What led to the teens being enrolled in the Challenger Foundation programme?
The biggest betrayal that the survivors of the teen camps ran by Steve Cartisano talk about is the fact that it was their parents who enrolled them in the programme.
A rise in drug use in the 1980s fuelled a major panic across America, with First Lady Nancy Reagan warning of a “drug and alcohol abuse epidemic.” This led to desperate parents turning to “wilderness therapy” to try to instil some proper discipline into their difficult teens. Ex-Navy Sergeant Cartisano capitalised on this desperation and created the Challenger Foundation in 1988, which bankrolled $2.5 million in its first year.
What happened to Nadine?
Nadine features in the Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare documentary and tells the story of how she ended up in the brutal boot camp. She woke to find 2 strangers standing over her bed and was then bundled out the door into a waiting car. Next stop – the Utah desert. Over the next few months, 15-year-old Nadine was starved, verbally abused and forced to hike 500 miles in extreme heat. The forced kidnap and abuse was arranged by her parents – who had paid £12,600 for her to be sent there. Nadine was left traumatised by her ordeal in the Challenger Camp, and she says she was terrified the moment she arrived at the location.
What happened to Matthew?
Matthew was sent to the camp when he was 15. In 1990, after his taking drugs and drinking heavily, his mum, Kari says he was “running wild” and “would have been in juvenile detention or dead” if she didn’t act soon.
What happened to Amber?
Amber spent 16 months in the hell camp and features in the documentary, telling stories about her ordeal. She says that when she refused to clean tables, 4 other students slammed her to the ground and hog-tied her before tying her to a pole where others were encouraged to throw water at her.
Where are the teens now?
What do you think about what the Hell Camp teen survivors went through? Let us know in the comments below.
I was sent in challenger foundation August 28, 2006 and honestly speaking it does’nt work. Only you have the power to change your life, of course with the help of your families and friends. God gave me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, courage to change the i can and wisdom to know the difference.
I was sent there in march 1989 when I was 16. Everything in the doc is true I saw a girl being dragged for refusing to hike…I have pictures of her somewhere with all my challenger stuff.
I met Steve and I saw horsehair kill a sheep when we were in tepee camp. I remember a girl who got there a couple days after us who cut off the tip of her finger on accident because they told us we had to make a knife sheath out of leather before we could eat after not eating for 3 days and they didn’t do anything but pour Seabreeze on it. Another kid named Tracy got a hernia from hiking and was never treated. When I was there the today show came and filmed us but I don’t think it ever aired because by then someone had died there
I am also a survivor of Challenger I was there when I was about 789 years old somewhere in there I don’t think the whole thing has been shown I think there was a lot left out I’m sorry I can’t say the program worked for me I just had to grow up I’m now a freight specialist / truck driver been doing very well I have a child of my own and I feel for every one of these people I feel for Steve’s kids I feel for his wife but I can’t say I like the man