More Than 100 Larry Nassar Survivors Honored for Their Courage at ESPYs

U.S. Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Jamie Dantzscher, and dozens of other athletes who survived sexual abuse at the hands of team doctor Larry Nassar gathered on stage Wednesday night at the 2018 ESPYs to be recognized for their bravery. Sarah Klein, the first known victim of Nassar, told the audience, “We are here on this stage to present an image for the world to see, a portrait of survival, a new vision of courage… We must start caring about children’s safety more than we care about adults’ reputations.” Many of the survivors said they wanted to use their stories to make it harder for adults to turn a blind eye to anyone suffering sexual abuse. “If just one adult had listened, believed, and acted, the people standing before you on this stage would have never met him... To all the survivors out there, don’t let anyone rewrite your story. The truth does matter, you matter, and you are not alone,” Raisman said. All of the survivors were presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for their role in speaking out about the former USA Gymnastics doctor, who was sentenced to a maximum of 175 years in prison in January after being convicted on multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct.