Ep. 160 Maggie Nichols: From Athlete A to NCAA Gymnastics Champion
Maggie Nichols spent most of her childhood training as an elite-level gymnast. She was looking forward to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro alongside Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, but her dreams were crushed when she didn’t make the team.
In 2015, Maggie courageously spoke out about the sexual abuse by her team physician, Larry Nassar. Maggie was referred to as "Athlete A" to protect her identity while an extensive investigation captured the nation’s attention. Now, Athlete A is a documentary that follows Maggie, other brave gymnasts, newspaper reporters and the legal team that put Larry behind bars and exposed decades of abuse at USA Gymnastics.
Maggie went on to achieve remarkable success at the University of Oklahoma, becoming an 8-time NCAA national gymnastics champion and an advocate for the protection of young athletes. She shares her story in her memoir, Unstoppable!, giving a look into the world of elite gymnastics, the sexual abuse scandal and her relentless pursuit of justice.
In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Maggie emphasizes the importance of sharing stories to help others, overcoming obstacles and having a good support system.
Topics of abuse are discussed in this episode. Listener discretion is advised.
CHALLENGE FOR LISTENERS:
Is there something you feel like you can’t tell the people around you? If so, think about other types of support systems, professional help or just reexamining the relationships around you and replacing those with people who believe you, support you and empower you to get to a place where you feel comfortable to share your story.
RESOURCES:
Maggie Nichols’ Website, Instagram and X (Twitter)
Unstoppable!: My Journey from World Champion to Athlete A to 8-Time NCAA National Gymnastics Champion and Beyond on Amazon
CLOSING QUOTE
“Everything happens for a reason.”