Artistic gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is once again raising her voice to deliver a powerful message on mental health.
In a new interview released Monday (9 March) by Stylist magazine, Biles, a seven-time Olympic champion and 23-time world champion, shared a simple but striking lesson she hopes the next generation will take to heart: “No medal, no accolade or exam results are more important than your mental health.”
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Biles sparked a global conversation about athletes and mental health when she withdrew from the women’s team final and four subsequent individual finals as she dealt with a case of the ‘twisties’, where a gymnast’s mind and body fall out of sync.
Biles reflected on that moment with Stylist.
“I knew the backlash I would face. I worried about being cancelled,” she said. “But I also knew one thing – I wasn’t letting myself down.”
A teen phenom, Biles won four golds and a bronze at her Olympic debut in Rio 2016. But the 28-year-old says the focus for her – and those around her – was never the medals.
“My parents and coaches kept their focus on making sure I was having fun,” Biles explained.
That perspective shaped her decision in Tokyo and beyond. Now, she’s working to help others take it to heart.
“The world doesn’t need you to be perfect,” Biles said. “It needs you to be bold, to care and to keep going even when things don’t go as planned.”