*By Max Godnick*
Nearly 150 survivors of Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYS on Wednesday night. The women, who call themselves "sister survivors," directly addressed their encounters with the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, who was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison in February.
"To all the survivors out there, don't let anyone rewrite your story," said Aly Raisman, the three-time Olympic gold medalist who was abused by Nassar. "We may suffer alone, but we survive together."
This group of womenー141 in totalーare the latest to inspire the ESPYS' audience. Traditionally, The Ashe Award honors risk-takers and survivors of traumas, which have ranged from illness to social prejudice. Previous winners include Caitlyn Jenner in 2015, Michael Samーthe NFL's first openly gay playerーin 2014, and news anchor and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts in 2013.
"It was probably one of the biggest ESPY moments that we've ever seen," said Josh Hill, senior editor at FanSided, in an interview with Cheddar on Thursday.
The acceptance speech comes amid criticism that networks and athletes should "stick to sports" and not comment on polarizing social or political issues. In February, Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham told LeBron James to ["shut up and dribble"](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop) after he criticized President Trump during an interview on ESPN.
The survivors' moment onstage was the most buzz-worthy part of an evening that mostly features awards such as "Best Team" and "Best Championship Performance." Hill said that those prizes, unlike the Arthur Ashe, fail to generate conversation because generally speaking, the ESPYS are "an award show that awards people for already winning awards."
"It's something that I think needed to happen," Hill said. "ESPN and sports in general can't just keep going on pretending like these things aren't issues."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/nassar-survivors-define-courage-at-the-espys)
The rodeo circuit has been one of the sporting world's biggest boys' clubs for over a century. That's changing, thanks to women like Duke Wimberly, one of the bronc riders featured on Ride TV's new series "Cowgirls."
Imagine running up a hill, wanting to give up, and then hearing a personal trainer in your ear urging you to keep going. Would you?
Ethan Agarwal, CEO of Aaptiv, joins Cheddar to discuss how his app is making it possible for people to get motivated during a running workout.
The annual IRONMAN World Championship was held on October 14th in Kona, Hawaii. Three competitors tell Cheddar about their race and their journey to the starting line.
This Changes Things: Advice for the business leaders and executives of tomorrow, powered by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells, New York Magazine's top movies, albums, and TV shows of 2017.
Chat Sports is a rapidly-growing live sports network for digital platforms. CEO and founder James Yoder reveals what goes into building a network from scratch, and weighs in on today's big sports headlines.
The University of Oregon's deal with Nike could become even sweeter. The program could reportedly get more than $88 Million in cash, apparel, and shoes over an 11-year contract. StockX CEO Josh Luber explains what this means for the athletic retailer, and college athletics.
Bobby Rahal, who became one of an elite group of race car drivers by winning the Indy500 in 1986, has remained a huge part of the racing world. He caught up with Alyssa Julya Smith at the Los Angeles Auto Show preview to talk about his partnership with Jaguar Land Rover, and Jaguar's I-PACE eTrophy Series.
It's a big weekend for college football. The top teams in the country will battle it out for a conference championship title. Nick Dimengo, Senior Editor at FHM Magazine joins Cheddar to give his opinion on who will end up with the trophy on January 8th.
Danny Boockvar, NFL Experience President, tells Cheddar all about the pro football league's new interactive exhibit.
The Astros won the World Series just weeks after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston. George Springer, who was named MVP of the series, says winning provided an outlet and a chance for the city to rebound.
