Aly Raisman on healing after sexual assault, body positivity and more

it has been a year since Larry Nasser was convicted for sexually violating young woman young woman poor truly extraordinary the pride of our nation Nasser was the USA Gymnastics doctor three-time Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman was one of his victims she was the captain of the USA gymnastics team in 2012 and 2016 and is best known for her dazzling floor routines so far more than 330 victims have come forward that's more than the number of victims for Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby combined making this perhaps the largest hashtag me to story to date after spending months deliberating about whether or not to speak out the 24 year old captain broke her silence the tables have turned Larry we are here we have our voices and we are not going anywhere Aly Raisman delivered a heroin message about a system that had failed women revealing that not only had she been abused by Nasser but that he had assaulted her during the 2012 London Olympic Games today we explore the complex world of sports enemy2 era through her eyes Ali I want to talk about those because it's been a year since you testified against dr. nasir the walk of courage though is easier talked about it's harder to walk you know and I want to understand what are the things that was going on actually inside you were you afraid you know when I first decided to come forward in November of 2017 I was so nervous I had actually spoken out in August of 2017 about the way that USA Gymnastics was handling things I didn't agree with it and I felt like they were sweeping things under the rug but I didn't share my story yet publicly I had reported my abuse in 2015 but I wasn't ready for the whole entire world to know what got you to report your abuse because what I understand is that that there is the part of the training Authority plays a major role and it's about listening to orders so what got you to say no no no this is it I have to report this well I I find you know when I look back now you know it's just it's very very every abuse can be very very confusing and I've learned since you know I've had a lot of time to reflect and I'm still coping with everything I'm still learning new information I'm still learning about myself but when I was a kid it never ever occurred to me that a doctor could be misusing their power and so I think over the years I felt very uncomfortable and I was very confused but then me and my teammates me we discuss it we would always say there there's no way a doctor would be hurting us and you know this doctor is the Olympic doctor everyone says nice things about him I felt guilty for thinking badly of him I didn't understand that sexual abuse could happen to me I didn't understand it was so common I didn't realize that 90% of the time child sexual abuse occurs it's with a trusted adult and ten percent of the time it's with a stranger so while stranger danger is extremely important to talk about it's ten percent of the time the graphic details of NASA's abuses are disturbing he would often treat the young woman alone in their hotel rooms during competitions he would insert his fingers in their vaginas sometimes without gloves later claiming that it was part of his medical procedure I was very confused because he would also give me gifts so I just thought he's a doctor he's giving me gifts I felt guilty for thinking anything bad about him so I never assumed something was wrong and I went inside and I talked to my mom about it and thankfully my mom was so supportive and she said this isn't right and you know we told USA Gymnastics we reported it to USA Gymnastics and you know we found out years later that they did not take the proper actions even though they they told us that the FBI would handle it and that the FBI already knew there's so many pieces to the puzzle that we don't even know there's so many people in high positions of power and authority that actually knew about it and looked the other way and covered it up so we I was under the impression that the authorities already knew about it and everything and so it was very confusing and it's been really hard for me since then I feel like every day I find out new information about oh this policeman also knew about it or this member of the FBI knew about it and nothing happened so it's really it's scary to the women both those who chose to testify and those who did not who have demonstrated tremendous bravery poise and strength in the most difficult circumstances imaginable let me say this the Olympics system failed you and we are so incredibly sorry allegations against Larry Nasser were first made in 1997 and continued until he was finally fired from Michigan State University and 2016 USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University where NASA worked have both come under fire for failing to protect young athletes do you feel betrayed yes very betrayal is not only by him but by the whole system around right it's honestly very scary to think about how many adults knew about and how many adults didn't care but it's also it's so much bigger than me it's so much bigger than the gymnastics world it's abuse is so widespread it's horrible how common it is I mean the first reported incident of abuse of our abuser was in 1997 so if in 1997 if you know if whoever the person was that the abuse was reported to if they had taken that report seriously and then they put our abuser in jail I and so many others would have never ever met him in 2018 the victims of Larry NASA were honored at the excellence in sports performance Seeley Awards 140 of them stood onstage Aly Raisman delivered the main address all we needed was one adult to have the integrity to stand between us and Larry Nasser 1997 through 2016 there were so many reports it was just it's mind-boggling and scary how many people knew about it and look the other way but that's more of the reason why you know to keep speaking up to let people know that unfortunately you know people might not always listen to your believe you and you come forward but my best advice as hard as it is to not stop until you get the answers that you deserve because you know your story and don't let anybody tell you that you're lying or that that you're making it up because nobody knows your truth like you do well there's so much so many things that you actually said and I want to deconstruct it but one is a girl who's 12 years old whose dream is to win the gold medal right and she may be going through something right now she like that's the whole compromise that goes on not compras like the fear if I report I mean you know my my chance of getting training or getting the coach whatever that may be jeopardize how do you what's your message to her I reported my abuse before the 2016 Olympic Games I still made the Olympic team I still am I'm getting a lot of support I'm still getting to do opportunities but the best advice I can give is if you share your story to somebody in the don't believe you or they threaten you or there's you know there's repercussions that person who is mistreating you and because the enablers or the people that don't believe you are just as bad as the abusers themselves they're complicit yes and in there they're perpetuating the abuse I'm hoping you know because that the days of people reporting their abuse and they're in there being mistreated and they're being the repercussions that there should not be for standing up and speaking your truth I'm really hoping that those days are over saying just be quiet or they didn't mean it or maybe you misunderstood that is wrong and it's unacceptable we were told yeah I think we I think a lot of us were told he's a doctor and who are you to question a doctor and I think those things as a victim it makes you feel guilty like me well maybe I am wrong then if it's a doctor but you know what's wrong and what's right and we may never know how many people there are I still know some people that have not come forward yet because they're still too nervous to and people don't have to come forward publicly everybody chooses their whatever they feel comfortable with but you know my best advice and I wish I hadn't known this when I was younger I wish somebody told me this is if it doesn't feel right then it's not right and people need to understand that just because all the adults around you are saying that this adult is a wonderful person somebody can be very nice to you and then can be abusive to somebody else you don't know you don't know what happened behind those closed doors and I wish that you know I see a lot in the me to move and I wish that instead of people jumping to conclusions and saying this is made up and I always want to ask that person do you even know either do you even know the survivor or the abuser or were you in the room when it happened no so then maybe you shouldn't say anything one I have been betrayed in my life and I have it was very confusing because I'm going to understand who should I believe do you think that impacted the way you relate to people I find you know when I go out on the street or I'm at the airport or the grocery store or whatever it is I people are so support and I'm so grateful for that and people share their stories with me and I can't tell you how many people share their stories of being survivors of sexual assault including men and it's really sad how common it is and so I think that for me was really hard because I wanted to help every single person it's devastating how many people can relate but it's also scary it's also overwhelming you know because you don't know how to help I think sometimes people forget I am coping with it too and sometimes people will go into graphic detail and I find when I'm honest with them and let them know I'm still struggling I feel like they feel more connected to me because it's honest and so fun yeah right I usually get nervous if I told somebody if you go and graphic detail it it's really hard for me I I was nervous they were gonna be mad at me and then tweet that Aly Raisman is such a horrible person but I just I'm just being honest and I I can't I can't handle it I can like I feel like I can feel the pain because I I know what I can relate I don't know exactly what they've been through but it is very it's hard some days when you have literally seven different people in an hour at the airport tell you that they were assaulted it's really hard to think wow we live in such a peaceful and great world I try to focus on the good but it's also important we have to focus on some of the negative things because there needs to be changed how far are you in your path of healing I feel like from a year ago I'm doing I'm in such a better place I still feel like I'm really drained and exhausted a lot of the time so I'm just really working on that I've been trying to eat really healthy and trying to start working out a little bit more and I've been trying to meditate and really take time for myself every single day but every day is different and I find writing in a journal really helps I'm very passionate about helping other people but I can't do that if I'm not taking care of myself so it is it takes a toll on me USA Gymnastics where is the honesty where is the transparency has the system changed No you manipulated me into thinking you're the good guy in January of last year 156 women confronted their abuser Larry Nasser you need to look at me and wasn't I only hope that when you get a chance to speak you tell us who knew what and when they knew it the judge compelled him to sit in the courtroom through seven days of testimony you lied to me and manipulated me to think that when you treated me you were closing your eyes because you had been working hard when you were really touching me an innocent child to pleasure yourself it was a landmark moment of the me to era and Nasser became the first high-profile abuser to be put behind bars he was sentenced to a term of 40 to a hundred and 75 years in prison I can only talk about my journey which is I was I led with anger and then eventually I started like that that anger was eating me as well and so I actually started to go in the path of healing what's the role of anger in your life right now that's a very good question I you know I feel like I agree with you and you're coming from anger but you know it's there I think it's also okay to be angry because it is so wrong what happening is unacceptable and I think as women were always told that you just have to be very nice and sweet and you can't be angry and you know I think as women too people are like we get it just stop talking we get it he's in jail but you're understandable telling you go yeah it's some people you know that I used to be close with in the gymnastics world are just like they don't understand why the need to keep speaking out I've learned that it's okay to get your energy out whether you're screaming into your pillow or hitting your pillow that has been so therapeutic amazing you know I wish that there was sort of more of conversation about it's okay to get angry but it's not okay to hurt somebody else because the people the worst abusers in the world they're in pain too and they're hurting and it doesn't make it okay what they do but the reality is is that there really suffering and so they need help more than probably a lot of people that may realize there's just not enough conversation about it about anger generally because it's constructive anger which is what you did the whole thing about me too right now is people are wondering has it really led to systemic system change institutional change there's so many of them that still aren't even exhausting it's crazy it's just you hear people's stories and and I hear these horrible stories and they're just abusers are just still you know working and it's like they get rehired for a new job it's just unbelievable I don't I don't think there's been close to enough change I think it's incredible how much has happened in the last year and the topic of conversation at the dinner table at the grocery store I'll be in one of the aisles and somebody will say you're the first person that I told ever in my abuse happened 50 years ago and so that's a big shift in our culture that people are starting to talk about it and feel comfortable to share their story because so many you know older women have told me when they were younger it was just it was not discussed and if they brought it up it was it was brushed aside and it was not to be brought up again which is terrible what I have a really big problem is is with the victim shaming the reality is is that the statistics of child abuse is one in four girls and one in six boys for child sexual abuse and then for women sexual assault is one in five women and those are just people that speak up and many people don't speak up because they're afraid of being victim shamed and in the world actually globally is one in three women who are abused USA Gymnastics where is the honesty where is the transparency why must the manipulation continue neither USA Gymnastics nor the USOC have reached out to express sympathy or even offer support not even to ask how did this happen what do you think we can do to help you're taking on the system has the system changed itself now what needs to be changed well I just think that this says so much but after so many years I mean again the first reported the the first reported incident of abuse was in 1997 for our abuser I reported my abuse in 2015 before the 2016 Olympics and there still has not been a full independent investigation and that to me just speaks volumes to our culture of the fact that I just think that there's not enough I don't know the right word but I just feel like child child sexual abuse and women being abused or sexually assaulted is at the bottom of the list for certain law enforcement and authorities not all of them there are some law enforcement that do amazing amazing things and certain authorities that do great things but I feel sometimes it's at the bottom of the list within sports and within us a gymnastic it's it's almost abusive like the way the training is right does that least a change I think that the one of the most important things is that while my teammates and I were training there needed to be a lot more conversation and a lot more there was way too much of a power dynamic and we didn't feel we didn't feel comfortable speaking up and saying we were really tired or our foot hurt or something like that and I think that there was so much pressure to win USA Gymnastics has been successful for years and years and you know you always felt like if you didn't perform a your absolute best if you weren't perfect then you were going to be replaced and so you kind of felt like you were like just a robot trying to be perfect all the time and you know I think there needs to be more conversation about feeling telling all of these young boys and girls and these athletes that you are more than just your sport not everybody is going to grow up to be an Olympic champion not everyone's gonna grow up to be an NHL player or an NFL player and that's okay and the most important thing is that you're a good person if you're a good athlete but you're not a good person then that's that's not cool it's very very important to be a good person and to be kind and to be a good teammate and I think most people that enter in sports are not going to be as successful as they wanted to where they dreamed up and I think there needs to be more conversation about supporting kids so that they understand if you don't win that's okay your life will go on sports is not the end of the world there's other important things in life and just your self-worth shouldn't be based off of how you do at a competition after the allegations against Larry Nasser became public in 2016 USA Gymnastics fired several high-ranking officials for mismanagement the former head Steve Penney was also criminally charged for tampering with evidence would you ever consider becoming or running for the president USA gymnastic that's very nice of you thank you I feel like I can make more change outside of the sport I want to be involved in creating education for every single sport and I think this problem is bigger than just gymnastics I want to be involved in gymnastics I always will be but my goal is to my program that I work with darkness to light it's the flip the switch campaign org it's a free program it's a two-hour program to educate adults to prevent child sexual abuse and I'm hoping that one day that will be mandated in every single sport because every single adult should be educated to prevent child sexual abuse and I think in if that starts to happen there's more education I think that less children will be abuse how about 2020 Olympics any plans for that right now I'm just focusing on taking care of myself and the last couple years have been really draining I don't even know if I taken the proper time to rest after the 2016 Olympics so I'm just working on taking care of myself and just having fun and enjoying my life the boys in my class were intimidated by me because I would beat them at sport since Ray's men made the decision to testify just over a year ago she's taking a break from gymnastics and is working on advertising campaigns for body positivity she posed nude for a shoot with Sports Illustrated to raise awareness about sexual abuse and is a spokesperson for Aires real role model campaign that focuses on highlighting women of all different sizes and backgrounds that your new cause the whole idea of how women are portrayed in the media you know I've been an advocate for body positivity for a very long time and I really tried to speak out about things that I believe in you know when I was younger when I was in fifth grade the boys in my class would make fun of me they told me that my muscles were disgusting and I for a really long time thought that because I was really strong that I wasn't feminine or girly and I felt really really self-conscious and when I would go to gymnastics my muscles made me very good at my sport but then at school I felt really embarrassed and you know of course now when I look back I wish that I didn't worry about what people thought but I mean I'm human just as many people are but I think it's so important for schools and everybody to educate students and just educate everyone kids and adults to be kind to each other there's no reason that anybody needs to be shaming other people's bodies but I also think that the boys in my class didn't like they were intimidated by me because I would beat them at sports and I would do when we would do gym class we would have competitions and I think I sold the school record for the most pull-ups and so the boys in my class didn't like that and you know I wish that the teachers would have said that girls can be better at boys than sports and you have to be supportive of each other but you know they I'm glad that they didn't intimidate me enough to quit my sport because that would have been ashamed but I have to imagine that does happen to other people and that's not acceptable it's very true and we still deal with it I mean as an adult woman I seen this issues and I said battle [Music] if you are to talk to your younger self when you first felt something's wrong what would you tell your younger self hmm I mean if I could I don't know I think it's hard to think like that because you can't go back in time but messages for younger women as well I guess I would just say to trust your gut and you know to always trust your instinct and you know your truth better than anybody else a lot of people are saying it's young woman who's gonna save the world do you feel is too much pressure and it's sort of unfair that's you know that's it's all on you to change the world I feel very grateful that we're living in a time where women are being so supported and young girls have such amazing opportunities it's really really awesome it's a little bit crazy to me that's 2019 and we're just starting to see a shift to where you're seeing more female leaders but they're still not nearly enough and I think that times up has done incredible things when you look at some of those numbers it's really mind-boggling how the inequality in our society and so I just think that it's really really amazing to be able to speak to young girls and young boys and to teach boys and young girls to be supportive of each other to be kind to each other and to be respectful and I think that teaching each other respect is is so important if we're trying to push for equality in our society you have to be respectful to one another I think you are a champion not because you want gold medals you're a champion because you're someone who is walking her journey and sharing that in a very inspirational way and being very authentic and honest about it even though you're in the middle of it as well beautiful thank you

Channel: Yahoo News

Views: 39,641

Rating: 4.8894644 out of 5

Keywords: Aly Raisman, Larry Nasser, USA gymnastics, US gymnastics, former olympic doctor, sexual assault, US olympics, #metoo, body positivity, michigan state gymnastics, sexual abuse survivors

Id: aA-irSAqZ7Y

Length: 25min 46sec (1546 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 16 2019