Larry Nassar duped me. He would have duped you too. Here's how to stop the next abuser from taking his place
/I first met Larry Nassar in the late '90s, when I was a student athletic training intern at the University of Washington. With a gymnastics meet in full swing on either side of us, Nassar let me help treat the athletes. He was kind and thoughtful, and explained to me every single thing he was doing as he worked. Even the coaches, ex-gymnasts themselves, would hobble their aching bodies toward Nassar in hope of relief. He was odd and a little dorky, but it was kind of refreshing compared to the ego-driven coaches and doctors I was used to dealing with.
I've spent most of my life in the world of gymnastics; I've competed, I've coached and I've been a fan since my dad took me to see the 1980 Olympic Team tour. The vast majority of my experiences with the sport have been positive. But I'm not naïve, nor was I then, about how cruel that world can be. Nassar seemed like one of the good ones. And everyone I asked said that he was.