The day I found my sport, rhythmic gymnastics, was the day I fell in love with it. Those first few years of training were pure bliss, but to achieve my goal of becoming a world-class athlete, I needed to switch to an elite coach. My first practice with my new coach was so intense that I spent the following two days vomiting and unable to make it back to practice. When I did return, the work began. By age 15, I was U.S. national champion, a position I held for three years.

But the fear and intimidation that permeated my training sessions took a toll, as did the physical pain. By the time I reached the World Championships in 1999, my hips hurt so badly that at times I could barely walk. That was the environment I trained in that I believe created an opening for Larry Nassar, the national team doctor for USA Gymnastics, to sexually abuse me. And it was the lack of oversight on the part of USA Gymnastics that allowed Dr. Nassar to abuse many gymnasts; more than 80 victims have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault. (In the latest round of charges, Dr. Nassar was accused of 22 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct last month in Michigan; he has pleaded not guilty.)

After those World Championships, USA Gymnastics suggested I go to the Karolyi ranch to see Dr. Nassar, renowned for his work with the women’s gymnastics team, to help with my hip pain. Over the prior year of psychologically painful training, my parents had sacrificed a lot financially so they could travel with me to competitions, but parents did not go to the ranch, so I went by myself. I was just thankful to have a few days away from my coach. I don’t remember any adult at the ranch taking responsibility for me, and the first time I met “Larry” I immediately trusted him. He was the premier USA Gymnastics doctor with an international reputation, and I felt lucky to have been invited to the ranch to work with him.

For our first appointment, he asked me to wear loose shorts and no underwear. That seemed strange, but I obeyed. As in training, I wanted to be perfect. He began to massage my legs, and then quickly moved inwards on my thighs. He then massaged his way into me. I was rigid and uncomfortable, but I didn’t realize what was happening. I was confused, and thought that it must just be what had to happen. This scenario happened repeatedly over the course of my week at the ranch. At no time was there ever another adult in the room. Coming off of a difficult year of training, Dr. Nassar reached out as the good guy, supporting me emotionally and promising me relief from the pain. Now I know that in actuality he expertly abused me under the guise of “treatment.”

I trusted USA Gymnastics. But I was sexually abused, as were other elite athletes, including Jamie Dantzscher, a 2000 Olympian, and Jeannette Antolin, who was a U.S. national team member. And the abuse was not limited to Dr. Nassar. According to more than 5,600 pages of USA Gymnastics records released to the IndyStar on March 3 after a lengthy court battle, some of the 54 coaches with sexual abuse complaint files spanning 10 years weren’t banned from gymnastics until years after USA Gymnastics discovered they were convicted of crimes against children.

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As an adult, I spent years serving on the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors with a mission of protecting children in my sport from the psychological abuse that I endured. But the meetings seemed to revolve around two things: money and medals. When a sexual abuse case came up during my time on the board, the concern was about the reputation of the coach — not the accusation of the athlete. As I have attempted to come to terms with what happened to me as a teenager, it has become glaringly obvious that USA Gymnastics has not done nearly enough to protect athletes from any form of abuse.

To show they are serious about making institution-wide changes that will create a safe environment for the athletes, USA Gymnastics should adopt a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse. The accused should be reported to the authorities immediately. It took five weeks for USA Gymnastics to report Dr. Nassar to the FBI when suspicions were raised, only after conducting its own internal investigation. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has introduced bipartisan legislation to require amateur athletic governing bodies to immediately report allegations of sexual abuse, to make it easier for victims to report abuse, and to prevent coaches accused of abuse from being hired at other gyms, but that is something that should happen voluntarily. According to USA Today, U.S. Olympic Committee officials have called for USA Gymnastics C.E.O. Steve Penny to step down. If that happens, that does not negate the need for additional systemic change.

USA Gymnastics must also do more to safeguard athletes from psychological and physical abuse, through education in member gyms. Athletes, parents and coaches must know what is and is not okay, with the ultimate goal of every gym in the country being an abuse-free zone. That may require some uncomfortable but necessary conversations with young gymnastics who are too innocent to recognize abuse when it occurs, especially when it is by someone in a position of authority such as a coach or doctor. Particularly at the elite level when spots on the Olympic or World Championship team are at stake, gymnasts are afraid of being seen as a troublemaker and jeopardizing their place on the team. It must be clear through policy and action that they will not be punished for speaking up.

At those World Championships when I was just 15, I had a rough practice two days before the competition. My coach called me into her room, where the head of our program was also present, and yelled at me so intensely that I sat perfectly still, and my only movement was to pick the skin from my finger. Among other things, she told me I was an embarrassment to my country, my family and to her, that she had never been so humiliated coaching someone as she was of me, and that they would put me on a plane home and kick me off the team the next day if my practice wasn’t better. By the end of the meeting, my hand was bloody and I wanted to jump out the window.

The abusive training I and other gymnasts endured may get results on the competition floor that make international headlines and lead to Olympic medals, but it leaves the athletes emotionally and physically vulnerable. The institutional tolerance of abusive training and the penchant of USA Gymnastics to look away create a culture conducive to sexual abuse – for gymnasts of all skill levels.

There is nothing more motivating and powerful than an Olympic dream. But there is a long life to live after the span of a gymnastics career. It should be the priority of those in power to make sure that an athlete’s post-sport life is not spent dealing with the crippling effects of abuse.

Jessica Howard was U.S. national champion in rhythmic gymnastics from 1999 to 2001, a finalist at the 1999 World Championships, and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.