Olympian Aly Raisman Was Hospitalized Twice After "Complete Body Paralysis"

Aly Raisman has been fighting a private health battle.

The retired gymnast, who has competed in two Olympic Games, revealed that she’s been hospitalized twice in the last few years with "stroke-like symptoms."

"I can't remember my name," the 30-year-old said on the July 17 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. "I'm slurring my words. I can barely speak. Both times I was tested for a stroke because I literally couldn't move my body. It was so scary."

Being treated by doctors was in itself triggering for Raisman. She is one of scores of gymnasts who were sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar, who in 2018 was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for the acts, which he carried out under the guise of medical treatment.

Raisman said her first medical emergency with stroke-like symptoms happened during the COVID pandemic, which meant her mother was not allowed to ride with her in the ambulance that took her to the hospital.

"They're asking me what my name is, but I can't remember my name or say what my name is," she said. "And I was aware enough to know like, 'Oh my God, I have two men that I can't move my arms and my legs. I can't move my body. I can't speak. Like, what if they take advantage of me?'"

The athlete continued, "I was like really still struggling a lot with PTSD. People don't realize how much it still lives with you when you've been through something traumatic."

The second time Raisman was hospitalized with similar symptoms was in 2023.

"They wouldn't release me because I couldn't sit up on my own," she recalled. "I needed help walking, going to the bathroom. It was just the most to be able to go from being like an athlete and being able to push myself so much to being able to literally not even be able to move my fingers, move my legs. I had complete body paralysis."

She said stress worsens her physical symptoms, so she is being proactive about her mental health. "I have to be very on top of my therapy," Raisman said, "but then also my therapist has to work with me if I'm starting to feel off."

While Raisman has long retired from competing in gymnastics, she will play a special part in the 2024 Olympics in Paris this month—she will be an official hospitality ambassadors for the event. She said she feels anxiety about her return to the Olympics.

"There's going to be a lot of triggers," the athlete said. "I might see someone that maybe didn't protect me in the past."

Raisman said she is excited to watch the Olympics, especially the gymnastics competitions. "It's so emotional watching everyone," she said, "and I know everyone works so hard."

However, she is also relieved that this time, she will be a spectator. "I am having dreams that I'm competing," she said, "I wake up, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I'm done.'"

Read on to see the glam outfits the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team will wear at the 2024 Olympics in Paris...

Team USA is depicted wearing the outfits reserved for the Team Final. They pay homage to the iconic leotard the "Magnificent Seven" wore at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where they became the first U.S. women's gymnastics team to win Olympic gold.

A close-up of the outfit shows its red, white and blue Spanglez design and standard brilliance and ruby crystals cut into diamond shapes—9,929 in total.

Weight: 0.80 lbs

Simone Biles is depicted wearing the outfit.

The outfit includes red and silver hologram Spanglez and more than 10,000 Swarovski crystals.

Weight: 0.60 lbs

The navy and white ombre outfit includes Silver Hologram Spanglez and 5,297 crystals, with 300 making up an American flag on the right hip area.

Weight: 0.65 lbs

The red and navy ombre outfit is adorned with over 5,000 crystals.

Weight: 0.55 lbs

The outfit is adorned with 3,423 standard brilliance and turquoise shimmer Crystals to create an imagining of Paris at twilight, with patterns that pay homage to the Eiffel Tower. 

A close-up of the outfit.

The white leotard includes a red, white, and blue criss-cross corseting pattern on the back and 3,494 garnet, midnight, and brilliance crystals, as well as 970 white pearls.

Weight: 0.50 lbs

A close-up of the outfit.

The outfit includes 6,359 standard billiance, garnet, periwinkle, turquoise shimmer and metallic gold crystals.

Weight: 0.70 lbs

A close-up of the outfit.

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