A REFLECTION ON THE FASCINATING STORY OF HOW SIMONE BILES BOUNCED BACK

BY DELFINA STUZYNSKA

 

When the 2024 Olympic Games opened in Paris in the Summer, neither Simone Biles nor millions of her fans around the world, who remembered her experience in the last Olympics in Tokyo, knew for sure what would happen in the weeks ahead. The story of how Simone Biles reclaimed her top place in women gymnastics is both fascinating and a masterclass on the power of resilience and self-determination.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games turned out to be an extremely successful outing for Team USA with 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze medals packing a total of 126 medals to top the medal podium – the team’s best performance since Los Angeles 1984. Even though all 31 teams and 595 athletes recorded huge success, some athletes distinguished themselves through outstanding performances in their various sports, Simone Biles was clearly one of those.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, the third of four siblings, placed in foster care at an early age before being adopted by her grandparents and raised in Spring, Texas. The 27-year old’s journey from such a humble background to becoming the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals, 7 of which are gold, and 30 World Championship medals, in which 23 of them are Gold, is truly inspiring.

Apart from the challenges associated with her upbringing – which one could argue helped shape her resilient personality – her path to the pinnacle of the sport has not been without obstacles. Her setback at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Simone Biles encountered serious mental health and safety problems with a condition known as the “twisties.” Twisties causes gymnasts to lose their sense of direction and body awareness while performing in the air, which can lead to dangerous landings. Biles described feeling lost and disoriented during her routines, which made it difficult for her to safely execute her skills. Given the high stakes and the risk of injury, she chose to withdraw from several events to focus on her mental health.

Unsure if she would be competing again after this episode, the extraordinarily talented gymnast went back to the drawing board, focusing on overcoming her mental health difficulties with strong support from her family, coach and therapists. She returned to the stage stronger and more determined than ever. In less than two years, she dominated the sport at the 2023 World Championships, setting new standards by winning five medals: four gold medals in the team, all-around, beam, and floor finals, along with one silver medal in vault.

Simone is the current holder of the “Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year”, an annual award honoring the achievements of those individuals or teams who have made a comeback performance in the world of sports. While the road to her historic comeback was marked by both physical and emotional struggles, a combination of factors – mental and physical recovery, renewed focus on training, and a reliable support system, contributed immensely to her success at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Recognized as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, it was so refreshing to watch Biles mesmerize the crowd and millions of her fans with her powerful tumbling, precision, and flawless execution of some of the most complex skills in the sport including vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.

As she fondly describes herself “Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, who loves to flip” – she is absolutely the greatest gymnast of all time.