Simone Biles has always been inspiring; her incredible talents and achievements in gymnastics have given her a status in sport that many athletes never reach. She flips, spins, and twists her body seemingly effortlessly, all while the rest of us can only dream of such poise and grace during competition. Add in the fact that she is an athlete of color, which opens the hearts of a diverse background who believe they can only dream of her successes. Biles continues, through efforts inside and outside of her sport, to make that dream appear in reach. You have to go back to 2021 to understand her influential year in 2023. As the pandemic pushed the Tokyo Olympics to 2021, we had to wait an extra year to see the return of Biles to artistic gymnastics (after an incredible finish at her first Olympics, in Rio in 2016). Once the competition began, she realized she wouldn’t be able to finish. To the surprise of most, she pulled herself out of all events except the balance beam (where she took home bronze). She cited her struggle with the twisties, a mental block while flipping, which is incredibly dangerous. Biles recognized this and took herself out of competition, but not without harsh criticism. With an American society that praises the win-at-all-costs mentality, this was greatly frowned upon from some. Others, however, took her actions as heroic and praised her for knowing her mind and body as well as not being “afraid” of what reaction her decision would elicit. The conversation deepened about mental health and its importance to the success of elite athletes. Biles inspired this movement which continues into 2024.
- Jackie Daly
FanSided Contributor