USA Cycling today launched a new section of its website, "In Our Own Words," to provide a forum for first-person writing about issues important to athletes.

The first three posts are by former pro Phil Guymon, who talks about the depression he suffered as an elite athlete; cyclocross legend Katie Compton, who writes about the long road she has taken dealing with mysterious leg pain throughout her career; and coach sexual assault by an anonymous writer who talks about her path to revealing and reporting it.

"'In Our Own Words' aims to provide a way for members to speak openly about issues that are important to them so that they can start critical conversations and address common problems within the community," said USA Cycling's SafeSport Director Kelsey Erickson said in a statement sent to the media. [and "We hope that this platform will evolve into a place where our members feel their voices are heard, recognized, supported, and able to have productive dialogue about the important issues raised.

The opening statement by the anonymous contributor immediately dives into the difficult and all too rarely discussed issue of sexual assault of athletes by coaches.

"Some people say that reading and writing about traumatic things is healing, but honestly, every time I try, my heart races and I shake with adrenaline.

"It wasn't like this before. There was a time when the memory of that day was neatly packaged in a little box at the edge of my brain. The memories were [relatively] easy to ignore, to pretend they didn't happen or that something different had happened. All that changed when I reported that I had been sexually assaulted.

"Everyone who has experienced sexual misbehavior will have a very different story and I do not claim to speak for the masses. My hope is that sharing my story may provide insight into sexual assault and help educate other athletes."

The article discusses the difficulties of accepting and reporting an assault and how the SafeSport process handled her complaint.

A post by former road pro Phil Guymon reveals his struggle with depression and the benefits of seeking help when he needed it.

"Medication didn't help, but talking did," Guymon writes. 'I tried several times until I found the right therapist. I started with Google and found one who was nearby and had a PhD in psychology. She helped me develop a healthy sleep routine, fought my anxiety, helped with coping and communication strategies, was a great sounding board for ideas and feelings, and provided general catharsis from someone who doesn't feel bad about letting you down.

"The weekly sessions taught me a lot and made me feel better. I didn't choose a sports-specific therapist because I wanted to work on mental issues rather than performance issues, but over the years, weekly sessions improved my race performance and developed into monthly sessions to keep me on track. Now, several years later, I only see her when I am faced with a major life challenge or important decision."

17-time U.S. cyclocross champion Katie Compton talks about her years of battling leg pain and explains how she finally found a solution and provided the topic for her first post.

"It's annoying that all of my health problems were really easy to fix, but I'm glad I finally found the root cause," she writes. 'I now know what my body can do and how to recover. I don't respond to training like most people do, and I don't recover as quickly. It was a constant process of trial and error to figure out what my body could do, how to get the most out of quality training, and how to adjust my race schedule to fit my strengths. "

USA Cycling President and CEO Rob DeMartini said the new platform is a way for USA Cycling to show that it supports its members on and off the bike.

"Whether it's providing a place to report violations through SafeSport, sharing feelings, or simply showing up to a local bike race and feeling an overwhelming sense of community, we are working to ensure a sense of belonging for our members who belong to USA Cycling. We are working on it," DeMartini said.

"The launch of In Our Own Words is one of many steps we are taking toward creating an open and inclusive environment where all cyclists are welcome.