Founder of the Maggie Nichols Foundation
Monday, April 17, 6 p.m.
Maggie Nichols was born in Little Canada, MN in 1997 and fell in love with the sport of gymnastics at the age of 3. She had always dreamed of representing her country and she quickly rose in the ranks making the US National Team by the time she was 14 years old. She traveled the world helping Team USA win international medals and was considered a top contender for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. A knee injury and being the first to speak out regarding misconduct and sexual abuse by a USA Gymnastics team doctor caused speculation when she was left off the 2016 Olympic Team.
Known as “Athlete A” in documentation for a majority of the investigation and lawsuit until coming forward publicly in 2018 and shared her experience alongside other survivors, Nichols holds a unique position in regard to the current reconfiguration and assessment of USA Gymnastics. While she was certainly not the first to be abused, in 2015, she was the first athlete to come forward and report the abuse. Netflix aired a documentary featuring Nichols’ story in June of 2020, bringing additional light and attention to the tragedy in hopes of helping others. Since then, she has established’ The Maggie Nichols Foundation,’ based on the founding mission to offer assistance to charities that help heal victims and survivors of all types of abuse.
In 2016, Nichols left the elite gymnastics world and went on to the University of Oklahoma to compete in the NCAA’s. She stamped her legacy by becoming one of the most decorated NCAA gymnasts of all time and has been dubbed “the Michael Jordan of College Gymnastics.
Today, Nichols is a student assistant coach for the Sooners gymnastics team as she is in her first year of her master’s program for Adult and Higher Education with the dream of becoming a University Athletic Director in the future. She previously graduated with her Bachelors’ degree in Communication with a Minor in Business.
Outside of sport, Nichols is passionate about sharing her story, empowering athletes and non-athletes alike, and bringing a positive light to those around her.