Christine Blasey Ford made her first public appearance since her hearing to honor another survivor

In a powerful testimony on September 27th, professor and research psychologist Christine Blasey Ford spoke publicly about her sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. She has kept a low profile in the almost three months since then, but last night, December 11th, Ford made her first public appearance since the hearing at the 2018 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards. She honored fellow survivor and former gymnast Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse.

Sports Illustrated named Denhollander its 2018 “Inspiration of the Year.” In a video statement during the awards, Ford introduced Denhollander, speaking with admiration about her courage in exposing Nassar’s decades of abuse.

"I am honored to speak with you from afar about a woman I admire so much, a woman who suffered abuse as a vulnerable teenage athlete, who found the courage to talk publicly to stop the abuse of others," Ford said in the video. "Her courage inspired others survivors to end their silence, and we all know the result."

Since Denhollander’s account of Nassar’s abuse appeared in the Indianapolis Star in 2016, more than 300 other women have come forward with their own allegations, according to Sports Illustrated. In January, the disgraced doctor was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexual assault. In her introduction, Ford spoke of the courage and inspiration Denhollander gave Nassar’s other victims.

"Rachael Denhollander, I am in awe of you, and I will always be inspired by you," Ford said. "In stepping forward, you took a huge risk and you galvanized future generations to come forward, even when the odds are seemingly stacked against them. The lasting lesson is that we all have the power to create real change, and we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by the acts of others."

In her first public statement since September, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford presents Sports Illustrated’s Inspiration of the Year Award to Rachael Denhollander https://t.co/2lBOB9nVDk pic.twitter.com/AjRYVYfOmS

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 12, 2018

The Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award ceremony will air on NBC Sports on December 13th at 9 p.m. EST. We can think of no one more fitting than Ford to help recognize Denhollander and her bravery.