Eight-time NCAA champion Maggie Nichols details her experience as the first athlete on the U.S. national gymnastics team to report the sexual abuse she endured from former sports medicine physician Larry Nassar in her debut YA memoir Unstoppable!, written with Hope Innelli, with an introduction from Simone Biles. Nichols chronicles her rise to elite-level fame after helping the U.S. team win gold at the 2015 World Championships, her disappointment in not being named to the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, her years attending university, and her involvement in the investigation of allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by Nassar. In a conversation with PW, Nichols spoke about her experience publishing her debut, how she juggles a busy schedule, and how she handled revisiting traumatic memories.
What has your experience as a debut author been like?
Writing a book has been a goal of mine for a long time, so it’s been a dream come true. For a while, it was one of those dreams that you have that you don’t think you’re ever going to accomplish. But throughout my college career, I was like, “You know what? When I’m done, I think I really want to do this.”
A lot of work was put into writing Unstoppable!, and it’s been such a unique experience. I wrote an outline of the things that I wanted to cover before I met with Hope Innelli, who helped me write the book. I haven’t seen a physical copy yet, but to say that I’m publishing a book... I don’t even have words. I’m really excited for it to finally come out and be able to call myself an author.
Was this the kind of book that you imagined would become your debut?
I had a few different ideas, but I’m proud of what came about. I feel like my story is one that will be inspiring to a lot of people. Throughout my career, there were a lot of obstacles that I had to face, but I had a lot of victories as well. A big part of my personal philosophy is that when one door closes—when you think a dream has been crushed—another door swings wide open, to a world that’s full of so many amazing opportunities that you didn’t even think were possible. So, I feel like my story is very motivating, which is what I really wanted my book to be.
You mention in the preface that you wanted to write this book to recount the details that were never shared before because “it is in these details that champions are made.” How did you balance revisiting painful memories with maintaining your own peace?
It’s definitely been challenging to resurface some of the experiences that I faced, but I think with time, it gets easier. And I know that sharing my experiences—the good and the really, really bad—is going to help other people; it’s going to educate other people. So, even when it was difficult, that’s what I would think about. That eased my mind. I think it’s really important to share the details of my story, whether they’re minor or very big, because a lot of people only know me as a victorious NCAA gymnast, and then as Athlete A, especially because so much of what people know about me and the case was only from the headlines. They don’t know about some of the injuries that I had, or the body image issues that I went through, so I really wanted to share those stories.
I wouldn’t go back and change anything. I think it’s important to show how those really hard times shaped me into the person and the gymnast that I am today.
In Simone Biles’s introduction, she described you as having been very shy when you two first met. How has the support of those you befriended in your teen years influenced who you are now?
When I first started going to the USA Gymnastics Camp at 14, I didn’t know most of the girls there or even what to expect. So it was really awesome when Simone came up to me and asked me to hang out. The rest is history; we were best friends after that, which I’m so thankful for.
All the girls on the team, we were all so close. We always tried to make light of every situation; we were always laughing and having so much fun together. Without my team, I don’t know what my career would have looked like. We were never jealous of one another or anything like that. We were each other’s number one fans and that’s how we still are today.
Looking back on those experiences, on what we had at camp, and looking at our friendship, it’s just so special. When I went to Simone’s wedding, I also got to see Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman, and it was like no time had passed. They’ve had their own hardships as well, and to be advocates with them, to have them by my side, makes things a little bit easier.
You’re currently working with the We Are Strong Invitational Tour and the Maggie Nichols Foundation, as well as starting a new chapter as a fitness trainer, on top of promoting Unstoppable!. Is there anything else you’re looking to add to your plate?
I would be honored to write another children’s book. I feel like while Unstoppable! shares most of my story, I could go into even more detail; I would love to write more about my college experience.
When it comes to things like the We Are Strong Invitational, I want to continue to grow that and bring more people into that community and help as many people and charities as I possibly can. And regarding personal fitness training, I originally started doing that for fun, but I really found it to be my true passion. I love to help other people reach their fitness and health goals and become the best version of themselves. Right now, I do my work through an online fitness app, but maybe one day I could do one-on-one training in person. And if I want to return to the NCAA world, I could lean back on my degree in intercollegiate athletic administration.
It’s all kind of up in the air. I have a lot of goals and dreams, like I’ve had my whole life. I love being busy and having a lot to do, so I guess we’ll see what my future holds.
Unstoppable! My Journey from World Champion to Athlete A to 8-Time NCAA National Gymnastics Champion and Beyond by Maggie Nichols with Hope Innelli. Roaring Brook, $19.99 Jan. 16 ISBN 978-1-250-86022-4
