ESPYs 2018: Over 140 Larry Nassar Abuse Victims Honored With Courage Award

In what was seen as one of the most powerful closings of the ESPYs, more than 140 women who were sexually harassed by the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, Larry Nassar, joined hands and stood in solemn unity on the stage as they received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on Wednesday.

Three of them — Gymnast Aly Raisman, softball player Tiffany Thomas Lopez and gymnast Sarah Klein — also delivered powerful speeches on the occasion, voicing their hope that authorities will keep a stricter check on abuse in the sports industry in the future.

“As a mother, I am here to say that we must start caring about children's safety more than we care about adults' reputations. And as a survivor, I'm here to say that if we just give one person the courage to use their voice, this is worth it. If one more victim of sexual abuse feels less alone tonight, then our suffering has meaning,” Klein, who was allegedly the first one of the lot to be victimized by Nassar 30 years ago, said, Cosmopolitan reported.

Raisman, the most outspoken regarding the case of Nassar, encouraged other victims of abuse to never stay silent. "For too long we were ignored. It could have been avoided. All we needed was one adult to have the integrity to stand between us and Larry Nassar… Predators thrive in silence. It is all too common for people to choose to not get involved. Whether you act or do nothing, you are shaping the world we live in, impacting others,” she said.

She added: “If just one adult had listened, believed, and acted, the people standing before you on this stage would have never met him. Too often, abusers, and enablers perpetuate suffering by making survivors feel their truth doesn't matter. To the survivors out there, don't let anyone write your story. Your truth does matter. You matter. And you are not alone.”

Lastly Lopez said: “Sexual abuse claims victims in every race, showing no discrimination. Just like Arthur Ashe, I stand so very proud representing not only minorities, but all of us as humans, the human race.”

The women not only received a standing ovation from the audience but also an over-pouring show of support on social media where people lauded their bravery to speak up on such a public platform.

In January, Raisman appeared in court for Nassar’s trial, where she delivered a moving statement about the sexual abuse that he inflicted on her under the pretext of providing medical treatment.

"The tables have turned Larry. We are here, we have our voices, and we are not going anywhere," Raisman said in a Michigan court room.

Following hundreds of testimonies from female athletes regarding sexual harassment, Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, ABC News reported.