Going into this Olympics, the words “without Simone competing" were never strung together in the way we have seen unfold today. Was this disappointing? Absolutely. I have a feeling that Simone herself was incredibly disappointed. But disappointment should never equal anger. Disappointment should never turn to blame or disrespect. Disappointment is a fleeting feeling when a desired outcome is not met to your ideal specifications, period. Would the world have loved to have seen Simone be the queen she is? Yes. But that’s where the negativity needs to end.
Gymnastics is a sport like no other. In basketball, if your star steps onto the court of the world’s biggest stage with the championship on the line but he’s not mentally in the game, his play will be affected. He might be solely responsible for losing the game. If a quarterback steps out onto the field in the Super Bowl, but he is not mentally in the game, he will throw more interceptions and lose the game for his team. If, as a gymnast, you step onto the mat with your mental game in question, you aren’t just risking losing the gold for your team, you’re risking your life. That absolutely sounds dramatic, and yes that’s the worst case scenario, but it has happened more than most people know. These athletes are flying through the air with incredible power, speed, and height, flipping and spinning at rates the casual spectator cannot fathom. A misstep, a hesitation, a loss of awareness milliseconds in the making can lead to catastrophic injury, paralysis, or worse. Gymnastics at this level requires an indescribable amount of physical ability, but it is equal parts a mental sport. If Simone walked out into the arena in a cast but her mental game was on point, no one would have expected her to compete. The parallel doesn’t end when the situation is reversed.
Simone Biles is the goat. She is unmatched in her abilities as a gymnast and she has worked hard for 24 years to get to this point. We’ve watched her perform feats deemed impossible. We’ve been blessed to follow the journey of a once in a lifetime athlete. No matter how high we put her on the pedestal she deservedly built with blood, sweat, and tears, Simone Biles does not walk on water. She is human. She has struggles, aches, pains, injuries, bad days, weaknesses, and stress. We have proudly put her as the face of America heading into these Olympics, an honor that she deserves unquestionably, and we’ve also given her the entire weight of our country to carry on her shoulders. In my opinion, she has continued to carry us all in a way that should make us all proud.
Simone has broken down barrier after barrier. She’s given survivors a voice. She’s smiled and celebrated on the sidelines when that was previously frowned upon. She has spoken out against unfairness in the sport and has made the impossible possible. She has forced accountability on those whose existence was supposed to protect and not hurt them. She has danced on the sidelines with her teammates, lifted them up, helped them, held them, encouraged them, cried with them, celebrated with and for them, and carried them along with her as she continues to blaze a new path for US Gymnastics. A path that was shielded and blocked by its leaders for far too long. Today, she stood up for her mental health. For her health. For HER. Place another check mark in the column of positive changes made my the one and only, Simone Biles.
In regard to today’s finish, in not competing because of her mental readiness, she gave her team a chance to medal. Would we have won gold with a perfect Simone? Absolutely. Would we have won a gold medal with any gymnast not mentally ready to compete? Absolutely not. Grace, Jordan, and Suni were phenomenal under immense pressure. They persevered in a situation none of them dared to imagine previously. An Olympic silver medal is an INCREDIBLE achievement. You made us proud. You ALL made us proud. And we ABSOLUTELY STILL LOVE YOU! You did not LOSE gold, YOU FREAKING WON AN OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL!!
And to those of you counting out America in the future, show me a single team today who, if their star, anchor, captain, and heart was taken away last minute, would have scored at an equal level without her as they would have with her, and I’ll show you where you are wrong.
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