Simone Biles has been vocal about her experience with mental health challenges and how they led to her withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics. Months after her decision, she has partnered up with mental health and telemedicine app Cerebral to help others find resources when they're experiencing struggles with their mental health. She fought back tears during an appearance on TODAY, where she discussed her current battles and fears about performing certain moves.
Simone began by discussing how silently coping with the abuse she and other former Team USA gymnasts suffered from disgraced doctor Larry Nassar impacted her performance at the Olympics. "My body and my mind allowed me to suppress all of that stuff for so many years, for as long as it could take, and as soon as we stepped on the Olympic scene, it just decided it couldn't do it anymore, and it cracked, and that's what happened." In September, Simone testified before Congress about the abuse she and her former teammates endured and how investigators failed them.
One of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, Simone added, "That's why taking care of your mental well-being and your mental health is so important so that something like that doesn't happen."
Currently hitting the mat as a headliner on the Gold Over America Tour, Simone revealed that she doesn't perform any midair twisting during the show but only performs her signature moves on the floor. "To do something that I've done forever and just not be able to do it because of everything I've gone through is really crazy because I love this sport so much."
She shed tears as she added, "It's hard. I'm sorry. And I don't think people understand the magnitude of what I go through, but for so many years to go through everything that I've gone through having a front, I'm proud of myself."
The 24-year-old continued, "The twisting once I got back will come back, but I'm still scared to do gymnastics." Seeing other gymnasts perform midair twists on tour is bittersweet for Simone."It does kind of suck because I worked really, really hard for that, and it's just hard," she said.
When asked if she would do anything differently if she could re-do Tokyo, Simone said, "I wouldn't change anything for the world."
Jasmine Washington is an Assistant Editor at Seventeen, where she covers celebrity news, beauty, lifestyle, and more. For the past decade, she has worked for media outlets, including BET, MadameNoire, VH1, and many others, where she used her voice to tell stories across various verticals. Follow her on Instagram.
