Who owns Twistars USA gym now? John Geddert sold gym infamous for Larry Nassar's sexual abuse before suicide
Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, where convicted sex offender and former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar used to treat gymnasts, was once owned by John Geddert. The disgraced former coach of the US Olympics gymnast team died by suicide on February 25, after facing 24 charges related to sexual assault and human trafficking.
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What happened at Twistars USA Gymnastics Club?
The Twistars USA Gymnastics Club was originally opened in June 1996 by John Geddert and his wife Kathryn Geddert. The club in Lansing, Michigan, became the hotspot for training the best gymnastic talents in the country and preparing them for national and international tournaments.
However, behind the closed doors of Twistars, there was a dark reality panning out. Larry Nassar would often frequent the gym in the guise of treating the gymnasts and abused many of them in turn. During Nassar's criminal trial, many of the survivors admitted that they were abused at Twistars, accusing Geddert of direct involvement.
In a back room at the Twistars Club, Geddert allegedly allowed Nassar one-on-one access to gymnasts, where he often abused the survivors. Geddert was also accused of entering the girls' locker room without announcing, as well as setting up unhealthy dietary restrictions for child gymnasts.
In 2018, John Geddert handed over the ownership of the gym entirely to his wife when he faced sanctions for the gym's handling of the Nassar scandal. In 2020, the Michigan AG office searched the gym and Geddert's home for evidence of Geddert's involvement in the abuse, reports The State News.
However, the scandal marred the club's reputation and pushed it into financial struggles. On February 8, 2021, Twistars management posted on their Facebook page about the sale to new owners and leasing of a new building — Lansing City Arena — for the operations. It was also declared that the club will be renamed Capital City Flips.
Who is the new owner?
As per the Capital City Flips website, it is a gymnastic franchise with branches in Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan. The parent company of Capital City Flips is Children's Activity Management Incorporated, a management agency for representing talented youngsters in different fields.
In their website description, CC Flips mentions "We are proud to be a family friendly facility that focuses on both the physical and mental wellness of our athletes."
The owner of Capital City Flips is Bryon Hough, who was a Junior Olympic Chairman in US Gymnastics for 25 years, from 1992 to 2017. He also worked as a Board Member and Coach at Prior Lake Soccer Club for 10 years. His LinkedIn profile lists him as the CEO of Children's Activity Management Incorporated for the past three months. He also owns the Classic Gymnastics in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
The Facebook page of the new Michigan CC Flips shows that their activities at the Michigan facility have started on February 15, 2021.