“Removed From All Civilization”: Simone Biles’ Head Coach Martha Karolyi’s Brutal Gymnastics Camp Unveiled by Former US Gymnasts Once

For any sport, the most important and loved place by the athletes is the place where they train. The training camp, the arena, is where an athlete is at mental peace. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case with the US gymnasts. Moreover, they were terrified of entering Karolyi Ranch, the training camp for US gymnasts. Gymnasts like Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Mattie Larson, and others have given their statements in support of the argument.

Karolyi Ranch was the training camp for female US gymnasts for almost two decades. It was so remote like it was isolated from the civilization. However, it got shut down in 2018 after getting accused by many female athletes. 

Simone Biles and other athletes never want to relive the time spent in the camp

In early 2018, when the accusations were heated up, many athletes opened up about their horrible experiences. Even the greatest gymnast put her foot forward and revealed her experience. Simone Biles said, “It is impossibly difficult to relive these experiences and it breaks my heart even more to think that as I work towards my dream of competing in Tokyo 2020, I will have to continually return to the same training facility where I was abused”.

A couple and former gymnasts, Bela Karolyi and Marta Karolyi owned Karolyi Ranch. However, they claimed to have worked in the good spirits of the US gymnastics, the athletes’ feedback says it all. The athletes even claimed that the owners Marta and Bela imposed verbal and emotional abuse, which generated a fearful environment in the camp.

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Other than Biles, a very talented gymnast, Mattie Larson also opened up. She said, “In the case of an emergency, the closest hospital is so far away, you’d need to be helicoptered there. To get to the ranch, you must drive up a dirt road for what seems like an eternity. … On top of that, there is no cell service. It’s completely isolated, and that’s no mistake. That is how the Karolyis wanted it.”

A haunting 2000-acres training compound

Karolyi Ranch is situated in southeast Texas. The 2000-acre widespread training camp lay in the National Forest. Martha and Bela were the owner and caretakers of all the gymnasts present there, but it seems they didn’t do their work well.

Larson added, “There is an eerie feeling as soon as you step foot onto the Karolyi Ranch. It is completely removed from all civilization”. 

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It becomes unimaginably difficult when success and torture come from the same place. The athletes needed to go to the camp to represent the US on bigger platforms. However, they combined their strength and finally came up against Karolyi Ranch’s practices. And as a result, in 2018, the gymnastics mecca got closed as the US gymnastics training camp.