LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Little Canada native Maggie Nichols was among a group of women receiving a prestigious award in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening for her bravery in reporting sexual abuse by Dr. Larry Nassar, which prompted more than 200 female athletes to come forward with their own stories and accusations.
Nichols and the other survivors were selected as deserving of the ESPYS Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which in the past has been given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Billie Jean King and other figures who've changed the world for the better. Actress Jennifer Garner presented the award to the group, which included gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman.
In January, Nichols revealed publicly that she was the unidentified athlete who first reported Nassar to USA Gymnastics in 2015, prompting the initial investigation. From there, the onslaught of accusations against Nassar resulted in a sentence that will keep the doctor in prison for the rest of his life.
Nichols' parents spoke with KARE 11 on January 9, the same day their daughter issued a statement about Nassar's abuse and the nightmare that ensued.
"By telling her story, I believe she feels that this will help people realize what really happened," her mother, Gina Nichols, told KARE 11 at the time.
Meanwhile, Nichols has continued to persevere as a gymnast. After making it all the way to the Olympic Trials in 2016, she retired from elite gymnastics and then enrolled collegiately at the University of Oklahoma. Just three months ago, in April, she won an NCAA title with the Sooners in the all-around.
In May, Nichols then learned she would be one of the recipients of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. An official OU women's gymnastics Twitter account then shared a video as a tribute to Nichols' bravery.
K.J. Kindler, the head women's gymnastics coach at OU, said in the video that Nichols' story has been remarkable to follow.
"To find out as the story unfolded, how many people were affected, how many people testified... it's mind-blowing," Kindler said. "And to think that she put that all into action, and that saved who knows how many other people?"