"Boy, was I mistaken" - When Simone Biles opened up on her expectations and reality of training at Karolyi Ranch

Simone Biles once recalled her expectations and the reality of training in a camp at Karolyi Ranch. Biles began her gymnastics career under coach Aimee Boorman at the age of six.

However, she was invited by popular coach Martha Karolyi to attend a training camp at the ranch in New Waverly, Texas in 2011 at the age of 13. In her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, Biles opened up about her initial expectations and the reality of the intense training at the ranch.

"I have to admit I was picturing roasting marshmallows over a campfire, movie nights with popcorn, pool time with new friends, and outdoor games designed to help campers bond. The problem was I’d taken the word camp to heart. I thought the week would be fun and games with some workout sessions thrown in," Biles wrote.

"Boy, was I mistaken! The only bonding our coaches intended on us doing was with the vault table, the uneven bars, the balance beam, and the training floor," she added.

Simone Biles eventually made her Olympic debut while being coached by Martha Karolyi.

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Simone Biles won four gold medals on her debut edition of the Olympics while being accompanied by coach Martha Karolyi

Simone Biles and Martha Karolyi at the 2016 Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

Simone Biles made her Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio, and won the gold medal in the all-around, vault and floor exercise events. She also helped Team USA win gold in the team event while clinching bronze in balance beam. Martha Karolyi trained the American women's national gymnastics team along with her husband Bela Karolyi for 15 years before stepping down after the Rio Games.

Biles started training under Cecile and Laurent Landi after Karolyi's exit and collected two medals at Tokyo 2021 under the French couple's tutelage. The American gymnast bagged a silver medal in the team event along with Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Grace McCallum. She also took home a bronze medal from the Tokyo Games before withdrawing from the competition to focus on her mental health.

Although Biles cemented her prospect as a legendary gymnast under Karolyi and Landi, she also enjoyed a remarkable success under her longtime and first coach Aimee Boorman, who led her to three consecutive world championships titles in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and four U.S. titles. Boorman also trained Biles for the 2016 Games. Biles was accompanied by Karolyi, who led the USA team as national coordinator in Rio. The gymnast and the longtime coach Boorman parted ways following Biles' debut Olympics apperance.