Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney has recently revealed that one the USA Gymnastics team doctors, Larry Nassar, molested her for years, starting when she was just 13-years-old.
Finding inspiration from the #MeToo movement, calling on women to come forward with their stories of abuse in the wake of Hollywood's recent Harvey Weinstein scandal, Maroney posted this lengthy statement on social media documenting her experiences with assault during her gymnastics career:
Nassar pleaded guilty to federal childnpornography charges in June and has been accused by more than 140 women and girls of sexual assault during his nearly 20 years as the USA Teams' gymnastics doctor. Nassar faces 22 to 27 years in prison for the case, as well as 22 charges of criminal sexual misconduct in Michigan, according to The Washington Post.
Maroney's claims mirror many of the accusations laid out from women and girls before her. All have claimed that Nassar has molested them while pretending that he was providing treatment for hip and back pain. In one section of her post, she wrote "Dr. Nassar told me that I was receiving 'medically necessary treatment that had been performing on patients for over 30 years.'"
In light of Nassar's actions, USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny resigned in March after buckling under pressure from the U.S. Olympic Committee, according to USA Today. The allegations have also prompted an investigation into the federation's practices led by prosecutor Deborah Daniels, who said USA Gymnastics needs a "complete cultural change."
Although no good comes from the actions of these abusers, the bravery of women like Maroney show a stark contrast over how these types of incidents were viewed in the past. Things are changing, and nothing could sum this up more than Maroney's final remarks.
"Our silence has given the wrong people power for too long, and it's time to take our power back, " she said. "And remember, it's never too late to speak up."
Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!