Ali Raisman is taking #MeToo to new frontiers.
The 23-year-old Olympic gymnast, who testified last month against former sports physician Larry Nassar, took part in this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, posing nude to make a statement about female empowerment.
Following Larry Nassar’s trial, Aly Raisman poses for Sports Illustrated. She states “Women do not have to be modest to be respected” pic.twitter.com/f1otyHEMF8
— Randel Leahy (@RandelLeahy) February 13, 2018
Raisman, who also participated in last year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, covered her body with phrases like “survivor,” “trust yourself,” “live for you,” and “abuse is never okay.”
“I would like to remind everyone that being a survivor is nothing to be ashamed of, and going through a hard time does not define you,” Raisman told Sports Illustrated, via People.
The athlete, who was one of over 150 women and girls sexually abused by Nassar, challenged the notion that modesty is a prerequisite for a woman to be respected.
“I hope that we can one day get to a point where everyone realizes that women do not have to be modest to be respected. We are free to draw confidence and happiness in our own way, and it is never for someone else to choose for us or to even judge us for that matter.”
Raisman’s nude photo shoot was part of a Sports Illustrated project titled “In Her Own Words,” which seeks to bring attention to the subject of sexual abuse.
Models Sailor Brinkley Cook and Olivia Culpo also participated in the project.
“For me, ‘In Her Own Words’ serves as a reminder that we are all humans, we are all battling something, and it is OK to not be OK,” Raisman explained.
She also spoke about the importance of being “honest” regarding her experiences.
“I think everyone goes through really hard times and I’ve decided to be so honest about what I went through because the tough times are very hard to talk about, and they are uncomfortable, but they are equally as important into shaping us.”
Nassar was sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison for the sexual abuse charges, along with 60 years for federal pornography charges.
Aly Raisman is proud to call herself a survivor #InHerOwnWords https://t.co/MmEOaTfFEH pic.twitter.com/qyl3pWxIXt
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 13, 2018
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