Aly Raisman & 140 Larry Nassar Sexual Assault Victims Honored With ESPY Courage Award

This Wednesday, the ESPY Awards made history by honoring Aly Raisman and 140 of Larry Nassar’s sexual assault victims for their bravery. The female survivors stood on the stage this Wednesday, holding hands and looking strong as ever. Among them were various U.S. Olympic gymnasts such as Jordyn Wieber.

During the Wednesday ceremony, ESPY presented the women with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Softball player Tiffany Thomas Lopez held it as she, Raisman and retired gymnast Sarah Klein detailed their horrific experiences with Nassar.

Klein, who was abused by the disgraced doctor 30 years ago, said that reliving her horror is incredibly difficult. “Telling our stories of abuse over and over and over again, in graphic detail, is not easy,” she added. “We’re sacrificing privacy and being judged and scrutinized, and it is painful, but it is time.”

She then slammed U.S.A. Gymnastics and Michigan State (where Nassar was employed) for putting “money and medals above the safety of child athletes.”

Lopez also gave an inspiring speech, reminding the audience that sexual abuse can happen to every woman, of every race. There is no discrimination.

“Tonight,” Lopez said, “we stand here and it feels like we’re finally winning.”

Raisman closed the ceremony with an empowering comment: “We may suffer alone, but we survive together.”

RadarOnline.com readers know, hundreds of women of all ages came forward to accuse former U.S.A. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, 54, of sexual assault. In December, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography, and in January was sentenced to 40-175 years after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexual assault to minors.