Voices of Change: A Qualitative Analysis of the Motivations Behind Female Athlete Activism at Tokyo 2020

2026/01/01 by Marloes Ekkelboom
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Sport Psychology and Performance #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Sports, Gender, and Society

paper · doi:10.1123/ssj.2025-0019

openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/02/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

This study investigates the motivations of intersectionally marginalized female athletes engaging in activism during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Using qualitative content analysis of secondary-sourced interviews with three U.S. Olympians, the research identifies five areas influencing activist behavior. The findings reveal that the interplay of psychological needs—autonomy and self-identification, competence and controllability, and belonging and community connection—alongside socialization and personal identity drive these athletes’ actions. By highlighting these motivational factors, the study provides valuable insights for sporting organizations, offering future directions on fostering environments that support athlete activism while addressing systemic inequities.

Citations

• The politics of race and sport: Resistance and domination in the 1968 African American Olympic protest movement
• Race and resistance: A typology of African American sport activism
• Predicting Activism for a Social Cause
• Two, four, six, eight…why we want to participate: Motivations and barriers to LGBTQ+ activism

Related

• Race and resistance: A typology of African American sport activism
• The Black College Athletes’ Burden: A Critical Analysis of Race, Civic Engagement, and Activism of National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes
• A New Voice
• Sports and Male Domination: The Female Athlete as Contested Ideological Terrain
• A Perfect Storm: Black Feminism and Women’s National Basketball Association Black Athlete Activism