To Take or Not to Take? Why I Chose to Stay Clean

Abstract

In this chapter about an ex-professional cyclist who was faced with the choice to dope, Toby Atkins tells his story of how he became a part of elite sport and what brought him to being faced with the choice of whether or not to dope. Toby made the choice to be a clean athlete and then chose to speak out against his entourage and teammates by reporting the doping programme to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). In doing so he became a whistleblower. He outlines some of the key attributes he believes made him strong enough to reject doping and speak out and also shares his thoughts on clean sport in 2021.