"We were so powerful when we did it" - Simone Biles on the experience of testifying in the Larry Nassar scandal
When US gymnast Simone Biles and her fellow comrades testified against their physician and now convicted rapist, Larry Nassar, in 2021, it was one of the most powerful moments in the history of sports.
Larry Nassar was the team doctor of the United States National Women's Gymnastics Team.
In 2015, Nassar's heinous actions of sexually abusing young gymnasts came to light. It shocked the world. Although some gymnasts had complained about the same thing in the 1990s, it was not until 2015 that USA Gymnastics took action against him.
It was alleged that he continuously abused almost 265 girls and women over a period of several years under the guise of medical treatment. His victims include some of the biggest names in gymnastics.
The stories that came forward after that were nothing short of horror stories that left the world flabbergasted at what these gymnasts went through.
Biles came forward as a victim in 2018 through a social media post.
Feelings... ðŸ’
#MeToo https://t.co/ICiu0FCa0n
The court trials went on from 2016, but Simone Biles didn't feel ready to see her abuser again. She appeared in court in 2021 with Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, and McKayla Maroney to testify against Nassar. This time, she felt powerful.
In 2021, months after Simone Biles had testified in court against Larry Nassar, she sat down with People for an interview.
In the interview, she discussed the Tokyo Olympics, mental health, and the court trial. During the trial, she blamed the entire system for enabling and perpetuating the abuse and said that the USA Gymnastics and the USA Olympics and Paralympics Committee had failed to do their jobs.
She had previously said how traumatic the whole abuse cycle was for her. In the interview, she said that the trial helped her and how powerful it felt.
"I think that speaking at congress helped so much and I think we were so powerful when we did it but people forget how traumatic it is for us,"
What did Simone Biles have to say about the court trial?
Simone Biles further stated that the issue is still so triggering to her, so she likes to be vague in interviews. She is working on the healing process, which must be so incredibly hard for all the gymnasts for sure.
"So I like to be very vague in interviews whenever I talk about that stuff because it's still a very big trigger so I'm still working on it healing and all of that stuff."
The gymnasts taking a stand to ensure their abuser gets the punishment for his crimes was a big movement for women in sports.
The move has helped not just several young gymnasts, but all young athletes worldwide. It started a conversation about protecting athletes from abuse.
Simone Biles and other gymnasts speaking up about the ordeal they went through has given so many other women strength and courage to speak up.
This movement has given so many girls a new strong voice and amplified those who were already out there.
Biles shared a similar sentiment, saying that it was "rewarding" to think that she was helping other people.
"So just knowing I'm helping other people speak out and being comfortable with that is very rewarding."
The world must applaud Biles and the other gymnasts who stood up against their trauma to protect future generations of gymnasts from the abuse they faced.