Simone Biles. The greatest gymnast of all time. I cannot say I’ve been watching her compete, but I have been following her rise to prominence as the buzz about her has spread.
All my life my mother has been fascinated by gymnastics and the Olympic gymnasts. I remember watching the Magnificent Seven compete in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Those were some talented women, so to say that Simone Biles has outperformed them is an accomplishment in and of itself.
But the recent news about Simone Biles choosing to not compete has some scratching their heads. How can the greatest gymnast not compete in the greatest competition of her time? It all comes down to mental health. A person can be in peak physical form, and need help mentally.
As someone who struggles daily with mental health, I can tell you that it is no simple thing to lay aside the thoughts in one’s own head and do anything, much less complicated, and make no mistake, dangerous, physical feats of athleticism. Some days I cannot even get out of bed, much less flips in the air and land on my feet without shattering them. Granted, I am no Simone Biles, but I think the point is made. She couldn’t. And if the greatest of all time can’t, and does the best thing for her mental health, that is something to be applauded.
Too many are too quick to judge her, or worse, call her weak for choosing to prioritize herself, her whole self, rather than compete. I do not understand those kinds of people. Who among us hasn’t struggled even a little bit? and those who fight every day understand the larger struggles.
I have been applauding myself for continuing to write on my blog, for getting things done around the house consistently, for picking up a book and reading, and other things. For me, these are sometimes Herculean tasks. For me, it is never a simple thing to just empty the dishwasher or take a shower. It is always a mental fight to get myself to do things I think other people can just do without thinking. My head is not always a nice place to inhabit.
Currently I’ve been fighting anxiety and fear, on top of my depression. So many “little” things have been going wrong lately that they are starting to become a few big things in the aggregate. Ordinarily, as I have trouble handling the routine, handling one crisis of any size is a stretch. This past week and a half has seen several crises arise. And I feel myself going under the swells. I’ve reacted badly at times. I’ve managed to make a plan to cover the eventualities, but inside, I am a wreck. I feel threadbare and worn out, and it is only Wednesday.
Why recount this? Because of Simone Biles. If she can prioritize her mental health over Olympic perfection with the entire world watching and judging her, maybe I can have the courage to speak out about what I am struggling with. Maybe I can have the courage to give myself grace in the midst of storms and let myself feel what I feel. I am certain that for Simone to give up gold, which she probably would have won, was not easy. At all. Who could resist the temptation to be known as the best at what they do? A true champion of the world. That is who Simone Biles is. I won’t probably be the champion of anything in my life, but if I can get through today, that is winning.
There is a saying about being “worth more than gold”. In this context, gold is the pinnacle of Olympic achievement. For me, Simone Biles won gold in Tokyo by having the fortitude to stand down from competition. I can win gold for myself today by doing what I need to do, be that sit with my anxiety for a few hours, or “accomplish” something. Because that is what it is all about: being the best version of yourself that you can be. And that varies day to day, moment by moment. Go out and win your gold today. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself, physically, mentally, and in all other ways. I am sure that Simone would say it was worth it all.
a simple man 