Hundreds of athletes who came forward and told their stories of abuse at the hands of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar will be jointly honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during this year’s ESPY Awards ceremony in downtown Los Angeles, ESPN announced Wednesday.
“For 25 years, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage has been given to those who change the world in important ways, and the future will undoubtedly be different because of the actions of these heroic women,” said Maura Mandt, executive producer of The ESPYS. “This tribute will reflect the awe and admiration these individuals deserve.”
ESPN officials said the women — including Olympic-medal winning gymnasts such as Aly Raisman and Simone Biles — helped bring “the darkness of sexual abuse into the light and inspired many others to speak up about their own experiences.”
Nassar was sentenced in January to up to 175 years in prison for molesting multiple girls. He was accused of molesting as many as 250 women during his decades of work for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.
The Ashe award pays tribute to people who “find ways through sports to make a difference” beyond the playing field and impact the world. Previous recipients of the honor include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Billie Jean King, Jim Valvano, Pat Tillman, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Pat Summitt.
The ESPY ceremony will be held July 18 at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
“We are honored to recognize the courage of these women at The 2018 ESPYS, to acknowledge the power of their voices and to shine a very well-deserved spotlight on what speaking up, fighting back, and demanding accountability can accomplish,” said Alison Overholt, vice president and editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine, espnW and The ESPYS. “They have shown us all what it truly means to speak truth to power, and through their bravery, they are making change for future generations. By honoring this group who spoke out, we aim to honor all of those who are survivors of abuse.”