Originally Published at Oxygen
By Ted Quarterman
Of the hundreds of women who came forward to testify against Larry Nassar as shown in the new Netflix documentary “Athlete A,” Rachael Denhollander was the first to publicly condemn the now-convicted serial sexual abuser.
Denhollander — a lawyer and former gymnast who was assaulted by Nassar when she was 15 years old — told her story publicly in 2016. Two years later, Larry Nassar was convicted on multiple counts of sexual assault involving a minor and sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.
Sports Illustrated named Denhollander “Inspiration of the Year” in 2018, and she was a recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award along with all the other women who testified against Nassar. The same year, TIME Magazine added her to their list of the world’s 100 Most Influential People.
In 2019, Denhollander authored a memoir entitled “What Is A Girl Worth?” that documented her journey to the infamous Nassar hearing. She also published a children’s book called “How Much is a Little Girl Worth?” The title of the book echoes Denhollander’s solemn question asked before court at Nassar’s sentencing the year prior.
This year, she is slated to speak at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation 2020 Summit in Arlington, Virginia, and she will also address the 12th Annual Crimes Against Children Conference in Williamsburg.
