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Every year, ESPN honors an individual with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS. This year, the award will go not to one person, but to hundreds of people: the sexual assault survivors who spoke out against abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
ESPN announced the decision on Wednesday, sharing that the women will be honored during the July 18 telecast of the awards. “We are honored to recognize the courage of these women at The 2018 ESPYS, to acknowledge the power of their voices, and to shine a very well-deserved spotlight on what speaking up, fighting back, and demanding accountability can accomplish,” Alison Overholt, vice president and editor of ESPN The Magazine, said in a statement shared by ESPN. They have shown us all what it truly means to speak truth to power, and through their bravery, they are making change for future generations. By honoring this group who spoke out, we aim to honor all of those who are survivors of abuse.”
Nassar was sentenced to prison for up to 175 years for allegedly sexually abusing more than 200 women and at least one boy. After Rachael Denhollander, the first gymnast who accused Nassar, came forward; she was joined by many others — including Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, and McKayla Maroney — in standing up to Nassar's abuse.
As Simone Biles wrote when she first came forward, “Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper. There are so many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault.”
Since Simone and the many other victims have come forward, not only was Nassar convicted and sentenced; but there has also been a reckoning throughout the gymnastics and sports world. Michigan State University (where Nassar served as sports physician) reached a settlement with the victims; the entire USA Gymnastics Board of Directors has resigned, as has the U.S. Olympic Committee CEO; Aly Raisman has filed a lawsuit against both organizations and launched a campaign to prevent the sexual abuse of athletes; and Congress has introduced legislation aimed at protecting young athletes from sexual abuse.
“For 25 years, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage has been given to those who change the world in important ways and the future will undoubtedly be different because of the actions of these heroic women,” Maura Mandt, producer of The ESPYS, said in a statement. “This tribute will reflect the awe and admiration these individuals deserve.”
Indeed, awards and court cases aside, it certainly seems clear that these brave victims’s actions have already had an impact. “I actually got a letter 36 hours after I spoke up in August...I got a letter from a 14-year-old girl, and she said she read my statements,” Aly told Today’s Hoda Kotb in a November 2017 interview. “Because of that, she had the courage to tell her mother that her father had been sexually abusing her, and he threatened her life at times. I realized that letter is more important to me than any medal I’ve ever won in my life. She changed my life. If I can help one person, then that’s totally what it’s all about.”
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If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can seek help by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). For more resources on sexual assault, visit RAINN, End Rape on Campus, Know Your IX, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Related: Michigan State University Just Reached a Settlement With Victims of Sexual Assault by Larry Nassar
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