Sex abuse conqueror Witty to carry US banner

After carrying a burden of silence at being a victim of childhood sexual abuse, Chris Witty will have no trouble carrying the US flag in Friday's Turin Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

The 30-year-old long-track speedskater who will compete in her fifth Olympics was selected for the honor by a vote of US sport captains, US Olympic Committee officials announced Thursday.

"It's such an honor to be selected by the team like this," Witty said. "It's an amazing team to be part of. To lead them into the Olympics, I'm thrilled. I can't imagine a bigger honor than this."

Witty was molested by an elderly neighbor and family friend starting when she was four years old. Incidents continued for seven years before Witty, after seeing a film in school on sexual abuse, confronted her abuser and said no.

"I always believed you should be true to yourself. Hopefully that's the message a 10-year old girl will see," Witty said.

"That's the toughest thing as a survivor - you are told to feel guilty. When I realized it wasn't my fault, that's when the healing began. If you are a kid out there, just know that an adult knew better, you were just a child and you were taken advantage of."

Sports became an escape for Witty, who found speed on the ice even as she could not run from the abuse she suffered off it.

"I could be free on the ice," she said. "I could be myself. I could accomplish things."

Witty's abuser was sent to jail for a sexual assault upon a four-year-old in 1996 and returned to his home across the alley from her parents' house in Milwaukee before the 2002 Olympics.

Painful memories and a confrontation followed.

"The whole world kind of stops," Witty said.

"I remember him saying, 'I'm real sorry about what happened,' and I didn't say a word. (I recall) the smell, definitely. I would be in the basement. He tried to make me jealous of other girls. I remember that."

Witty sought help from Keith Henschen, US Speedskating's sport psychologist, and he advised her to skate at the Olympics, then begin therapy.

"I was overwhelmed with all these emotions," Witty said. "He lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and I felt so free to compete."

Witty won 1,000m gold at the 2002 Olympics after capturing silver in the 1,000 and bronze in the 1,500 at the 1998 Games. She began therapy in March of 2002 and went public with her emotional struggle in October of 2004.

"Abuse of any kind exists because of secrecy. I hope other people will talk about it, break the silence," Witty said. "I just feel so much more comfortable in my own skin, knowing who I am and why I'm that way. It wasn't my fault."

By the time Witty told her parents of the abuse, the statute of limitations had run out, meaning that her abuser could not be prosecuted.

But Witty has become the most public spokesperson for "Good Touch, Bad Touch", an organization educating children about abuse.

"I just felt I wanted to get out there and say something. If I say something maybe someone else will," she said. "I used to be very quiet. I'm able to enjoy everything now. It feels great to give people the tools to help themselves."

Witty is in her fourth consecutive Winter Games as a speedskater after a 2000 Summer Olympics berth as a cyclist. She is only the ninth US Olympian to compete in Winter and Summer Games and the 25th to compete in five or more.

"We're proud of her courage, her resiliency and the things she has overcome," USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said.

Witty had longed for the flag bearer honor.

"I really wanted to do it. I was thrilled. I can't imagine what it will be like to carry the flag and walk through the doors of the stadium," Witty said.

"I've heard it is (heavy). But I work out."

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AFP 091224 GMT 02 06

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