Aly Raisman’s Children’s Book To ‘Empower’ Adolescents

Aly Raisman, as soon as an Olympic gymnast, has turn out to be a robust voice for psychological well being consciousness.

After stepping away from gymnastics, she started sharing her personal psychological well being challenges overtly, utilizing her platform to assist others perceive and help these going through comparable struggles.

At 30 years outdated, Raisman as soon as once more addresses her previous trauma and struggles as she talks about her new kids’s e book, which is designed to assist “empower” the youthful era.

After retiring from the game and after coming ahead as a sufferer of sexual abuse, Raisman sought to rework her private struggles into one thing helpful for these past the gymnastics world.

She needed to make use of her platform for psychological well being advocacy and has lately authored a kids’s e book titled “From My Head to My Toes,” which is designed to assist younger readers perceive essential ideas like consent, aiming to empower kids and promote wholesome attitudes from an early age.

“I needed to jot down one thing that empowers kids and adults to talk up, whereas additionally acknowledging that it is arduous to talk up,” she informed BBC. “I am 30 years outdated, and it is nonetheless arduous to talk up. I am nonetheless engaged on it. However even when [this book] helps one child be safer and even when it prevents anybody from having to undergo what me and my teammates went via, I really feel happy with that.”

The e book additionally goals to teach younger readers about self-determination.

Along with her kids’s e book, Aly Raisman usually makes use of her social media platforms and attends media occasions to advocate for psychological well being, one thing she has struggled with resulting from her previous sexual abuse by the hands of her physician, Larry Nassar.

Dr. Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics group physician, was accused of sexually abusing quite a few athletes, together with Raisman, Simone Biles, and others, beneath his medical remedy care.

By sharing her story and supporting psychological well being causes, Raisman helps elevate consciousness of the significance of psychological wellness.

In an interview with TIME Magazine, Raisman described the abuse she endured, together with how Dr. Larry Nassar regularly closed his eyes and appeared out of breath throughout their periods. Not realizing that she was being molested and nonetheless believing she was receiving authentic medical remedy, she ascribed his conduct to fatigue or jetlag from his worldwide competitors travels.

“I do know individuals will say ‘Why didn’t she inform her mother? Why didn’t she say something?’ However these questions are unfair,” she informed the journal. “The very fact is I didn’t actually understand it was taking place to me. What individuals don’t get is that he was a health care provider. I’d by no means have imagined that a health care provider would abuse me or manipulate me so badly.”

After Raisman got here ahead as a sufferer of sexual abuse, USA Gymnastics stated in a press release, “We’re appalled by the conduct of which Larry Nassar is accused, and we’re very sorry that any athlete has been harmed throughout her or his gymnastics profession.”

“Up to now yr, Aly has turn out to be an advocate for a lot of points, and sharing her private expertise of abuse takes nice braveness,” they added. “We’re dedicated to doing what is correct, and we need to work with Aly and all athletes to maintain athletes secure.”

To acknowledge the significance of psychological well being, Aly Raisman combines these advocacy efforts together with her love of style. Actually, one of the vital useful items of recommendation she obtained got here from somebody she vastly admired within the style world: the famend shoe designer Stuart Weitzman.

“So many athletes outline their price by their outcome,” she tells Kay, “However [Weitzman’s advice] helped me notice that I can go on to do different nice issues. Clearly, profitable medals is basically thrilling and fantastic, however I do hope when individuals look again at my profession, hopefully, they do not forget that I helped make athletes safer and I inspired individuals to prioritize psychological well being.”

Nowadays, when individuals method Raisman, they seldom point out her gymnastics profession. As an alternative, they often specific gratitude for the conversations she’s ignited about psychological well being.

For those who or somebody you realize is experiencing sexual abuse or assault, assist is accessible. Contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or go to RAIIN.com.