Shortly after the Ingebrigtsen brothers stepped forward and bravely exposed their father-slash-coach for abusing them, another courageous athlete announced the hardships she went through while training under a vicious coach.
On Friday, University of Utah gymnast Kara Eaker announced that she would be withdrawing not just from the team but also as a student at the university and as a gymnast from the sport. Eaker opened up in a lengthy Instagram post, detailing the struggles she faced while working with coach Farden, whose name was left out of the post.
During her gymnastics career, Eaker was a two-time Pan American Games gold medalist, a two-time World Championships gold medalist, and a 2020 Olympic Team alternate on the beam.
Eaker joins Utah’s team
According to Eaker, she initially accepted the athletic scholarship from the university on the grounds of her belief that she would become a valuable member of the team while also having the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
In the recruitment process, Eaker was also promised a family and sisterhood that would support her through thick and thin.
And, with all the opportunities and promises lying at the doorstep, who would turn them down? It was the same for Eaker, who only wanted to show the world what she was capable of.
But little did she know that everything would be the opposite once she stepped onto the university’s mats.
Eaker’s two years with the team
During her tenure on the team, Eaker revealed that she was subjected to verbal and emotional abuse, notably during the private sessions between coaches and athletes, where her coach would use demeaning, sarcastic, and abusive language.
Consequently, Eaker’s physical, emotional, and mental health deteriorated, culminating in her appointment with a university athletics psychologist. She has since been diagnosed with a variety of mental health disorders, such as “severe anxiety and depression, anxiety-induced insomnia, and I suffer from panic attacks, PTSD, and night terrors.”
Eaker: ‘The athletic department and University also failed me’
Eaker tried to report her traumatic experience to the authorities, but to no avail, with one administrator even denying the abuse and brushing the whole situation off by saying, “You two are like oil and water, you just don’t get along.”
According to Gymnastics Now, the coach in question was not terminated despite Husch Blackwell’s external investigation but instead was obligated to adhere to the five recommendations made by Blackwell.
Essentially, the five recommendations include: (1) developing and managing a performance improvement plan for the coach; (2) monitoring team practices and competitions; (3) working to involve parents in the gymnastics program; (4) making sure that all prospective and enrolled student-athletes are aware of the conditions of their athletic scholarships; (5) and assigning athletics department leaders to become more involved in the team’s affairs.
Eaker disagreed with Blackwell’s findings and verdict, as according to her, “it was incomplete at best” because it left out important details and was therefore not credible.
Fans reactions to Eaker’s retirement
Following her Instagram post, the fans are now sympathizing with the gymnast, who had to put up with her coach’s unwarranted and unjustified verbal abuse.
BREAKING: Kara Eaker has announced her retirement from gymnastics after allegedly suffering verbal and emotional abuse while part of the University of Utah gymnastics team.
Read her full statement:
Today I'm announcing my retirement from the University of Utah gymnastics team,…
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) October 20, 2023
One fan commented, “This pisses me off to no end, especially since it seems to have now ran her out of the sport completely. So, to those who did not believe the other athletes previously, are you going to say Kara is lying, too?? Fire Farden’s *** immediately. Sorry you had to deal with this, Kara.”
While another one added, “This is heartbreaking. Kara, I’m so sorry that you have experienced this abuse and that nobody did anything when you cried out for help. You are a beautiful gymnast and as a gymnast and as a human you deserved so much more.”
Several athletes also commented on her Instagram post, such as Leanne Wong, who said “you are so strong kara! ♥️” and Kayla DiCello, who also expressed her support for Eaker, “you’re so strong kara, sending so much love❤️”
While, another fan called out the University of Utah’s official Instagram in his comment, saying “@universityofutah I hope something is done. This is horrific. Several other gymnasts and parents had reports and the university came back with a bogus finding saying nothing is wrong. Hard to believe this. Hopefully, the UofU will step up and do something now. Kara, I am so sorry and my heart truly hurts for you.”
Cover Photo: YouTube screenshot