YOUNG FOUNDERS

Courtney

Courtney is currently a freshman at UCLA. She was 14 when she got the strength to come forward and report that she was being abused by her gymnastics coach.

She had been a gymnast since the age of three. Courtney was a dedicated, hard working Elite Gymnast, with the dream of one day making the National Team. However, in January of 2004 she knew she could not hide her pain anymore. Courtney came forward and told her parents that her gym coach, the man they trusted, had molested her. It took her over two years to finally tell her story because she was afraid of what would happen by her telling.

Since that day, Courtney has been trying to find some good that could come out of this terrible experience. As a result, one year later, she started the ACHE Foundation in order to give other children the courage to tell if they have been abused.

Courtney states, "I don't want other children to live with the ACHE that I felt before I told."

Alexa

Alexa is currently a 15 year old in high school. However, she was 9 years old when the abuse first started.

Alexa started gymnastics at the age of three. She was a National TOPS Gymnast for three years, and in 2003 won the State Championships for Beam, Bars and Floor. Her next goal was to be a Jr. Elite Gymnast. Her dreams were shattered in March of 2004, when she came forward and told her mother that her gymnastics coach was molesting her. It has been a long road, but she feels STRONGER NOW that she has told. Her new goal is to tell her story to give other molested children the strength to tell theirs.

Together, Courtney and Alexa want to let other molested children know that they are not alone. Alexa states, "No one should have to live with the secret of abuse."