Emma Webb, author of Historic, exposes the untold history of Olga Gymnastics club and the Phelps family legacy. We break down the abuse scandal, the Whyte Review, Gymnasts for Change, and how survivors pushed British Gymnastics to finally reform.
INTERVIEW
We talk with Emma Webb (pseudonym), author of the new book Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport - The Book Every Parent Needs to Read, a memoir detailing the trauma and abuse she endured under convicted child sex offender Brian Phelps, plus the aftermath of how the British legal system chose to protect abusers over children
CHAPTERS (pre-auto inserted ads)
00:00 – Trigger Warning SA
01:03 – Brian Phelps' criminal charges and conviction
01:39 – The broader British gymnastics abuse reckoning
02:01 – Gymnasts for Change and the Whyte Review
02:36 – Restorative Program & the £15,000 split survivor offer
03:28 – How Emma first contacted GymCastic
03:44 – The long-term psychological and medical impact
04:10 – Doctors discovering internal injuries from childhood abuse
06:10 – Phelps' police interviews and his admissions
07:26 – Why survivors didn't pursue further prosecution
08:05 – Brian and Monica's life in France & public exposure
10:19 – Mapping all Olga locations & survivor triggers
11:05 – The pandemic pause and worsening mental health
11:33 – Discovery of the Phelps Legacy Club in 2022
12:10 – Multiple Phelps family members and their roles
12:22 – The "new" Renascence club operating despite convictions
12:28 – Timeline of Phelps fleeing & survivor disclosures
13:01 – A disturbing encounter: the club near Emma's son's bus stop
14:20 – Emma's decision: "Enough." Why she wrote Historic
15:06 – Reporting to the Whyte Review & British Athletes Commission
16:30 – Why reporting in the UK is a bureaucratic nightmare
17:36 – How reporting was mishandled & why systems fail
18:22 – How British Gymnastics and the council were complicit in Brian Phelps crimes
19:24 – Employment history: Phelps employed by the government & BBC
21:00 – Coaches and community "knew something was wrong"
21:14 – Other roles Monica and Brian held despite accusations
21:23 – The name "Renaissance" and why it matters
22:03 – How the club reopened after his release
22:45 – A fully avoidable tragedy: Phelps' first arrest in 1966
23:31 – Commonwealth Games cover-up to protect his career
24:34 – Royal audiences for Phelps & protected reputations
25:05 – The 10-year gap between his arrest and Emma meeting him
26:09 – How court attitudes toward sexual abuse haven't changed
27:03 – The Nik Stuart Foundation honoring Monica Phelps
28:13 – British Gymnastics leadership celebrating the Phelps family
29:29 – Video clip from the ceremony: denial of the Whyte Review
30:23 – Widespread knowledge in diving and gymnastics
32:03 – Comparing the Whyte Review to US investigations
33:25 – How the Whyte Review minimized sexual abuse
34:00 – Abuse in British Gymnastics: a larger pattern
35:55 – Non-sexual forms of abuse and lifelong harm
36:20 – Warning signs parents should not ignore
37:04 – Why the culture enables predators
38:17 – Parents' responsibility & due diligence
39:26 – Closed-door clubs & lingering dangers
40:39 – Male survivors vs. female survivors: unequal response
41:13 – How BG acted quickly for boys, not for girls
42:06 – Phelps' public statement denying Emma's reporting
43:29 – No mandatory reporting for the public in the UK
44:33 – Comparison to mandatory reporting vs good samaritan laws
45:05 – The UK protects money better than children
45:46 – How political leadership minimizes child abuse
46:12 – British boarding school culture & abuse
47:10 – What reforms are needed: national banned list & ombudsman
48:05 – Name changes allow offenders to disappear
48:14 – Hundreds of convicted offenders now untraceable
48:18 – How many survivors have come forward
49:01 – How many survivors known before the book
49:27 – Realizing past abuse only after adulthood
50:07 – Childhood context and normalization of abuse
51:01 – "Trust and Obey" culture at Olga and British school
52:53 – The moment Emma became a survivor, not a victim
53:30 – Returning to Olga decades later
54:01 – Parental responses and guilt
55:05 – What acknowledging PTSD unlocked
56:02 – How the trauma resurfaced during the pandemic
57:23 – Complex PTSD and real recovery work
58:07 – Finding effective PTSD support
TOPICS
- Read Whyte Review Investigation, a full independent review into the allegations of abuse in British Gymnastics
- How we got in contact with Webb after our Commentator Hall of Shame episode
- What moved Webb to write this book?
- How many times had Brian Phelps been investigated and was still allowed to coach?
- That time Monica Phelps (neé Rutherford) was still recognized at an award banquet and thanked her "partner"
- How can we convince parents to act quickly and take their children out of dangerous situations?
- Difference between how British Gymnastics treated male victims vs female victims?
- Should countries pass mandatory abuse reporting laws similar to good samaritan laws?
- How she finally got help and finding a great therapist.
- Silver linings in her journey.
- What does justice look like for Emma.
RELATED:
- GymCastic's Safeguarding checklist - questions everyone should ask a gym before signing up or working at a gymnastics club
- Historic book website
- Brian Phelps diving when he should have been in jail
- BBC Gymnastics historical sex abuse case: Survivor claims 'catastrophic failures'
- Monica Phelps awarded at 2003 Nik Stuart Foundation
- Mike Swallow speaks against Whyte Review at Nik Stuart Foundation awards
- Olga Gymnastics / Renascence Club corporate documents
- British Gymnastics hired private investigator to track down survivors of judge
- British Gymnastics banned list
- Report - Childhood trauma increases risk of MS
- SafeSport Training
- British Gymnastics Safeguarding
- The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles
- Aly Raisman book
- GymCastic Episodes
- Gymnastics Commentary Hall of Shame
- Aly Raisman Interview
- British Ute Amelie Morgan
- Lady Lisa Mason
- Beth Tweddle Interview
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/
- Headstand Game: https://gymcastic.com/headstand-plugin/
- Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/
- Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/
NEWSLETTERS
- Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters
RESOURCES
- Spencer's essential website The Balance Beam Situation
- GIFs of the Week and Meet schedule with links.
- Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
- Behind the Scenes - all episodes
