McKayla Maroney won the gold with a stunning performance during the 2012 Olympics while he was suffering from a concussion, broken nose and a broken foot that disgraced USA team doctor Larry Nassar knew about but lied to coaches.
In a series of Instagram posts and tweets, Maroney peeled back the curtail to reveal the dark realities that young gymnasts have to go through.
In an Instagram story, Maroney, now 25, said she broke her foot during practice as soon as the team got to London for the 2012 Olympics because she was jet-lagged and 'dizzy as hell.'
In the video, she said Larry Nassar - who's currently in prison for child pornography and sexually assaulting hundreds of young girls including Maroney - knew about the injuries and lied to then coach Márta Károlyi, telling her it was an old break.
She said she also took a concussion tests over and over - and kept failing - until she finally passed one.
'Then Márta (Károlyi) yelled at me saying, "Why are you being so dramatic? This is an old break." It wasn't an old break. It was a fresh break,' Maroney said in her video.
During her Instagram video, she was talking about the injuries that were covered up, including a broken nose
During her Instagram video, she said disgraced USA doctor Larry Nassar knew about her injuries, particularly her broken foot, and lied to the coach and said it was an old injury
McKayla Maroney of the United States performs on the floor at the women's team event final of the World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo on October 11, 2011. USA won gold at the event
McKayla Maroney of the US performs during the women's vault final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo on October 15, 2011
Larry Nassar, right, is in prison for sexually assaulting girls, including Maroney
She ultimately won a gold medal and a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics.
After the Olympics were over, she had to have 'miracle surgery' that she said football players get and was told she may never do gymnastics again.
Fortunately, the surgery was a success.
'From my experience speaking up about abuse is extremely exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally,' she said in an Instagram post.
'From a young age I was taught to work hard, and persevere. Gymnastics taught me to be tough, resilient, and to overcome all obstacles,' she wrote.
'If you know me, or have been following me, you probably have picked up that I’m naturally just a positive, bubbly person, who leans more towards optimism, and having faith because that’s what makes me happy.
'So calling out abusers, and dwelling on all the dark negative pieces of my past felt extremely wrong for me.
'I hated the depressing tone my life took on, and how the media portrayed me.
I never wanted to be seen as a victim, I just wanted Larry Nassar in jail, and the people who enabled the abuse to be held accountable. I wanted to MOVE ON, and go back to being myself, but I needed to learn the power of my voice, boundaries, and WHEN to be resilient.'
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