Elite gymnast Kara Eaker retires amid allegations of abuse at University of Utah
Kara Eaker, a decorated American gymnast known for her outstanding performances at the world championships, announced her retirement from the University of Utah women's gymnastics team and withdrew as a student, citing alleged verbal and emotional abuse from a coach and lack of support from the university administration.
In a candid Instagram post shared on Friday, Eaker revealed the torment she endured during her time with the Utah Gymnastics team, shedding light on the toll it took on her mental and emotional well-being.
The 20-year-old gymnast, who was a key member of the US gold-medal teams in 2018 and 2019, disclosed her battle with severe anxiety and depression, along with other psychological issues such as panic attacks, PTSD, and night terrors.
Eaker highlighted the toxic environment she faced within the Utah program, emphasizing the betrayal of the «family» and «sisterhood» promises she was given upon joining the team.
Eaker specifically recounted instances of «loud and angry outbursts» from a coach, occurring frequently during one-on-one meetings, where she felt disempowered and unable to communicate due to the coach's condescending and manipulative behavior.
Despite her efforts to bring her grievances to the attention of university officials, Eaker claimed she was met with dismissal and gaslighting, with one administrator allegedly denying any form of abuse and attributing the discord to a personality clash. According to Eaker, this response reflected a broader systemic issue where the people and system were complicit in perpetuating an unhealthy environment.
While Eaker refrained from naming the specific coach in her post, Tom Farden, who has been coaching at Utah since 2011, was implicated in a recent
