Larry Nassar’s nightmarish memories came back to haunt the gymnastics world. Conversely, gymnastics has been plagued by many horrors, one such of propagating an unsafe environment, courtesy of the Iowa Hawkeyes former head coach. In what was a shocking turn of events, Larissa Libby, the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, got into deep waters. Team members and staff complained against Libby, accusing her of a**se.

After a detailed investigation was launched, several gymnasts came forward to share their stories about Libby’s reign of terror. And quite expectedly, the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes stepped down from her position. Following the news, a fellow gymnast of the system, Karina Munoz, shared her opinions about the same. And Munoz sounded elated to hear about Libby’s resignation. She also reflected on her mental state during this phase. As the shackles come undone, what lies ahead for Iowa gymnastics ahead?

Karina Munoz breaks free, so do her compatriots, who are now untethered 

Iowa Hawkeyes’ teen gymnast Karina Munoz seemed pretty happy about Libby’s departure from the system. Taking to her Instagram, Munoz penned down a long message to shed light on how things have been going for her so far. Firstly, she extended her thanks to the teammates and staff within the system who protested against Libby. Munoz further stated that the University of Iowa has taken the right decision in order to ensure safe training environments for its athletes. 

Munoz then went on to reflect on her mental state. She said, “This year has taken a toll on me mentally, emotionally and physically. From the weight of almost losing myself entirely to doubting my ability to even continue gymnastics. Though from the outside looking in and statistically, it looked like I had my best season yet, but at what cost?” 

Well, even though the entire fiasco went against Larissa Libby, her daughter Bailey Libby stood up in support. Posting an Instagram update, Bailey mentioned her mom as the best and expressed her unwavering love. Sadly, such identical sentiments were not reflected by the fans, who supported Munoz’s statements. 

Gymnastics fans celebrate the departure of Larissa Libby

Munoz’s post soon garnered a lot of eyeballs from the fans. Most of them lauded the gymnast for being an inspiration. 

Expressing deep admiration and appreciation for Munoz, one Instagram user commented, “Words cannot describe how proud I am of you!!! You will forever be my role model💖💖💖”. This user seemed pretty self-aware of all the agony that the Iowa gymnasts must have gone through day in and day out, and hence this comment was a clarion call of support and newer possibilities.

The official Instagram account of fans favorite All Things Gymnastics Podcast shared, “Proud of you”. A subtle yet distinct comment as the previous one, Karina Munoz is indeed bold to bring up this issue to the mindscape of the gymternet. In an age where the Larry Nassar case is now nipped in the bud, this comment too signifies that Iowa gymnasts now see greener pastures ahead.

“you inspire me and you inspire many others. love you mooney. you are incredible ❤️”, commented another user, expressing gratitude for inspiring them with Munoz’s unwavering determination to fight for their right. While alienation and subjugation of basic human rights is a serious no-no, this comment by the user too indicates that Iowa has a firebrand leader in the form of Karina Munoz.

One gymnastics enthusiast praised Karina Munoz and referred to her as the ‘queen’. Highlighting Munoz’s extraordinary leadership qualities, the fan mentioned, “This is amazing, what a queen you are miss girl 👑”. While we can certainly hope for more Karina Munozes in the future of gymnastics, we must also be wary of such perpetuated systemic ab*se from not recurring in the future.

Acknowledging Karina Munoz’s courage in speaking out against abuse and advocating for safe training environments, one Instagram user wrote, “very brave girl ❤️”. This followed the same vein as the other comments. Now, it remains to be seen what’s in the offing for them now that the air is clear of disdain.

Thus, with the controversy seemingly coming to an end, it is now expected that normalcy will return to Iowa. Munoz and her teammates can now focus better and aim for greater glory in the future.