Start by Believing

Larry Nassar's Crimes, the Institutions that Enabled Him, and the Brave Women Who Stopped a Monster

From the Peabody Award-winning ESPN journalists, the definitive, devastating account of the largest sex abuse scandal in American sports history.

For decades, osteopathic physician Larry Nassar built a sterling reputation as the go-to doctor for America's Olympians while treating countless others at his office on Michigan State University's campus. The high-pressure world of gymnastics gave Nassar an opportunity to exploit young girls who were otherwise motivated by fear and intimidation.

In Start by Believing, John Barr and Dan Murphy confront Nassar's acts, as well as the epic institutional failures and individuals who enabled him. When warnings were raised, self-serving leaders chose to protect their organizations' reputations over the well-being of young people. Parents and coaches entrusted their children to Nassar's care, and he used that trust to manipulate and sexually abuse hundreds of girls and young women under the guise of medical treatment.

Following the paths traveled by courageous women - featuring a once-shy Christian attorney and a brash, outspoken Olympic medalist - Barr and Murphy detail the stories of those who fought back against the dysfunction within their sport to claim a far-from-inevitable victory. The gymnasts' uncommon perseverance, along with the help of dedicated advocates brought criminals to justice and helped to fuel the #MeToo revolution.

Start by Believing reveals the win-at-all-costs culture in youth athletics and higher education that enabled a quarter century of heinous crimes.