Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard the name Simone Biles. Often used interchangeably with ‘GOAT’ and ‘one of one’, the Olympic Medallist and Gymnastic World Champion is a household name, and honestly, deservedly so. I, like many, am completely in awe of her.
In gymnastics, she’s in a league of her own. Performing skills at difficulty levels so high that many have argued she’s restricted by the sports’ scoring systems, her talent and strength have pushed boundaries beyond what we thought possible. But the accolades aren’t just limited to her sportsmanship; Simone Biles has, whether intentionally or not, become a role model for looking after one’s mental health.
During the postponed 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the world watched on as Simone’s performance was affected by the ‘twisties’ (a psychological phenomenon where gymnasts lose spatial awareness in the air). There was a huge amount of backlash following her decision to withdraw from events, with little consideration for the human behind the athlete. Three years later, we have just witnessed history. Simone Biles returned with an incredible comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games earning her gold medals in the women’s team final, individual women’s all-around, and women's vault, and a silver medal in the women's floor exercise.
While it’s great to watch athletes like Biles build their medal collections, it’s even better to watch them succeed after difficult times. And this may be the biggest win Biles is taking home from Paris.
Fighting hate with openness
When Simone Biles withdrew from events at the Tokyo Olympics, USA Gymnastics released a statement about a ‘medical issue’. Shortly after, Biles herself revealed it was due to her mental health rather than a physical injury. While many could see she was going through something difficult, she faced a storm of criticism, with disgruntled haters fixed on presumptions that she would bring back the gold for Team USA following her breakout success in Rio 2016. Even a US government official compared her withdrawal to a gymnast in the 1996 Olympics, Kerri Strug, who pulled off a winning vault for her team despite a serious ankle injury. “Contrast this with our selfish, childish national embarrassment, Simone Biles” they proclaimed in a now-deleted social media post. They have since apologised for the post.
As often is the case with mental health, when you can’t see it, and you can’t see a bandage, or blood, or a scar, people struggle to understand it. In reality, she was brave and sensible. By stepping back, Biles had valiantly put herself first and avoided physical injury at the hands of the twisties which was caused by psychological factors.
It wasn’t until more recently that Biles went into more detail about what she was experiencing during those Games. Speaking to Alex Cooper, host of the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, Biles reflected on how athletes tend to be good at suppressing things but that it can’t be maintained. “That’s what you saw at the Olympics”, she tells Cooper, “a big old spill”.
A few years ago, news broke of the biggest sexual abuse scandal in sporting history, in which Larry Nassar, a national team doctor for USA Gymnastics, was a central figure. Larry Nassar sexually abused more than 265 women under the guise of ‘medical treatment’, Simone being one of the hundreds of survivors. The trauma these young women experienced is unthinkable and many have spoken out about the effects it has left them with; Biles spoke candidly on the podcast on how for her, it has led to years of depression and anxiety. While she says she has good days and bad days and therapy to support her, the trauma, while not something that should define her, is something she will hold for life – the twisties in Tokyo were an example of how that can manifest.
Shortly after the Tokyo Olympics, Biles debuted a new tattoo, reading “And still I rise”, a nod to the illustrious poem by Maya Angelou. “I feel like that’s kind of the epitome of my career and life story 'cause I always rise to the occasion, and even after all of the traumas and the downfalls, I’ve always risen” says Biles, and few can argue with that as we’ve watched her return to the Olympic podium in Paris.
The weight of the world on her shoulders
During the recent team qualifiers and finals, the first coverage of 2024 Olympic gymnastics, it was clear that Simone was the one to watch. Quite literally. Even watching coverage in the UK, I couldn’t help but notice that Biles was the only gymnast to have all skills (vault, floor, beam, and bars) televised during these group rounds. British commentators even shared concern for the athlete, noticing at least 15 cameras on her at all times and hoping they would grant her space moving forward - something which doesn't seem to have happened. Biles has even opened up on social media about the anxiety she's been experiencing in the Olympic Village this time, with even her fellow athletes giving her a lot of overwhelming attention.
All eyes have been on her since she announced her ambitions for a comeback. But with that, comes great expectations.
A recent Netflix docuseries ‘Simone Biles Rising’ showed her in the run-up to this year’s Olympics. “Have you guys ever seen that statue, with the man holding, like, that thing on his back? Do you know what I’m talking about?” Biles asks the crew behind the cameras, “Like, yes!” she says mimicking the stance, “That’s what the expectations felt like.” That guy holding that thing on his back is Atlas, the statue of an Ancient Greek Titan, the thing on his back, the heavens. The comparison is clear – the pressure must feel as though the weight of the world is on her shoulders and it must be happening again. Both Biles and Atlas are similar in strength and power, but perhaps the similarities end there. Atlas, as depicted at the Rockefeller Center, is made of bronze after all, and we know Biles can make gold.
Throughout these games, like many, I have felt concerned about the pressure on her. She’s under the spotlight to an extent many of us can scarcely imagine. The pressure of competitive sports can be enough with external pressures from peers and fans, the need to continually develop, to avoid injury, and for Biles, to stay at the top while the world is watching.
Some of her critics have recently apologised after seeing what the break has allowed her to achieve. The sporting success is one thing, but Biles has undeniably demonstrated that she made the right move. By taking a break she has been able to make a triumphant comeback in what some are labelling her ‘redemption tour’. She’s shown us all that she’s still at the top of her game, possibly even as a stronger athlete, and person.
Watching Simone Biles perform is something otherworldly. She is of such insurmountable talent it feels like an honour to witness her success in real-time. But beyond the sport, it is special to watch her break down the boundaries – to talk about the struggles, show an openness and vulnerability that lets you realise that it’s ok to not always be at your best, but also, that taking a break for your mental health can sometimes be the best thing you can do. Her openness is something to applaud as she’s paving the way for others to prioritise their own mental health, establishing herself as a role model, and not just in her sport.
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise"
— Maya Angelou
And she really did rise.