Simone Biles Hints At Quitting Gymnastics Career To Preserve Her ‘Peace’

American gymnast Simone Biles is a household name. With an impressive total of 32 combined Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is tied as the most decorated gymnast of all time.

Although the 24-year-old has accomplished so much at such a young age, she has hinted that she might be ready to put her gymnastic career behind her in order to focus on her mental health.

Fans were concerned when Biles dropped out of several events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, citing a bad case of the twisties. In an Instagram Story, Biles revealed that when the twisties hit her, she “literally cannot tell up from down.”

She said that having the twisties is “the craziest feeling ever” because it made her unable to control what happened to her body. “What’s even scarier is – since I have no idea where I am in the air – I also have no idea how I’m going to land,” she explained. “Or what I’m going to land on.”

Despite the physical difficulties of performing with the twisties, Biles has also been forced to overcome some mental hurdles as well. In September, Biles was one of four Olympic athletes to appear in court to testify in a hearing about how the FBI handled the case of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nasser.

Nasser allegedly sexually abused over three hundred women, including Biles, citing that it was a “medical treatment.”

Biles explained that she and her teammates “suffered and continue to suffer, because no one at FBI, USAG, or the USOPC did what was necessary to protect us.”

She went to say that, although she loves the sport and the people she works with, the organizations are “like a huge dumpster fire that we’re trying to get rid of and that I’m trying to stay as far away from so that my mental health can be intact and if I do decide to train again that I have a clean slate.”

Biles is fully aware that the physical and emotional aspects of competing have taken a toll on her mental health, and she is ready to start putting herself first before she decides whether or not to continue competing.

“At the end of the day, if it costs me my peace, I’m going to step away,” she said. “And I’m completely fine with stepping away because I’ve been through so much. I’ve accomplished so much.”

If she does decide to retire from competing, Biles will still do just fine. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Biles has a net worth of over six million dollars. In addition to the value of all of her medals, Biles has also scored sponsorship deals with Beats by Dre, Hersey’s, Oreo, Kellogg’s, Uber Eats, and even traded out Nike in favor of Athleta because she felt the brand better aligned with her values.

Even if Biles decides not to compete again, her teammates and her fans will always be inspired by what she has managed to accomplish thus far.