Simone Biles is the Heroine We All Need

It’s been a banner run for women in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics so far. Flora Duffy from Bermuda brought home her country’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s triathlon.

Hidilyn Diaz, a female weightlifter in the 55-kilogram category, is bringing home the first-ever gold medal for the Philippines.

The first gold medal of this year’s Olympics went to China’s Yang Qian in shooting.

And the United States’ own Lee Kiefer is not only the first woman to win gold in the women’s individual foil fencing event, but she’s also the first person ever to hold that title.

But women in the Olympics are making headlines for other reasons, too. Simone Biles, the United States’ most decorated gymnast, chose to bow out of the women’s team final earlier this week.

If you’ve been around this space very long, you know I don’t usually comment on current events in real-time. I like to have time to think, formulate my thoughts, and edit my writing before putting it out into the world.

But I think the recent headline news on Simone Biles’ choice to step down from this stage of the Olympic competition deserves our attention.

Even if you’re not an Olympic fan, you’ve probably heard the name Simone Biles. After all, gymnastic events are among the most-watched summer Olympic events around the world.

Probably like many of you, I got my first hint of the news last night via social media. This morning, I was able to watch the replay on tv and see for myself what happened.

It’s clear by her expression that something is going on with Simone after her performance on the vault. Even the tv commentators know something is up. Not long after, Simone exits the floor with a member of the Team USA medical staff. A few minutes later, she returns, chats with her team, hugs them, and puts on her warm-ups.

For the rest of the competition, there is speculation about what’s going on. Simone is cheering on her team; her voice is clearly heard throughout many of their remaining events. Despite her decision not to continue with this stage of the competition, she continues to stand by her team and make herself available. She stays on the sidelines, no doubt keenly aware of the change in energy in the room. Naturally, everyone is wondering what’s going on.

The pressure placed on athletes and public figures isn’t a secret. Other Olympians have spoken out about the struggles of professional competition: USA swimmer Jacob Pebley, German-American distance runner Sam Parsons, Australian basketball player Liz Cambage, and even well-known USA swimmer Michael Phelps.

The mental health crisis in the United States is no secret. But I think what makes Simone’s statement different is her public choice, in real-time, to honor herself and what she needed and step down.

Simone is a role model for all of us today. She made her decision with complete confidence that her team would support her. She put both her mental and physical wellbeing ahead of the expectations she and others had set for herself.

Performing with a mental disconnect, which was apparent in her vault event just before stepping down, could open Simone up to dangerous physical consequences. The complexity and speed of her moves are extremely dangerous, even life-threatening, if not performed with focus and accuracy.

Too often, we treat our athletes or people we admire like machines and less like whole people. Simone is often thought of as the linchpin of the female gymnastics team. Even her Russian competitors see Simone as the biggest hindrance to their success

But her teammates wanted only the best for Simone, even if that meant shaking up the plan. Suni Lee reminded all of us that the challenge of winning isn’t just up to Simone. After all, it’s *team* USA. Their response to her decision was full of grace and support. Simone felt safe enough to express what she needed, and she knew her team would give space with judgment. That’s often the best we can do for someone who’s struggling – stand beside them.

As Americans, we glorify and prioritize the hustle, the struggle, the ability to “power through” and “do it all.” I know I’m guilty of this too. We hide behind social media and put into the world that everything is ok when maybe it isn’t. Too often, we tie our self-worth to our performance or how others perceive us.

In reality, few of us will ever live our lives, in whole or in part, in such a public way. If you google “mental health” right now, you find article after article and photo after photo of Simone. Rather than just general resources on how to get help, you find a well-known face, a human person being vulnerable on a world stage.

Maybe her vulnerability has given new hope to someone who’s struggling. There’s a face looking back at us, and we know we’re not alone.

This last year has been one for the books, and many of us are struggling more than ever. We have more anxiety and depression than in past years. Constantly changing guidelines and recommendations leave us feeling hesitant, uncertain, and lonely.

Simone is the hero we all need right now.

May we all strive to be like Simone – in tune with ourselves and courageous, able to step up and speak up when something isn’t right. May we all have (and be) like Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, and Suni Lee – supportive and reminding us that we are not alone. And may we all move forward in grace and mercy, for ourselves and others, for what is seen and what is unseen.