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A former Olympic gymnast said in an exclusive interview with ABC News that she had been sexually assaulted by former team doctor, Larry Nassar, for years. She claimed that in 2017, the president of USA Gymnastics had manipulated him to make him accept a declaration of support for the statement. organization.
Tasha Schwikert, 33, told ABC News that, shortly before an interview with "60 Minutes" in February 2017, three former gymnasts alleged to have been sexually assaulted by Nassar, Steve Penny, President of USA Gymnastics at the time , had called her unexpectedly saying, "We're in some trouble."
She said that he had asked her if she had been abused by Nassar and that at that time, she had told him "no".
Schwikert, a bronze medalist at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, said she was caught off guard and that she was not yet ready to tell her own story of abuse committed by Nassar.
ABC News
"Until then … if any one asked me how was my gymnastics career, how were the Olympics, you smile saying that it was awesome – life was glamorous", did she entrusted ABC News. "It reminds me a bit of social media when everyone publishes the five percent of his life, but no one wants to talk about the remaining 95 percent.It's like everything is fine, and you move on to thing because it's easier to show that your life is glamorous, [that] you are doing very well and you are well. "
During the phone call, she stated that the USA Gymnastics manager had asked Schwikert to make a statement about her "positive experience" with Nassar and USA Gymnastics. She refused to say anything positive about Nassar, but she accepted a preliminary statement from USA Gymnastics, she said.
the declaration read: "As a member of the national team from 1999 to 2004, I firmly believe that health and well-being have always been a priority for USA Gymnastics. and experiences that have helped me reach my goals. "
USA Gymnastics tweeted this statement next to an image of a radiating Schwikert.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
"[Penny] I contacted at one of the most vulnerable times of my life, "she said, pointing out that she was about to pass the bar exam, pregnant, to work and to to take care of her one – year – old daughter alone, while her husband was working abroad "for months. "
"I did not even approach or recognize my personal skeletons with Larry … I felt just indebted for [Penny]. Essentially, being very vulnerable, he was able to manipulate me to sign a statement they had written for me. "
She said she had never heard of Penny again after the publication of her statement. According to Schwikert, Nassar assaulted her for the first time at the age of 16 at the Karolyi Ranch Olympics training camp in 2000. She stated that she had been assaulted more than 100 times up to the age of 16. In 2005.
"Never, in a million years, I think the doctor who is supposed to treat me and help me tells me this medical advice, which is actually a manipulation … to make me believe that what he does is legitimate, "she says.
Tasha Schwikert spoke about her experience Thursday for the first time in an interview with ABC News. She hopes to be able to denounce what she has described as an "environment of fear" which, according to her, has invaded life at Karolyi Ranch. She now lives in Las Vegas with her husband and two children.
She was accompanied Thursday by her sister, Jordan Schwikert, 31, also from Las Vegas, who was also part of the American team of gymnastics. Jordan Schwikert told ABC News that she was assaulted for the first time by Nassar at the age of 14 and that she had been assaulted more than 15 times.
"Even thinking about it makes me so disgusted, I do not even want to imagine it happening," said Schwikert. "But when I was little, I was trying to overtake him."
AFP / Getty Images, FILE
Jordan Schwikert is said to be happy to have the opportunity to tell his story to his sister and that it "would be much harder to go out alone."
"It's good that Tasha is coming together … we just want to make a big impact and make changes, we never want anyone to go through it, go out in public, help others."
Penny was arrested Wednesday in Tennessee for allegedly tampering with evidence in the Nassar case.
He allegedly removed documents from the Karolyi Ranch, the former American Gymnastics Training Center in Huntsville, Texas, regarding Nassar's activity at the gym.
"The indictment further alleges that the deletion of the documents was carried out in order to undermine the ongoing investigation by destroying or hiding the documents," said the US Marshals in a statement. A press release.
He allegedly ordered the documents to be sent to the USA Gymnastics headquarters in Indianapolis. These documents have never been found, the authorities said.
Penny resigned as president of the USA Gymnastics in March 2017 amid allegations of sexual abuse against Nassar.
US Marshals Service
Nassar pleaded guilty in 2017 to seven child molestation bosses, but more than 130 women and girls, including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, have accused of assaulting them.
A large number of these accusers testified at a hearing in January, during which he was sentenced to a term of up to 175 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty in two other cases – an affair and another possession of child pornography case.
In a statement from his lawyer, Penny said that once the facts are known, it will be shown that he has done nothing criminal. He faces 10 years in prison. The lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tasha Schwikert from ABC News.
USA Gymnastics also released a statement on Thursday in which it said it had read the charges against Penny.
"We support the efforts of law enforcement and have fully cooperated with the investigations of the Texas Rangers, Congress and others, and will continue to do so to help survivors and our community recover from this tragedy."
Mark Osborne and Ali Rogin of ABC News contributed to this article.
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