Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles has admitted that she “should have never made another Olympic team” after struggling with pressure and trauma from her past experiences.
The USA gymnast went into the Tokyo Games with huge pressure on her shoulders as the world looked at her to bring the team to victory in the Women’s artistic all-around event.
As the world looked on, Biles began her first event on the vault, but it quickly became apparent that the world champion had a few issues. With everyone confused and in shock, Biles was seen leaving the arena after just one event but later returned where she watched and cheered on her team from the side lines.
Biles then took the decision to withdraw from five of her six Olympic finals due to suffering from a mental block known as the ‘twisties’ – an issue affecting her spatial awareness. The 24-year-old once again inspired the world as she chose to share her story about the psychological impact elite sports can have on an athlete’s mental health.
Suffering for years, the remarkable athlete recently opened about how years of pressure had built up and she felt “the weight of the world” on her shoulders. Being the face of gymnastics was far deeper than just her medals, Biles had been suffering in silence for years from the trauma in which herself and the US women’s gymnastics team had faced.
In 2016, more than 265 women, including Biles, came forward to accuse former USA team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault, dating back to as far as 1994. After countless forms of evidence and trials, Nassar was later found guilty in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison. For the team who stepped forward, this was a sense of relief and justice but unfortunately couldn’t take the trauma and experiences away.
The seven-time Olympic medallist was one of the brave and courageous victims to speak out against the disgusting abuse and has since been able to use her platform to encourage other victims to do so. The fight against corruption continues as Biles looks to create a more positive, relaxed environment for up-and-coming gymnasts by speaking out and being open with her emotions.
In September, Biles testified at a senate committee hearing into the FBI’s handling of the Nassar case where she revealed how she had felt increased pressure in Tokyo due to having “the burden” of dealing with being a sexual assault victim. After opening up on this matter, Biles explained: “if you looked at everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team.”
Despite this, the Olympic gold medallist was never going to let Nassar stop her from succeeding and was determined to show her strength and hard work: “I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me so I pushed past that for as long as my mind and body would let me.”
Biles’ strength and determination has been inspiring as many athletes had thanked her for opening up about the pressures of being an elite athlete and since then, many themselves have spoken out about their battles.
The 2020 Olympic silver medallist has faced many battles and struggles in life, but her comeback and power has always been stronger.
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