John-Michael Lander

John-Michael Lander is a certified Trainer and Life Coach for the Self-Talk Institute and founder of An Athlete's Silence, where he speaks to male athletes and survivors of sexual abuse to help them break their silence. Through writing, speaking, and consulting, he helps individuals and organizations identify the signs of grooming, manipulating, and stigmatizing sexual abuse and how to help survivors face the past and find their true selves. As a 14-year-old, Lander was an Olympic-bound athlete, and during his training, he endured sexual abuse from coaches, benefactors, and medical professionals, which resulted in years of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and even suicide attempts. Despite what he was going through, Lander was able to win gold medals at the Norway and Danish Cups.

Lander works with institutions to improve situations following abuse scandals. He demonstrates how the Predatory Grooming Trifecta affects the organization first, the parents second, and then the target, which allows predators to go undetected for years. Lander believes sexual abuse statistics are higher in sports due to how easy it is to silence men and boys with shame through social stigma and toxic masculinity and by disguising male sexual abuse as hazing, initiation, or rite-of-passage. Lander broke his silence when he presented the speech “An Athlete’s Silence” at the TEDxDayton 2018 Convention. He has since spoken globally and served as an ambassador for Athletes' Rights during the Olympics. Lander sits on The Army of Survivors Board of Directors and runs a YouTube channel that explores the Predatory Grooming Trifecta.

Lander's publishing portfolio includes the following books: "Surface Tension," "Cracked Surface," and the upcoming "Shattered Surface." These books follow the main character, David Matthew, and the effects sexual abuse has on his everyday life as he tries to break into the entertainment business. Lander has decided to tell his story through David's eyes.