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I don't think a lot of people understand that sometimes when you are being abused, you don't really realize it's wrong, because the monster who is abusing you is manipulating you so badly. And that's why I've been so open with my story, because I want people to understand that I genuinely didn't realize what was going on because I was very innocent and I really trusted Larry.

I think it's important to teach these young kids that it's not just strangers who can abuse you, in fact the majority of the time, studies show it is someone that you know and trust. When I was younger I just thought that a stranger could be the one that was hurting me, but we have to change that so that these kids know that it could be anyone, it could be someone you love.

These people thrive on taking advantage of innocent people because they think they're going to get away with it. I hope that they know that their days of getting away with it are over.

In sports, trust is so important. So what would you say to the parents of a talented young child who is spending long hours practicing, long hours away from home with coaches?

Well I think we have to normalize the conversation; we have to think about it a lot more than we ever did. It's very confusing, it's scary, it's hard to talk about, but we have to do it. And the more we talk about it, the more we create a safe space. And, hopefully, the less and less people will get abused, because it's alarming how many people are abused. It's disgusting.

Aly Raisman competes on the beam during the women's team final at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 9, 2016. Dylan Martinez / Reuters file

The number of people who have shared stories from the gymnastics community alone is staggering. What was your reaction when teammates like McKayla Maroney and Simone Biles started telling their own stories?

It's really hard to put into words how devastating it is. A lot of my teammates who I'm very close with have been brave enough to share their own stories, but it doesn't get easier as the days go on. It's very hard to talk about, it's very uncomfortable, it's devastating to see that we all went through something like this. Any time that my teammates come out, or anyone that I don't know, whether it is a gymnast, whether it is someone that went to Michigan State University, whether it is someone in Hollywood, or whether it's someone around the world, when you hear their story, it's devastating. No one ever deserves to go through something like that.

I think one thing you’ve done that has struck a chord with women is not hide your anger. Girls can be taught to keep their emotions to themselves, but you’ve been very open about your emotions. Is that accurate to say?

100%. I think there's a lot of different emotions that I feel and I think every day I cope differently, which is really normal with abuse. Every day you feel differently about the situation. But I have to say, listening and watching some of those victim impact statements has been really empowering for me and really inspiring to see how strong these women are.