How Simone Biles Champions Her Humanity

In August 2019, the impossible was captured on video. Millions watched it, slowed it down, paused it to make sense of what they were seeing: a woman nailing a triple-twist, double backflip for the first time in gymnastics history. To pull off the move, 22-year-old Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles had to complete two rotations on an axis running through her hips while simultaneously flipping from head to toe three times just before sticking a hopefully clean landing. The name Simone Biles instantly became synonymous with "superhuman," and expectations soared ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games—and only mounted when the Games were delayed by a year amid the pandemic. But when stress and immense pressure began to affect her mental health upon her arrival in Tokyo, the likelihood of turning out a record-breaking performance dwindled significantly. Additionally, during the qualifying rounds of the gymnastics competition, Biles began to experience the "twisties," a mental block that causes gymnasts to temporarily lose spacial awareness mid-routine. The severity of her circumstances became a matter of both safety and sacrifice. "I couldn't let the girls lose a medal because of my mental health," Biles tells Adweek. "I had to take that in consideration and put my mental health above myself and let the girls go in and do the work that they trained so hard for." After assessing the risks, Biles made one of the most difficult decisions of her career and withdrew from the majority of the competition. While the choice didn't involve gravity-defying acrobatics, it revealed a different kind of strength: the power to advocate for oneself and choose wellness over winning. The unprecedented decision naturally garnered criticism from her detractors, but the authenticity of the moment revealed a deeply human side of a superstar often heralded for her stunning athletic prowess. Through her candor, immense platform and high-profile partnerships with Athleta and the Cerebral app, Biles has been able to share her truth and this year tops Adweek's list of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for changing the way we talk about mental health and athleticism. "I'm excited to get up and hopefully make some change in the community," she says, "whether that means changing their outlook on mental health, or just being a voice for the voiceless." A new kind of champion Even before her gold medal turn during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Biles was already considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. It didn't take long for brands to take notice. In 2015, she signed a multiyear deal with Nike, joining a roster of sports legends at only 18 years old and representing the brand in Brazil. After returning home with a record-setting four gold medals and one bronze, she had little time to soak in her success, beginning her next round of Olympic conditioning in 2017 and recommitting to a hefty training schedule that often had her working out and cross-training six days a week. On many days, she'd work out twice. "I really feel like [the public doesn't] understand how much work we put into it just to compete for a total of four or five minutes," Biles says. "We train over 32 hours each week. So it's day in, day out, just to compete for that little amount of time." While some might assume that such preparedness would alleviate performance anxiety, it only speaks to the amount of pressure placed upon these women from the onset, all for a quick shot at representing their country on a global stage. "Obviously, there are learning lessons in there, but sometimes it just sucks because we only get one chance," Biles says. "It's not football. It's not baseball—there aren't three outs. We go one-up, and whatever happens happens. So it's tough." Of course, all of this is true without the looming horrors of a pandemic. Add the heightened pressure of a postponed Olympics, intense attention after coming forward as a victim of former team physician Larry Nassar's sexual abuse, and a global reckoning with systemic racism, and you have a perfect storm of tragedy and trauma that makes focusing on things like gymnastics nearly impossible. However, extreme fans of the sport rarely take this into consideration. "We're always expected to show up and show out," Biles says. "We have our own set of stuff that we're going through too, and it's unraveled on a global scene. I don't think that's fair, especially if we're trying to work through it all." So when Biles began to experience an unusual level of anxiety in Tokyo before eventually stumbling during the team's qualifiers—a truly outlying occurrence for the 24-year-old—she could tell something was off. Follow-up attempts to make the routine safer were also unsuccessful, which she recalled for The Cut in September: "I was not physically capable. Every avenue we tried, my body was like, Simone, chill. Sit down. We’re not doing it. And I’ve never experienced that.” Relying on her instincts, Biles determined that performing under such shaky conditions could result in serious injury. She made the tough call to step away from the final individual all-around competition to focus on her metal health. Her decision was met with a mix of support from those who have followed her journey on and off the mat, and derision from a crowd that was concerned with America's placement in the Olympiad. The latter reaction is especially inexplicable considering, as Biles notes, that her situation is not unlike any other person's need to take a break when they're not feeling well."When you're not having a good day, you don't go to work," she explains. "I feel like [athletes] don't get that same respect." Fellow champions like tennis superstars and Adweek honorees Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka faced similar scrutiny when they chose to focus on themselves. (Williams has criticized the behavior of postgame journalists, and Osaka recently opted out of the French Open in order to prioritize her mental health.) The criticism points to a trend in how Black women in sports are treated when they prioritize their health over the needs of others. "At the end of the day, people have to realize we're humans too," Biles assesses plainly. "We're not just entertainment." Following the final, Biles returned to the Games to compete on the balance beam alongside teammate Sunisa Lee. She snagged a bronze medal, signaling a triumphant comeback. With the addition of the silver medal for the team's all-around performance, Biles remains the most-decorated gymnast in World Championship history. Today, she firmly stands by her choices in Tokyo: "It was definitely not an easy decision, but it was probably one of the smartest and most courageous decisions and things that I've done throughout my career." Raising the Bar Biles’ incomparable gymnastic abilities can make any brand look good. Her sponsors, however, stress that her passion and authenticity off the mat cement her as the ideal partner. Cerebral In October, the mental health app named Biles chief impact officer after recognizing her desire to increase the availability of mental health care, especially for children in foster care. “Simone is so passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and increasing resources and access to underserved communities,” says co-founder and CEO Kyle Robertson. SK-II The skin care company—part of whose mission is to encourage consumers to embrace themselves and their strength—partnered with the Olympian for its anthological “VS” series for an animated short about Biles’ experience with internet trolls. “Our partnership began in 2020, not only because she is an incredibly talented athlete, but because she is an incredibly strong woman who has stood up to pressure and expectations all her life and created her own destiny,” says Kaisy Mae O’Reilly, SK-II North America’s brand vp. GK Elite During her six-year partnership with the sportswear brand, Biles has released leotard collections while spreading messages of self-assurance for burgeoning athletes, which the company says has transcended gymnastics: “As we continue our partnership, we look forward to amplifying Simone’s message of positivity both in and out of the gym.” Her impact off the mat Following the events of Tokyo, Biles found significant support not only from her friends, family and fans, but also her brand partnerships. In April, Biles surprised industry experts when she announced a new, long-term partnership with sportswear retailer Athleta, ending her six-year relationship with Nike. The team-up allowed Biles to have direct input in future capsule collections, including an activewear line that she would co-create. More importantly, Biles would facilitate programing aimed at empowering the next generation of girl athletes through the brand's Power of She platform. "Simone was a natural addition to the Athleta team based on our shared values and passion for inspiring the next generation," Athleta's chief brand officer, Kyle Andrew, tells Adweek. "As her partner, we are here to support her to be the best athlete, change-maker, role model she can be—for herself and for aspiring young athletes." After Tokyo, Athleta firmed up its support by championing Biles' passion projects. Shortly after wrapping her time in Tokyo, Biles embarked on the Gold Over America Tour (aptly referred to as GOAT), a celebration of the girls and women who power the sport of gymnastics. The event has Biles' stamp all over it, as she got to pick the tour's cast and determine the messaging. Athleta chose to sponsor the tour as well as Biles' upcoming 2022 invitational. "I know people think that it happened like right away, but it was two years in the making," Biles says. "I wanted something unique, something that people have never seen before. And I truly believe that we're displaying that whenever we go to each city and do this show. I couldn't be more proud of my team, how the show has come together, and the girls every single night. I'm just so excited about it." The company's support shows a level of confidence in the star that transcends her physical feats. For Biles, Athleta's support hints at not only a successful ambassadorship, but also a real investment in the people who ultimately aid the brand's image: "I think they support me outside of the gym just as much as they do inside. It's really nice to see that they believe in me as a person and not just an athlete." Biles' courage also attracted the support of another future sponsor: mental health wellness app Cerebral, which helps users find comprehensive treatment and medication management. As the brand's newly minted chief impact officer, the young icon will help direct mental health resources to underserved communities. Biles also leveraged the partnership as an opportunity to candidly share her own mental health journey, including her positive experience with therapy. But she doesn't intend to solely champion one path to wellness. Through her work with Cerebral, she wants to help highlight the many ways people can find healing. "I'm really excited to see other people walk their own unique mental health journey with me," Biles says. "Everybody is unique, and I'd rather walk with you than tell you, 'Hey, this is exactly what's going to work for you,' because everybody works and is wired differently. But to walk together and know that we're not alone I think really helps." Kyle Robertson, co-founder and CEO of Cerebral, says Biles "showed the world that it’s OK to not be OK and that you should always value your mental health." "That type of vulnerability, coming from a world-class athlete, is a unique kind of strength in and of itself," Robertson says. "Her message resonated globally and, I have no doubt, pushed many people to get the help that they need and deserve. That’s the type of role model we need today." Through her work off of the mat, Biles hopes to shift how the world ultimately defines and discusses strength. Her extraordinary agility and skill naturally set her apart from the general public as well as most in her industry. But overall, her goal isn't to be superhuman, but rather to cultivate a space where athletes like her can live authentically while celebrating what makes them phenomenal. "Once they group us and they put us on a pedestal, it's really hard to relate to us," Biles says. "We're all unique, trying to navigate our own journeys. At the end of the day, we're human. We have to pay our bills. We have to pay our taxes. We go through our own shit. Hopefully the conversation does evolve. And I think it already is."

Women in Sports

Simone Biles Champions Her Humanity—and the Sports World Is Better for It

The gold medalist turned the events of the Tokyo Games into a vital statement about mental health

Shannon Miller

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Shannon Miller