Gymnast Simone Biles has won 11 Olympic medals. Seven gold, two silver, and two bronze. She is called the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) of gymnastics. But does achieving the highest levels of success come at the cost of her mental health?

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles got what is known as the “twisties.” Twisties are a common thing in the gymnastics world; it’s where you don’t know where you are in the middle of a twist, and you literally get lost in the air. Basically, your internal compass stops working. It can be extremely dangerous because you can fall and get injured. 

Obviously, it can be hard to keep performing and competing if you have the twisties. In fact, Biles had to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because of the twisties. Unfortunately, some people, mostly on social media, called Biles a “national embarrassment.” That caused Biles to feel even worse about herself and to state how she felt the “weight of the world on her shoulders.” 

After the 2020 Olympics, Biles was battling with her mental health. She was 24 years old at that time. In the documentary “Rising Simone,” she states how she felt that everyone was calling her a quitter and a loser. This must have been a tremendous mental burden to deal with. But, she was also determined to keep pursuing her dreams of competing in gymnastics at the highest of levels. 

To do this, she first had to prioritize her mental health over winning her next medal. 

Biles made a very smart decision. She sought the help of a therapist, who helped her not only get through the twisties but also – and perhaps more importantly – taught her to block out all of the hate and negativity that she was getting from the public. 

With the crucial assistance of her therapist, Biles was able to have a more positive view of gymnastics, the sport that she had loved for so long prior to her trouble at the Olympics. With deliberate, focused attention to her mental health, Biles re-dedicated herself to training for the next Olympics. And with the refreshed mindset, she did it for the right reasons, despite what happened at the 2020 Olympics. She did it for herself – to prove that she could be a champion again. 

Biles won a gold medal in the all-around at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was back on top of the gymnastics world. She reminded the world why she is the G.O.A.T.

Biles’ story shows everyone that even though she is an Olympian, she is still human. Many Olympians struggle with their mental health; they just don’t show it. Olympians feel pressure every day, just like everyone else. They, too, struggle with their mental health. 

Over the past few years, and especially since Biles’ very public journey, the sports world has become more accepting of mental health issues. Athletes are less afraid to speak out about this important topic, which will hopefully lead to more success stories like Biles’ – and not just for Olympic athletes, but for normal everyday humans.