Simone Biles has been in the headlines for a couple of months straight now. To be honest, it was kind of expected that this would be the case. However, everyone thought she was going to run away with a bunch of gold medals at the Olympics, and that would be the reason why she made headlines. As you probably know by now that just wasn’t the case. Biles, though, recently revealed to New York Magazine that her struggles were severe enough before the Olympics that she should’ve quit gymnastics way before arriving in Tokyo!
Dealing With the Court
Recently Biles gave an emotional speech at a Senate hearing that is reviewing the way that the FBI handled the Larry Nassar case. Biles broke down in tears as she addressed the committee. In her interview with New York Magazine, she dove deeper into the effect that Larry Nassar’s abuse still has on her life to this day.
“I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years,” the gymnast mentioned. “It was too much. But I was not going to let him take something I’ve worked for since I was 6 years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me.”
Explaining Her Case Of The “Twisties”
At the Olympics when Biles eventually dropped out from multiple competitions she cited not only her mental health but an actual physical condition that did not allow her to compete. The decision to drop out of the team competition in the middle of the event certainly was the one that garnered the most criticism at the time. Biles finally explained what those moments were really like for her. Saying,
“One morning, you wake up, you can’t see s—. But people tell you to go on and do your daily job as if you still have your eyesight. You’d be lost, wouldn’t you?”
Her Rough Road Dealing With Mental Health
The abuse by Larry Nassar has been something that has haunted Biles throughout her whole life. She mentioned that pretty much the main reason why she hadn’t quit the Tokyo Olympics beforehand was that doing so would be like letting him win. However, she revealed that she still has to deal with multiple breakdowns from time to time.
“Sometimes it’s like, yeah, I’m perfectly okay with it,” she said. “Like, that’s how it works. That’s how it panned out. And then other times I’ll just start bawling at the house.”
Is She Done With Gymnastics?
Although Biles admitted that she was not in the best mental state before the Tokyo Olympics, and we obviously know how that turned out she didn’t directly say whether she would consider another Olympic run in 3 years. She’d still only be 27 years old by the time the next Olympics rolled around. It could be an opportunity for her to add to her legacy. If she doesn’t come back for more medals Simone seems comfortable with her place in history. Finishing off the interview saying,
“It will be a long time for someone to accomplish what I’ve accomplished,”
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