The bravery of McKayla Maroney and Tatiana Gutsu

I usually write short posts sharing videos of things I'm passionate about: gymnastics, sports, music, food,... but when I read the news from Olympic champions McKayla Maroney and Tatiana Gutsu, I thought it was too important not to post about it.

The news about Hollywood produer Harvey Weinstein abusing his position of power to sexually abuse women has spread to other areas of society, such as sports.

Here is what McKayla Maroney (USA), who won a gold and a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics in gymnastics, posted on her Twitter account:

Tatiana Gutsu (Ukraine), winner of the Barcelona 1992 team and individual gymnastics gold, posted this on her Facebook account:

"This is me being brave after 27 years.

Tatyana Toropova who I thought was my friend and a team mate in the National team of USSR thank you for not being brave for me when I need it you the most to stand , stand up for me and fight for the women rights in such a horrific act ,no means no.
You where there you heard everything you never stand stand up to protect me...
Rustam Sharipov thank you for being a great body for your friend and not protecting me as a little girl at 15.

Who rape me in Stuttgart Germany DTB 1991.

Vitaliy Sherbo.
Monster who kept me in my own prison to be afraid for so many years.
I know you will try to diffent yourself.
But my details are much stronger than your words.
I'm strong now then ever.

You can't brack me down anymore

This my Cinderela story.

I Survive you and I will supports anyone out there who is afraid to speak out I will try to gain my confidence and straight in myself to help others."

It is very hard to talk about these things publicly years after they happened.

When it happens, at such young age, you feel outraged, ashamed, embarrassed, frustrated,... and you don't know what to do. Who do you talk to? What do you say? In most cases, you end up not talking to anybody and trying to forget about the incident. After years go by, you try to sweep it under the carpet, but it is still there, in a hidden part of your mind, like a dormant volcano, where there's no activity but it's not quite extinct yet.

Many years later, when you think that such horrible events have been forgotten, a campaign like the #MeToo comes out and you see how many brave women are out there and you don't feel so isolated anymore and it is your time to also be brave and speak out so people are aware of how widespread and important a problem this is.

It is important that we all speak out about this, don't be silent about it, the abusers count on their victims to be silent, that's how they get away with it, don't help them do that, speak out.