Does anyone else tired of hearing about the Simone Biles situation?
Here’s my take on it:
Ask yourself these questions…
Do you really think an athlete at that level just said, “ya know I’m having a hard day I don’t feel like competing today?”
My answer: No. Clearly,, if an athlete at that level and that caliber decides to pull out of a competition, they have made a hard decision that didn’t come easy.
I think the media grabbed this story and spun it in every way. Good and bad. In one article you read, she’s brave and courageous, and the next, she’s a quitter and gave up.
I don’t think this was some publicity stunt by her. I mean, she’s the GOAT of gymnastics as it is; she would get publicity regardless. Biles has 4 gymnastics moves named after her.
Even though I don’t think she is a “quitter” regarding this situation, I do think the PR and the way it was handled could have been different.
To say it’s about “mental health” may be true in a way, and I’m in no way bashing that, but she also referred to having the “twisties.” For those that don’t know what the “twisties” is, it’s a term used in gymnastic, meaning you basically have no awareness of where you are when you’re flipping in spinning.
I come from a cheerleading background (20 years and currently a coach) we use the term “mental block” because a similar thing happens.
I was nowhere near the level of Simone Biles, but I did do hard tumbling passes that involved flipping and spinning. From personal experience, I had a mental block to where anytime I flipped, I automatically spun. No matter what I did anytime, I flipped, I couldn’t NOT spin. I even tried flipping up onto a mat to try to break out of this “mental block.” (if I would only flip with no twist, I could land,) but since I had this “mental block,” I still tried to spin and fell on my head.
Mental blocks are something you truly can’t understand until you have one. Even after having one, I have no idea why it happened. One day I just went back to tumbling normal and could control myself.
So I look at her stating “mental health” and referencing having “twisties” as her having a mental block.
At the end of the day, we forget that celebrities and athletes of this level are also normal humans with everyday struggles. We put them on some pedestal, and for why? Yes, they’re someone to look up too, but we have to give them a break at some point.
On top of all this, do we really know everything that’s going on in Simone Biles’s life? She stated in an interview that her aunt passed away just two days before her Olympic beam finals. And the fact that her brother is on trial for possible murder probably puts some weight on her shoulders. Along with everything else that we don’t know about that is personal to her. AND THEN add the pressure of the Olympics and all the hype that’s been around her Olympic performance. I highly doubt she just takes all that lightly. At some point, the stress and pressure add up, and ya know at the end of the day, we have to take care of ourselves. It’s okay not to be okay.
So is Simone Biles ACTUALLY a quitter? Or did she just let ya down cause you were excited to see her performance for America?
Not to mention, she is the most decorated gymnast…. so at least at some point, she didn’t quit.
ONE MORE THING how about the rest of the Women’s USA Gymnastics team?! Let’s rise them up and talk about them! The Women’s USA Gymnastics Team brought home Silver, along with 5 other medals! Sunisa Lee bringing home Gold in the women’s individual all around and a bronze medal in the uneven bars. MyKayla Skinner had a comeback story with her ending up with a Silver Medal on Vault. Jade Carey finished with a Gold Medal for her individual floor routine. Simone Biles made her final comeback and ended up bringing home a Bronze Medal on beam.
There’s my take, what is yours?? Let me know in the comments!
