint against Brubaker with Gymnastics Canada.
A three-year investigative process ensued, but in the end a disciplinary committee determined 54 of their allegations were credible. Among those allegations, it was found that Brubaker had "caused an athlete to land on her head during training" … that he was "inappropriately affectionate" with an athlete and had told her he "wanted to touch her" … and that he engaged in inappropriate massaging with an athlete … including "sliding his hand under her underwear."
Brubaker was banned for life from coaching gymnastics in Canada.
"It’s amazing," said Abby, "all of us who have come forward and found the strength to do this. I’m so thankful."
In coming forward, Mel and Abby have joined a growing number of voices denouncing the treatment of gymnasts by coaches, trainers and administrators.
In May 2022, a class action lawsuit was launched against Gymnastics Canada and provincial gymnastics bodies across the country alleging systemic negligence.
Five months later, in October 2022, a group called Gymnasts for Change, representing more than 500 current and former gymnasts, called for a public inquiry into what they say is the sport’s toxic culture.
For Abby, it’s simple. The coaching, the training methods, the treatment of the athletes all requires a complete overhaul. “The culture, everything. Everything has to change. Bottom up. Top down.”
'Broken: The Toxic Culture of Canadian Gymnastics' is a co-production between W5, TSN and Crave. The feature length documentary is also available on Crave.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
Conservatives kick off return to House with new call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives returned to the House of Commons on Tuesday with a renewed call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign, this time over 'very partisan' and 'inflammatory' language used to promote an upcoming event.
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Feels like mid-30s in parts of Canada, while other areas expecting snow
Anything is possible this week, as far as Canada's weather is concerned, with forecasts ranging from scorching heat in some parts of the country to rain and snow in others.
Nestle to sell $5 pizza, sandwiches in the U.S. for Wegovy, Ozempic users
Nestle NESN.S will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
How much more Canadian consumers are paying, compared to this time last year
Canada's annual inflation rate slowed to a three-year low of 2.7 per cent in April, matching expectations, and core measures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, likely boosting chances of a June interest rate cut.
Local Spotlight
Beyond books: Halifax libraries lends instruments, sports equipment, memory kits and more
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
'A special bird': The unbreakable bond between purple martins and humans
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
7-year-old Pokémon prodigy heading to Hawaii for world championship tournament
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
From DVDs to rehearsals: Halifax theatre company transforms Video Difference building into arts hub
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
'Another pair of eyes watching over me:' How a B.C. woman's service dog saved her from drowning
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
Starbucks fan on decades-long journey to visit every store in the world
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
'Sacred work': Sask. First Nation learning how to conduct its own underground searches
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
'It could mean a cure': Cautious optimism for groundbreaking ALS research at Western
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.