Abington native David Berkoff, best known for his “Berkoff Blastoff” start technique which helped him win a total of four Olympic medals at two different Olympic Games, has been taking a principled stance on allegations of sexual abuse for years.

He was one of the first athletes to speak out against sexual abuse in the swimming world, and as a member of the USA Swimming Board, he circulated a “flagged list” of names held by top USA Swimming executives. The list includes coaches who have been unofficially blocked from their positions, but not publicly banned.

More recently, Berkoff testified at a jury trial of a former swimmer who was suing USA Swimming for damages over a series of sexual abuses committed by her former coach.

Berkoff was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an “Honor Swimmer” in 2005, is a 2018 Philly Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and currently coaches for Team Eugene Aquatics in Oregon. For more on Berkoff’s involvement in anti-abuse allegations, you can read Salon’s extensive coverage here.