For most of her storied career in martial arts, which included earning Americaâs first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo, Arlene Limas didnât just battle opponents on the mat.
As a coach and instructor, she also fought to keep young athletes âsafe from predatory coaches and teammates.â Those skilled in the most combative sportsâtaekwondo, judo and boxingâclearly had the physical abilities to defend themselves, but âsomething was missing,â she said.
They werenât able to recognize signs of abuse and coercion from those they trusted, Limas said. Their experiences sound eerily similar to accounts by more than 150 girls and young women who said they were sexually abused by Larry Nassar, doctor for the USA Gymnastics team.