McKayla Maroney on GMA in 2016 | Heidi Gutman/ABC
In a statement on her Twitter account, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney says she was molested by US Women’s Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
“I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things I had to endure to get there were unnecessary, and disgusting,” wrote Maroney.
According to Maroney, the abuse began at a training camp when she was 13 and continued until she left the sport.
“It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated,'” detailed Maroney. “It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and It happened before I won my Silver.
“For me the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a ‘treatment.’ I thought I was going to die that night.”
Maroney, who is one of more than 100 women to accuse Nassar of sexual abuse, offered four thoughts for combating sexual abuse that seems to run some rampant in our society:
1) Speak out.
2) Hold people, institutions and organizations accountable.
3) Educate and prevent, at all costs.
4) Offer zero tolerance or protection for abusers.