CaMarah Williams joins Simone Biles' former coach Cecile Landi at Georgia Gymnastics alongside multiple LA 2028 prospects

Promising gymnast CaMarah Williams has committed to the University of Georgia, where she will join the gymnastics program led by co-head coaches -- Simone Biles' former coach, Cecile Canqueteau-Landi, and Ryan Roberts. With this, she will join the Georgia GymDogs, alongside top names such as Kara Eaker, Csenge Bácskay, who are potential prospects for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Earlier in April 2024, Landi and Roberts were announced as the head coaches for Georgia's gymnastics program by Josh Brooks, the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics. With this, Landi, who served as the coach of Simone Biles and the World Champions Center (WCC) since 2017, took on the position at the University of Georgia to end her journey with one of the world’s most dominant gymnasts.

CaMarah Williams recently took to Instagram to announce her verbal commitment to the University of Georgia's gymnastics program, stating:

“I am so incredibly excited to announce my verbal commitment to University of Georgia!!!!❤️🖤 I have decided to continue my career on a full ride athletic scholarship to UGA. I am so blessed and happy to announce this, i have worked my whole life for this moment and couldn’t be any happier with my decision.”

She further expressed her gratitude to the coaches Ryan Roberts, Cecile Landi, and assistant coaches Oleksii, and Marissa King for giving her the opportunity.

“I thank @ugacoachryan @uga.coach.olexi @marissapking & @cecilelandi for this opportunity, couldn’t have done this without them🥰. I love everyone who has supported me through this. I thank God everyday for this blessing. I’m so so so blessed, everything is so surreal still lol,” she added.

Williams, who took up the sport at the age of 6, made her elite senior gymnastics debut at the 2024 Winter Cup. Her best performance at this event came in the balance beam, where she scored 13.600 points to place sixth.

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Former coach Cecile Landi on how Simone Biles helped broaden her perspective on mental health

Simone Biles and Cecile Landi. PHOTO: Getty Images

Simone Biles, who entered the Tokyo Olympics as a major favorite for the gold on multiple apparatus, stunned everyone when she withdrew from several gymnastics events after experiencing ‘Twisties’ while executing one of her routines at the Summer Games. While she made this move to focus on her mental health, many extended their support for the gymnast, but others criticized the move.

This move by Biles acted as one of the eye-opening moments for Landi as it helped her realize how mental well-being is important while competing. It also helped her understand how deeply the gymnasts were affected by the trauma and abuse that happened within USA Gymnastics. In an interview with Olympics.com in 2023, she said:

"Talking with Simone and with the girls… I just want them to know that they can tell me anything. I watch the body language a lot, I try to see. I think it’s more on a daily basis, being mindful and careful on the girls’ body language. We see them every day, so we can tell when something is off. It has definitely been a big change, and Simone has opened my eyes on a lot of things,” she said.

Notably, Simone Biles, after opting out of multiple events in Tokyo, redeemed herself at the Paris Olympics by winning three gold and one silver.