When Simone Biles opened up about Martha Karolyi's first reaction while hoping to join her training center as a junior

Simone Biles; in her memoir, Courage to Soar (2016), revealed how her uneven bars performance in 2010 supposedly became a major hurdle in her pursuit of elite gymnastics. Hoping to join Martha Karolyi's renowned training center as a junior, she faced a critical evaluation from Karolyi.

The critique followed after reviewing a video of the gymnast's routines, as Karolyi highlighted gaps in Biles' uneven bars skills, questioning whether she was ready for elite-level training.

While Biles' tumbling abilities on the vault and floor were deemed exceptional, the former national team coordinator for the USA underscored the importance of demonstrating consistency and strength across all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.

According to Karolyi, the gold medalist's uneven bars routine lacked complexity and refinement. Reflecting on the experience, the Olympic champion described in the book:

"After the Houston National Invitational, Aimee sent a video of my routines to Martha Karolyi. Aimee was hoping I'd get an invitation to attend development camp at Karolyi's training center in Huntsville- a critical step in an elite career. But Martha's response wasn't encouraging. 'This kid has no bars', she told Aimme later. I can't let her come to camp. She can tumble great, but that's it."

Karolyi's critique marked a turning point in Simone Biles' career. Following the event, her mother Nellie Biles, directly challenged her coach, Aimee Boorman, asking if she, having only coached gymnasts to level ten, was capable of elevating her daughter's abilities.

Nellie demanded a detailed plan to address her daughter's weaknesses and ensure progress. Boorman confidently reassured her, pledging to strengthen her uneven bars routine and seek input from other coaches if necessary to explore additional training opportunities at other gyms.

Biles later joined the Karolyi Ranch determined to enhance her routine. However, she later revealed a harrowing experience during her time at the training center.

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Simone Biles reflects on her experience at Karolyi Ranch

Simone Biles at Minnesota Vikings v Chicago Bears - Source: Getty

Simone Biles revealed in a 2021 interview with CBS' 60 Minutes that she and fellow gymnasts resorted to sneaking into the cafeteria at the Karolyi Ranch training camp in Texas due to insufficient food. Starting at the age of 12, the world champion trained at the camp once a month under the supervision of Martha and Bela Karolyi.

Food at the camp was reportedly strictly monitored and rationed, often leaving gymnasts hungry. To cope, Biles and her peers would stealthily enter the cafeteria, sometimes wearing hoodies to avoid detection, in search of extra portions. During the interview, she disclosed that this was the first time she shared the experience publicly.

Reflecting on the memory she said:

“I’ve never told that to anybody, like, on film or anything. But there would be nights where we’re, like, running with our hoodie up, and we would break into the cafeteria to eat,” Simone Biles said.

According to reports shared on InsideHook, gymnasts at the ranch faced verbal abuse about their weight and size, inadequate nutrition, and misleading information about their injuries.

The Karolyis reportedly went so far as to routinely search athletes' bags for hidden food, reinforcing their control over the gymnasts' eating habits.