Testimonials & Board Members
Dartmouth Swimmers Testimonial for Champion Women – 16 May, 2022
Champion Women advisors include the following distinguished athletes and advocates: Judy Sweet, Donna de Varona, Richard Lapchick, Donna Lopiano, Chris Voelz, Christine Grant, Diane Milutinovich, Erin Buzuvis and Terri Lakowski.
Advisors & Partners
“America needs a women’s sports organization with the unique and sole focus of strong advocacy against the inequality of women and girls in sport…Champion Women can be that organization. I am proud to be associated with Champion Women.”
Richard Lapchick
“I’m very excited to join Nancy Hogshead as a pioneer in advocacy for girls and women…I have no doubt, we will make a difference in the desperately neglected sexual abuse problem faced by women athletes.”
Micki King
“Champion Women fills a critical and missing voice to ensure that all girls and women have true equality and meaningful access to sports opportunities. Nancy Hogshead is the perfect leader to drive this new organization—she is a relentless advocate, brilliant strategist, and committed changemaker on behalf of girls and women in sports.”
Terri Lakowski
“I have had the honor of working with Nancy on several projects and committees and have always been impressed with, and grateful for, her passion, knowledge, work ethic, integrity and commitment to equity and justice. Nancy helps heighten awareness of important issues, and then identifies strategies and solutions to address those issues.”
Judy Sweet
“Nancy Hogshead-Makar, founder of Champion Women, has been a tireless advocate for the promotion, protection and support of girls and women in sport. She has redirected the drive, hard work and passion she used to capture three Olympic swimming gold medals during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to this effort. All of us who have had the privilege of working with her know how important it is she continues to be able to apply her skills to the issues of the time free of conflicts of interest. It is my pleasure to join her as a founding member of Champion Women.”
Donna de Varona
“There has been a great need for a women’s sports organization whose sole focus is addressing unfairness, discrimination and lack of respect for women in a worldwide sport culture. Champion Women is such an organization and its pledge to pursue social justice as an independent expert force unfettered by the economic or political power of transgressors is critically important. Too many organizations refrain from strong advocacy voices because they fear loss of funding sources or the wrath of powerful players who may be subject to criticism. I’m confident that founder Nancy Hogshead-Makar, an Olympic gold medalist and highly respected sports attorney, along with the experts committed to working on the E&SA team, will always embrace the role of ‘responsible voice’ and a course of ‘right action.’”
Donna A. Lopiano, Ph.D.
“Nancy Hogshead-Makar is a passionate and accomplished advocate for girls and women in sport. Under her leadership, Champion Women will be influential and effective in the movement to overturn barriers to women’s athletic participation that derive from sexual violence and harassment, commercialization of college athletics, challenges to Title IX, intersecting discrimination on the basis of LGBT, race, disability, or class, and other sources.”
Chris Voelz
“I have never met a more passionate advocate for gender equity in sports than Nancy Hogshead. Nor have I met an advocate more committed to the creation of an environment that is free of sexual harassment and abuse than Nancy Hogshead. Nancy is the consummate professional who, with her highly qualified team, will work with institutions to develop strategies to achieve true equity in sport. The creation of an organization with a laser-beam focus on equity for women in sport is long overdue and deserves the wholehearted support of all parents who believe in equity for all girls and women.”
Christine H.B. Grant, Ph.D.
“Nancy Hogshead-Makar is a strong advocate for equality and equitable treatment of girls and women in sports. She has used her experience and leadership skills improve the female athletes’ sports experience.”
Diane Milutinovich
“Nancy Hogshead-Makar is a passionate and accomplished advocate for girls and women in sport. Under her leadership, Champion Women will be influential and effective in the movement to overturn barriers to women’s athletic participation that derive from sexual violence and harassment, commercialization of college athletics, challenges to Title IX, intersecting discrimination on the basis of LGBT, race, disability, or class, and other sources.”
Erin Buzuvis
Champion Women advisors include the following distinguished athletes and advocates: Judy Sweet, Donna de Varona, Richard Lapchick, Donna Lopiano, Chris Voelz, Christine Grant, Diane Milutinovich, Erin Buzuvis and Terri Lakowski.
Meet The Board Members
Nancy Hogshead, President
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Lauren Mahoney, Vice President
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Mariah Burton Nelson
A pioneering Stanford and pro basketball player, Mariah Burton Nelson is an award-winning author who has written seven books — including The Stronger Women Get, The More Men Love Football — for four major publishers and now writes Stronger Women on Substack. She co-authored Staying in Bounds: NCAA Model Policy to Prevent Inappropriate Relationships Between Student-Athletes and Athletics Department Personnel.
Willie Banks
Willie Banks is a three-time U.S. Olympian (1980, 1984, 1988) in the triple jump and former world record holder (1985–1995), with a best mark of 58 feet, 11.5 inches (17.97 m). He became a global ambassador for track and field by popularizing the event—engaging crowds with pre-jump rhythmic clapping—and is credited with helping preserve it from exclusion by promoters.
Banks is a University of California Los Angeles graduate, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate. His many honors include induction into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame (1999), the Jesse Owens Award (1985), USOC Sportsman of the Year (1986), and four-time NCAA All-American (1975–1978).
After retiring from competition, Banks transitioned into leadership within the Olympic and sports movement. He has held key roles with USA Track & Field (including board member and Athletes Advisory Committee chair), the US Olympic Committee Athlete Alumni Association (Vice President), and the World Olympians Association (Marketing Consultant). He also served as a spokesman for the 1986 Goodwill Games and a commentator for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Today, Willie Banks remains active in sports administration, marketing, and event hosting. He served as President and CEO of the inaugural World Beach Games (San Diego, 2019) and continues to support the Olympic Movement while pursuing global business opportunities for his clients. He is also a current member of the World Athletics Council.
Kim Rutkowski
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