Biles’ choice for mental health a win for women of color, our daughters
The weight of the world is too much, even for Simone Biles, the 4-foot 8-inch powerhouse gymnast from Spring.
At age 24, Biles knows herself. She showed us this week that taking care of herself — particularly her mind — was far more important than landing the Yurchenko double pike vault. Her victory, right now, is for self-care.
The Houston-raised Biles was expected to dominate the Olympics in Tokyo with her incredible athleticism, grace and vibrant smile. But she withdrew from the competition, after stalling in the vault exercise, which she attributed to the “twisties,” a frightening feeling of losing focus midair that can result in serious injury.
“I have to focus on my mental health,” Biles said, acknowledging that she had been struggling with tremendous pressure and sharing on social media that she felt the “weight of the world.”
Many of us spend a lifetime learning that protecting our mental health is as important as our physical well-being and that choosing self-care is often the greatest win. It’s not a popular decision. People often don’t like it when put yourself first, which is why Biles’ decision has drawn some criticism.
But Biles’ story is weighted down by a multitude of pressures: being the remaining team member who is a survivor of sexual assault by former team doctor Larry Nassar and competing for an organization (USA Gymnastics) that did little to protect her and her teammates from the abuse; being a Black woman in a sport that is yet to reflect diversity; trying to stay focused in the middle of a global pandemic and not having family in the arena to cheer her on.
Even though she has four Olympic golds and 19 world championship titles, sometimes cheers from Mom and Dad can help pull you through. (After withdrawing from the team and all-around finals, Biles was still scheduled as of press time to compete in the four individual events of vault, bars, balance beam and floor exercise.)
Biles’ decision to pull out has been applauded by celebrities, sponsors and other athletes who know what she’s going through.
Former Olympic pairs skater Tai Babilonia said her stomach tightened when she learned about Biles’ withdrawal. In 1980, Babilonia and her skating partner, Randy Gardner, were forced to pull out of competing in the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., because of his groin injury.
“Back in 1980, we didn’t have the internet and social media, so the pressure Simone has been under is a different kind of pressure and more intense. You’re getting the negative and positive from all sides,” Babilonia said. “There’s also so much pressure with the buildup to the Olympics. They have you winning the gold (medal) before you even get there. You really have to put blinders on and stay as focused as you can to keep up your training and mental and physical abilities.”
On “CBS This Morning,” Dominique Dawes said the #MeToo movement and the Nassar scandal have spurred athletes to openly express what they’ve been experiencing with regard to anxiety, depression and pressure. “I admire Simone Biles more for speaking out and speaking her truth than for her amazing athletic prowess,” she said.
Still, it can be hard to understand why an athlete who is considered a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) would want to quit.
“It’s a bold move,” said Quenette Walton, an assistant professor at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work who has studied depression among middle-class Black women. “It’s hard for us to conceptualize that someone like Simone would step back to be able to better manage taking care of themselves. For her to be able to do that as a young Black woman says, ‘I don’t have to handle the stress of the world and being strong and the stress of being perfect. I am going to prioritize me.’ ”
Tennis star Naomi Osaka, 23, who lit the torch during the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, has much in common with Biles. They are both young women of color who are at the top of their game yet still deal with immense mental pressure. Osaka, like Biles, was expected to take home the gold medal but was defeated in the third round by Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. In June, Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing concerns for her mental health, and later posted on Instagram about her struggle with depression and anxiety.
Men aren’t immune to mentalhealth challenges either. Swimming legend Michael Phelps — the most decorated athlete in Olympic history — has been candid about his own depression and anxiety and that he contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics.
“We’re human beings,” Phelps said to the Athletic this week. “Nobody is perfect. It’s OK to not be OK.”
Dr. Kathy Flanagan, a board certified psychiatrist who has worked with MLB, NFL, NBA and WNBA players, said the pandemic has greatly impacted even the most focused of athletes.
“These elite athletes who participate in high-performance sports tend to have to have a lot of mental resiliency. They have to have a lot of mental controls to help with their focus and endurance. But when the Olympics was postponed, we knew that there would be some mental consequences because people have prepared a lifetime for this moment, only to have it delayed,” she said.
The Tokyo Summer Olympics was postponed from last summer because of the pandemic. Never before had the Games been rescheduled for something other than war.
Elite sports, as the saying goes, are often 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Athletes are trained to power through the stress and anxiety with techniques, such as positive self-talk, positive imagery and relaxation, Flanagan said. But every athlete knows if your head isn’t in the game, you won’t perform as well and could risk serious careerending injuries. Biles was quite aware of this.
“It’s so important to normalize mental health. If there’s anything that we’re seeing coming out of this pandemic is that it’s OK to ask for help and to recognize that you have limitations,” Flanagan said.
The pandemic has pushed many everyday people to a breaking point, with increased rates of anxiety and depression, including among the elderly and children. As well, society tends to elevate women in sports, particularly Black women such as sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, without providing them adequate mental health and support. Richardson was suspended from competing in the Olympics for smoking marijuana to cope with the death of her mother during the Olympic trials. She learned about her mother’s death from a reporter, which put her in an “emotional panic,” she later said.
Walton said it’s time to have bolder conversations about mental health and more funding allocated to agencies that provide mental-health resources to as many people as possible.
“Whether we are elite athletes or someone relying on a system for support to get their needs met, mental health is something that is vitally important for our overall well-being,” she said.
Biles tweeted: “The outpouring love and support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before.”
Babilonia praised Biles for inspiring so many young gymnasts, especially those of color, and dismissed critics.
“I hear all of these non-athletes and non-Olympians who all have opinions. Please, don’t go there. We’re not in her head or in her body. She made the right decision for her. She has nothing to prove. In my book, she’s a superstar.”
Biles’ decision is a win for anyone struggling to find their voice. It’s a lesson that needs to be shared with our daughters, so they know to listen to that inner voice that shouts when it’s too much.
Just by stepping away, you might ultimately save yourself.