Emma Raducanu’s former coach Dmitry Tursunov says he left because of ‘red flags’ during her rehabilitation
When former U.S. women’s national team coach and fitness guru Emma Raducanu fell ill with a serious respiratory infection, she feared her body would succumb to the virus.
That wasn’t the case, the 44-year-old mother of two said, and by the time she was cleared, she had fully recovered.
Raducanu, 44, is now one of the most famous female bodybuilders of the past 40 years, and part of the sport’s rich and storied history of inspiring, empowering and entertaining women.
The U.S. women’s team captain, the first American to win a world championship in the sport, was born and raised in a small town outside Bucharest, Romania. She returned to school at 18, but soon found herself in trouble at a young age.
Raducanu was sent to a juvenile detention center for being a juvenile delinquent, but the story doesn’t end there. According to accounts she has shared on Instagram, she was a troubled child, struggling with addictions and other issues. She dropped out of high school to work at home.
After a brief career in the fitness industry, Raducanu got a chance to coach professional athletes in the U.S. She was also mentored by professional strength and conditioning specialist Greg Glassman, whom she also worked with during her time as U.S. Soccer’s head coach.
Turbulent years
Raducanu lived a chaotic and challenging life, with frequent moves and short stays in foster homes. She was repeatedly homeless and relied on food assistance programs and government-funded public housing programs.
Her health deteriorated quickly, with respiratory issues and a severe blood disorder that required emergency medical treatment.
She struggled with mental health issues for years.
Tough training sessions caused her to break a ligament in her knee and required surgery that she found out she had to pay to have, according to her Instagram account.
“The operation was expensive,” she wrote in an Instagram story post in 2015. “But after some time I was able to get a job, and I am paying the bill now. So I could
