Gold Medal Gymnast And 'Me Too' Leader Aly Raisman To Speak At CBI In Boca Raton

This November 8th at 7 p.m., Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI) will be painting Boca Raton gold.

That's because the next guest speaker in the annual CBI Inspires Speakers Series will be gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman. Raisman, 24, is celebrated for her top medal level performances, competing against the world's best in London in 2012 and again four years later in Rio De Janeiro. She served as U.S. team captain and under her leadership, her squads took the team gold medals in both sets of games. As a world-famous Jewish athlete, she also was the torch lighter for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

A best-selling author, Raisman released "Fierce" late last year. The book is a New York Times best-seller that has received wide acclaim. "Her story is one of persistence, hardship, triumph and leadership," noted Woman's Sports Federation founder Billie Jean King.

A survivor of sexual harassment during her first years in sports, Raisman currently serves as a nationwide leader for the "MeToo" movement. She recently led more than 140 survivors in receiving the Arthur Ashe Award at the 2018 ESPY Awards during the evening's most emotional moment. "To all the survivors out there, don't let anyone rewrite your story. Your truth does matter. You matter. And you are not alone," she said in her moving speech.

The Congregation B'nai Israel family is proud to announce that Ashleigh Walters, anchor at WPTV-NBC Channel 5 in West Palm Beach, will serve as moderator for the evening. Ashleigh will speak with Raisman in a question-and-answer format on stage at the event.

"We're thrilled to have Ashleigh as our moderator for what promises to be an unforgettable and meaningful evening. She is an accomplished news professional with outstanding credentials and a great personal style," said CBI Executive Director Steve Allen.

In addition to anchoring Today on 5 weekend mornings, Ashleigh's been selected to travel outside of the viewing area, reporting for WPTV and Scripps Broadcasting stations nationwide, including: 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Aurora theater shooting, Colorado's epic floods with $1 billion in damage, Hurricane Isaac hitting New Orleans and THE New York City debut of NBC's "The Voice" winner Cassadee Pope.

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