The Late Skimm: Aly Raisman Reveals She’s Been Hospitalized Twice in the Last Few Years

Bonjour.

As you may have heard, the Olympics are about to start. In Paris. On time. (Strange pandemic 2020/2021 Olympics, you won’t be forgotten.) We’ve been hooked on sports lately, and I don’t think we’re alone. So each weekday afternoon, in the run up to the opening ceremony next Friday (see the Daft Punk-esque teaser here), we’ll be covering the Paris 2024 stories we’re obsessed with so far (and yes, we’re still monitoring the River Seine poop situation), plus a few other things on our radar that you can send to your group chat. Très bien? Let’s get into it…

— Alex Carr / Editorial Director / New York, NY 

What’s Happening

Sports

Aly Raisman Reveals She Was Tested for a Stroke After ‘Scary’ Hospitalizations

What’s going on: On Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, gymnast Aly Raisman revealed that she’s been hospitalized twice in the last few years after experiencing “stroke-like symptoms.” The six-time Olympic medalist described being unable to remember her name, slurring her words, and having “complete body paralysis” that lasted for days. “It was just the most [challenging] to be able to go from being like an athlete and being able to push myself so much to … not even be able to move my fingers,” Raisman recalled. She also said doctors “ignored” her and didn’t take her symptoms seriously — until her mom told doctors who she was. “It’s appalling,” said Raisman, who’ll be an official hospitality ambassador for the 2024 Olympic Games. “Everyone deserves to get excellent medical treatment.” While the 30-year-old didn’t disclose her actual diagnosis, she said the episodes were in part caused by PTSD and stress, which is why she has to “be very on top of my therapy,” particularly if she’s “starting to feel off.”

What it means: In recent years, an increasing number of female athletes have spoken up about their physical and mental health challenges — including Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, Suni Lee, and Lexie Brown — and the importance of advocating for yourself and what you need. Their stories have resonated with women worldwide largely because healthcare providers routinely minimize or dismiss women’s health concerns. (According to our own 2023 State of Women survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, more than half of millennial women report seeking treatment from doctors who they say didn’t believe them or ignored their needs.) And female athletes have inspired sports leagues — not to mention, the IOC — to make changes that promote athletes’ well-being.

Related: What It’s Like to Be a Team USA Psychologist (PopSugar)

Meanwhile, On The Internet

✈️ From grounded flights to canceled medical appointments, massive IT outages rocked the world today — and the Olympics weren’t spared.

🚭 The captain of Japan’s women’s artistic gymnastics team will not be competing at the Olympics after breaking the team’s non-smoking policy. Guess “when in France” doesn’t apply.

😴 Could the secret to better sleep be...a bowl of limes?

📚 The LA Public Library took a page from The Bear — and it’s gold. No notes.

🏇 Ever wonder how horses get to the Olympics? Now you know.

The Final Countdown

On your marks, get set, watch. NBC Olympics coverage begins next Friday, July 26 on NBC and Peacock at 7:30/6:30c.*