AND NECESSARY TO ENSURE NOTHING
LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
TO BE HONEST, I CAN IMAGINE NO
PLACE THEY WOULD BE LESS
COMFORTABLE RIGHT NOW THAN
SITTING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU
SHARING THESE COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS SIMONE BILES.
I AM A GYMNAST TRAINED AT THE LEVS OF THE SPORT.
LEVS OF THE SPORT.
I HAVE HAD THE HONOR TO RE
REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
I WON 25 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEDALS AND 7 OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR
TEAM USA.
THAT RECORD MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.
I AM PROUD OF MY REPRESENTATION
OF THIS NATION THROUGH
GYMNASTICS.
I A SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL ABUSE.
I BELIEVE THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES
THAT LED TO MY ABUSE AND ALLOWED
IT TO CONTINUE ARE DIRECTLY THE
RESULT OF THE FACT THAT THE
ORGANIZATIONS CREATED BY
CONGRESS TO OVERSEE AND PROTECT
ME AS AN ATHLETE, USA GYMNASTICS
AND THE UNITED STATES OLYMPIC
COMMITTEE FAILED TO DO THEIR
JOBS.
NELSON MANDELA SAID THERE CAN BE
NO KEENER REVELATION OF
A SOCIETY THAN THE WAY IT TREATS
ITS CHILDREN.
THAT EMPOWERS TO ME BE HERE IN
FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
I DON’T WANT ANOTHER YOUNG
GYMNAST OR OLYMPIC ATHLETE OR
ANY INDIVIDUAL TO EXPERIENCE THE
HORROR AND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ENDURED BEFORE, DURING AND
ENDURED BEFORE, DURING AND
CONTINUING TO THIS DAY.
[VOICE BREAKING].
IN THE LARRY NASSAR ABUSE.
TO BE CLEAR -- SORRY.
>> [VOICE BREAKING].
>> TAKE YOUR TIME.
>> TO BE CLEAR, I BLAME LARRY
NASSAR AND I ALSO BLAME AN
ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT ENABLED AND
PERPETRATED HIS ABUSE.
USA GYMNASTICS AND THE OLYMPIC
COMMITTEES KNEW I WAS ABUSED BY
THEIR OFFICIAL TEAM DOCTOR LONG
EVER I WAS MADE AWARE OF THEIR
KNOWLEDGE.
IN MAY OF 2015, RHONDA THE
FORMER HEAD OF U.S. GYMNASTICS
WAS TOLD BY A TEAMMATE THAT SHE
SUSPECTED I TOO WAS A VICTIM.
I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE
MAGNITUDE OF WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL
THE STAR PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE IN
THE FALL OF 2016 ENTITLED FORMER
USA GYMNASTICS DOCTOR ACCUSED OF
ABUSE.
WHEN I WAS A MEMBER OF THE 2016
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM THEY NOR THE
FBI EVER CONTACTED ME OR MY
PARENTS.
OTHERS WERE INFORMED BUT I WAS
NOT TOLD UNTIL AFTER THE RIO
GAMES.
THIS IS THE LARGEST CASE OF
SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE HISTORY OF
AMERICA’S SPORTS.
ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN A FULLY
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE
FBI’S HANDLING OF THE CASE,
NEITHER ORGANIZATION WAS MADE
THE SUBJECT OF THE SAME LEVEL OF
SCRUTINY.
THESE ARE THE ENTITYIES ENTRUSTE
WITH THE PROTECTION OF OUR
SPORTS AND ATHLETES.
BUT QUESTIONS OF
RESPONSIBILITIES AND FAILURES
REMAIN UNANSWERED.
AS YOU PURSUE THE ANSWERS TO
THOSE QUESTIONS I ASK THAT YOUR
WORKING GUIDED BY THE SAME
QUESTION THAT RACHAEL AND MANY
OTHERS HAVE ASKED:
HOW MUCH IS A LITTLE GIRL WORTH?
I SIT BEFORE YOU TODAY TO RAISE
MY VOICE TO THAT NO LITTLE GIRL
MUST ENSURE WHAT I DID AND THE
ATHLETES AT THIS TABLE AND
COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO NEEDLESSLY
SUFFERED UNDER NASSAR’S GUISE OF
MEDICAL TREATMENT WHICH WE
CONTINUE TO ENDURE TODAY.
WE CONTINUE TO SUFFER BECAUSE NO
ONE DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO
PROTECT US.
WE HAVE BEEN FAILED AND WE
DESERVE ANSWERS.
NASSAR IS WHERE HE BELONGS, BUT
THOSE WHO ENABLED HIM DESERVE TO
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IF THEY ARE NOT, I AM CONVINCED
THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN TO
OTHERS ACROSS OLYMPIC SPORTS.
IN REVIEWING THE REPORT, IT
FEELS LIKE THE FBI TURNED A BLIND EYE TO US AND WENT OUT
A BLIND EYE TO US AND WENT OUT
OF ITS WAY TO PROTECT USING ON.
IF YOU ALLOW A PREDATOR TO HARM
CHILDREN, THE CONSEQUENCES WILL
BE SEVERE.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT.
THE SCARS OF THIS HORRIFIC ABUSE
CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH ALL OF US.
AS THE LONE COMPETITOR IN THE
TOKYO GAMESES WHO SURVIVED THIS
HORROR THE IMPACTS OF THIS MAN’S
ABUSE ARE NOT EVER OVER OR
FORGOTTEN.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE SPRING
OF 2020 THAT THE TOKYO GAMES
WERE POSTPONED MEANT THAT I
WOULD GO TO THE GYM AND TRAINING
AND THERAPY AND LIVING DAILY
WITH THE REMINDERS OF THIS STORY
FOR ANOTHER 365 DAYS.
ONE THING THAT HELPED ME PUSH
EVERY DAY WAS THE GOAL OF NOT
ALLOWING THIS CRISIS TO BE
IGNORED.
I WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT
MY PRESENCE COULD MAINTAIN
A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE
FAILURES AND THE COMPETITION AT
TOKYO 20.
OFFICE
OFFICE -- THAT WAS A DIFFICULT
BURDEN TO CARRY PARTICULARLY
TRAVELING TO TOKYO WITHOUT THE
SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY.
I NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT
ALONE TO SUFFER THE ABUSE OF
LARRY NASSAR.
THE ONLY REASON I DID WAS
BECAUSE OF THE FAILURES THAT LIE
AT THE HEART OF THE ABUSE THAT
YOU ARE NOW ASKED TO VISITING.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS
WITH THIS COMMITTEE TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR
JOINING THE SURVIVORS OF THIS
ABUSE TO DO WHAT WE ALL CAN TO