A voice for survivors - Interview with Bob Welch
STORY / 06.11.24 / 1 min read
by Tom Garber
STORY / 06.11.24 / 1 min read
by Tom Garber
In this episode of What Happened to Me, Michele Battistioli sits down with Bob Welch to discuss his experience co-writing Boy in the Mirror: An Athletic Director’s Struggle to Survive Sexual Abuse as a Child.

Tom Garber
In this episode of What Happened to Me, Michele Battistioli sits down with Bob Welch to discuss his experience co-writing Boy in the Mirror: An Athletic Director’s Struggle to Survive Sexual Abuse as a Child. Together, they explore the moving story of Jimmy Bartko, former athletic director who in 2017 publicly revealed that a priest had abused him when he was a child, keeping this secret for over 40 years. We asked Bob Welch what the book meant to him, how the connection between him and Jim Bartko developed, and we discussed how the story of a survivor of abuse can be told.
To learn more about Bob’s work, visit bobwelchwriter.com.
About the Podcast:
What Happened to Me is produced by Hope for Men, a mental health platform dedicated to supporting male survivors of sexual violence. We connect survivors with therapists who truly understand their experiences. To find the right therapist for you, visit our Therapist Directory.
If you’d like to share your story on our podcast, reach out to us at info@hopeformen.org. We’re here to help you be heard.
Credits:
Host: Michele Battistioli
Production and Editing: Tom Garber
Original Music: Ori Alboher (explore more of his work on Spotify)
Special Thanks: Ali Pourrahim
Support Us:
If you’d like to support our mission, please visit our Patreon page.
Listen to the full episode here
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