Aly Raisman described the profound physical and mental impact Larry Nassar's abuse has had on her health

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Aly Raisman described the profound physical and mental impact Larry Nassar's abuse has had on her health
Aly Raisman during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the FBI's failings in the Nassar case. Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP
  • Aly Raisman and other gymnasts testified about Larry Nassar's sexual abuse to Congress Wednesday.
  • The Olympian described the profound, lasting impact Nassar's abuse has had on her physical health.
  • "I'm 27 years old and my 80-year-old grandfather has more energy than I do," Raisman said.
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Aly Raisman has been extremely transparent about the significant emotional burden of Larry Nassar's sexual abuse.

On Wednesday, the two-time Olympian detailed the profound physical impact the trauma has had on her health.

During a Senate Judiciary hearing about the FBI's failings in the Nassar case, Raisman explained that she'd been sapped of all of her energy due to post-traumatic stress disorder and the lasting impact of Nassar's abuse.

Aly Raisman described the profound physical and mental impact Larry Nassar's abuse has had on her health
Raisman. Saul Loeb/Pool via AP

"Experiencing a type of abuse is not something one just suffers in the moment; it carries on with them sometimes for the rest of their lives," Raisman said. "For example, being here today is taking everything I have."

"I hope I have the energy even to just walk out of here," she added.

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She described feeling completely depleted after sharing her story publicly for the first time. She said she remembered struggling to find the energy to stand up in the shower and that she would have to sit on the floor to wash her hair.

Aly Raisman described the profound physical and mental impact Larry Nassar's abuse has had on her health
Raisman competing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Getty/Laurence Griffiths

She "couldn't even go for a 10-minute walk outside" despite having been in the peak physical condition to compete in two Olympic Games just a few years prior. She often feels that her memory is impacted, too, and that her "mind isn't working" adequately and that she has "no energy at all."

She's 27 years old.

"My 80-year-old grandfather has more energy than I do," Raisman said. "I've often wondered, am I ever going to feel better?"

Raisman testified alongside fellow gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols as part of Wednesday's hearing. She detailed her experience reporting the sexual abuse she faced from Nassar, saying the FBI made her feel like what happened "wasn't a big deal."

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Aly Raisman described the profound physical and mental impact Larry Nassar's abuse has had on her health
From left: Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Raisman, and Maggie Nichols at the Senate Judiciary Hearing. Saul Loeb/Pool via AP

She also expressed anger on behalf of herself and the other women testifying that they are still seeking accountability in the case even though "a survivor's healing is affected by the handling of their abuse."

"It disgusts me that we are still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability over six years later," she added.

You can watch a clip of Raisman's testimony about the physical challenges she's faced in the wake of Nassar's abuse below:

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