Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman came to Syracuse to speak at a Salvation Army Civic Celebration Event on Tuesday, where she spoke about being a survivor of sexual assault. She was assaulted by the Olympic team doctor she had to work with, and has been an outspoken advocate of sexual abuse in youth sports since coming forward.
During her interview Aly encouraged people suffering from the same victim hood status as her to heal themselves by coming forward with their stories and not bottling them up for years. She also advised parents to keep a close eye on relationships between their kids and adults, especially adults in positions of power over children.
Aly's comments were met with huge applause, a response she wasn't expecting. It's good to know people are not only paying attention to sexual abuse more now, but are speaking up about it and supporting those who come out as survivors. I say well done to her, and I hope she keeps it up!