One Year Later, Simone Biles Says She Has "No Regrets" Over Tokyo Olympics
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Gymnast Simone Biles’ accolades have been piling up for years: 25 medals, including 4 Olympic gold, the first woman to capture five All-Around World Championship titles, TIME 100, Forbes 30 under 30. She is so revered in gymnastics that she is often referred to using just four letters: G.O.A.T. — “Greatest of All Time.”
But on July 25, 2021, in the qualifying round of the Tokyo Olympic Games, something felt off. By the end of the day, Simone had made several uncharacteristic errors. “It wasn’t an easy day, but I got through it,” she posted on social media. Then, two days later, after simplifying a vault and taking a hop on the landing, Simone shocked the world by withdrawing from the day’s competition. Eventually she decided not to compete in three more events, but took home bronze on balance beam.
Simone later explained that along with other mental health issues, she was struggling with the “twisties,” a phenomenon in gymnastics in which an athlete loses a sense of where they are in the air during twists and flips. The frightening issue can be dangerous.
Some fans and commentators criticized Simone for withdrawing; others supported her decision to put her mental health first. But over the course of two weeks last summer, Simone, the most dominant gymnast in decades, reimagined what a champion looks like. “The word ‘champion’ used to just mean being on top or breaking records,” she tells Good Housekeeping. “Now it means being vulnerable, showing your inner strength, being courageous.”
These days, Simone hopes to inspire other young girls to be fierce, competitive — and strong enough to speak up. She partnered with the sports apparel company Athleta on a line of activewear for girls ages 6 to 12. Each of the items has one of Simone's favorite mantras — such as “Because I can,” “No dream is too big or too small,” “The floor is yours.” — sewn into the fabric.
“They can do anything they set their minds to,” says Biles. “I want them to remember that.”
We chatted with Simone about this major change to find out why she did it, what she's learned and what she wants others to know.
What pushed you to make this change? As an athlete, you need to protect your mind and your body, rather just go out there and do what the world wants us to do and potentially injuring yourself. I had to put myself above all else.
What did you learn? I learned that it’s okay not to be okay. If you don’t do what is right for you, then you're not going to enjoy your sport, and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to in whatever arena you’re competing in.
What are your regrets? I don’t have any. I’m happy that I prioritized my mental well-being.
What was the most challenging part of making a change? It’s challenging to talk about how you’re doing mentally since it's an invisible injury — people can’t see it, so it’s harder to understand, but I think that’s why it’s so important we feel empowered to open up about it.
What was the most rewarding part of making the change? Seeing the impact it has had on the next generation, empowering them to talk about their own mental health openly and us their own voices.
For more information about the Athleta Girl x Simone Biles collection, visit Athleta's website.
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