Mental Health > Olympic Victory
Simone Biles is a badass. Full stop.
“Let the Queen rest.” read S. Lee Merritt’s Instagram post. Simone Biles had just withdrawn from the team finals, following a very scary vault attempt. Our cool, calm, collected Olympic champion had stumbled. She later withdrew from the all-around individual competition, too. After the prelims, she had written that:
For her to write that must have meant her world was turning upside down. That is nothing like she ever had shared before. Something was wrong. The people’s GOAT was having a human moment. Gasp.
Simone Biles is an amazing example of what a strong woman should be. She is unmatched in athletic skill. She is now exercising the skill of self-care. This skill is just as difficult and takes just as long to master.
We tend to view our athletes as demigods. They aren’t supposed to have feelings. They aren’t supposed to falter. They aren’t supposed to withdraw. This magical thinking reduces an athlete to a mere icon for the USA, and doesn’t regard their needs. Or ours.
I admire what Simone did. That takes more courage and more guts to refuse the icon mantle we would thrust on her. It is abuse to ask her to do so. Too many of us wouldn’t have the intestinal fortitude to do what she did in standing up for herself by standing down.
Simone’s actions did more for the mental health of people in the USA than if she has stayed in her gymnast role and competed. She could have severely injured herself. She could have lost and been in the same situation as she is now. This way, she took control of her mental health and did what was best for her.
This is a scrappy woman, who has endured a lot of trauma in her 24 year old life. Her grandparents adopted her because her mother was struggling with substance abuse. She has ADHD. She was sexually abused by Larry Nassar. Her brother was arrested for triple homicide. And yet, she emerged as a truly amazing athlete, head and shoulders above her competitors.
Now, she is an example of what we should strive to do with our own mental health issues, regardless of our age, gender, or profession. She said ‘no’ in a very public forum. We have been taught that we shouldn’t say, ‘no.’ We risk our mental health by rising to every occasion whether or not we are able.
Stop doing that. It serves no one but those trying to take advantage of you. The people who would expect you to sacrifice yourself at their altar would not do the same. Take back your power. Be your own advocate, because no one else will be.
It’s a gutsy move to put our mental health first. Let’s fight the stigma. Simone Biles did not ‘quit.’ She chose not to hurt herself. She didn’t quit on herself; rather, she invested fully in herself. That is what truly important for all of us to do.
