Olympian Aly Raisman Reveals One Of Her 'Most Proud Moments'

Aly Raisman first gained recognition for her performances at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. During these games, she led the U.S. women's gymnastics team to a gold medal and won individual medals in both the floor exercise and the balance beam.

With the 2024 Paris Olympicson the horizon, Aly Raisman is looking back on her gymnastics career and reflecting on the significance of her role in shaping history.

In the latest episode of BBC's "Influential with Katty Kay," Kay spoke with Aly Raisman about her Olympic achievements.

"It was such a special experience because I wasn't expected to medal on beam – so getting that bronze medal was one of my most proud moments," Raisman tells Kay of BBC.

Even without the added "pressure to win," the Olympian recalls "Competing in that arena… it's so terrifying, the tension in the arena – you could literally hear a bag of chips open, it's so quiet, so nerve-wracking. You could hear the clicking of the camera! I was so proud of myself for handling that pressure."

Raisman shared that the stress and pressure impacted her confidence, but after a pivotal pep talk from her coach, she managed to tune out the distractions, focus on her teammates' cheers, and enter what she describes as a "flow state," ultimately winning the gold medal with her floor routine.

"I just had to let go and not think," the 30-year-old told Kay. "To this day, it was the best floor routine I've ever done in my entire life. I just felt in a state of 'flow' – which I've never been in before competing. I think because my practice was so stressful… and I was struggling so much, and my confidence wasn't great, letting it go was the best decision I made. I did my first pass on the floor, and I just knew the rest of the routine was fine; I felt free, and it felt great."

Raisman grew up in the spotlight, attending the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 18, right after graduating from high school. "I was such a baby," she recalled of when she competed in 2012. "Going into Rio in 2016, I was 22 years old; I was still so young! But I had been around, so I knew. In London, I was the captain, but still so young."

"But I felt older in 2016 and my role had shifted in the team," the 30-year-old continued. "I felt more of that 'mum' role."

The Olympian-turned-advocate has openly discussed her past triggers, including the sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of her sports doctor, Dr. Larry Nassar.

“The first time it happened was during COVID. And so, they wouldn’t let my mom in the ambulance with me,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, released on Wednesday. “I was aware enough to know, like, ‘Oh, my God, I have two men [with me]. I can’t move my arms and my legs, I can’t move my body, I can’t speak. What if they take advantage of me?’”

Raisman testified about the abuse she suffered and has now become a strong advocate for survivors of sexual assault in sports.

Nassar received a prison sentence of 40 to 175 years for his numerous sexual abuse offenses.

Due to the abuse she endured, the Olympian struggled with PTSD, something that she continues to battle to this day.“I was really still struggling a lot with PTSD. People don’t realize how much it still lives with you when you’ve been through something traumatic. So, that was really hard for me,” Raisman said.

Raisman then revealed she had been hospitalized for three days due to “complete body paralysis."

“They wouldn’t release me because I couldn’t sit up on my own. It took me so long. I needed help walking, going to the bathroom,” the 30-year-old shared. “It was the most to be able to go from being an athlete and being able to push myself so much to literally not even be able to move my fingers, move my legs.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual abuse or assault, help is available. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or visit RAIIN.com.