Simone Biles‘ withdrawal from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to the Twisties was a defining moment, one she seeks redemption from as she aims for her fourth Olympics run in Paris. The fear of twisting and lack of spatial awareness that came with the Twisties made Simone want “to sulk in my feelings and to be by myself.”
But her celebrity status as a gymnastics icon and seven-time Olympic medalist made this emotional release impossible. As she boarded the plane back to America, her responsibilities as a sports icon had to be fulfilled, concealing an untold reality of post-Tokyo Olympics trauma behind her smiling demeanor, a reality that “nobody knew.”
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During her interview on the ‘Call Her Daddy‘ podcast, Alex Cooper asked Simone Biles, “So when did you break down?” Simone revealed that it was when she finally unpacked her suitcase and went on her famous Gold Over America Tour across the country. She described the tour as a beautiful experience, filled with the joy of meeting her fans and being part of a brilliant production.
However, behind the scenes, she was grappling with the traumas of the Twisties and began seeking therapy to cope. Simone explained, “I can’t recall what time our show started, but say it started at seven; I would be in therapy from like 4:30 to 6. And then I would give myself an hour to get ready.” She candidly shared moments when Jordan Chiles would walk into her room and find her “bawling my eyes out trying to put on my makeup because I’m talking to my therapist about the Olympic experience.”
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Yet, once she was composed and ready to be on stage, she wore the brightest smile for her audience. She expressed, “I will cherish every stop and every show that we got to put on. Totally. But behind the scenes, nobody knew.” Simone Biles revealed how, upon landing in America, she was physically exhausted and eager to return home to Houston, but that plan was thwarted.
After the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Simone Biles and the Team USA women landed in America, Simone shared how, despite wanting to return home to Houston, Texas, they were required to go to New York for appearances on shows like the Today Show. She described putting on a brave smile, but all she truly wanted was to hug her mom and cry. She said that as she landed in Houston and hugged her mom, but there were cameras at the gate so she could not even break down at the airport.
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However, upon reaching home, her family surprised her with a parade and urged her to get ready to parade through the neighborhood. She recalled, “Like, get your convertible. Smile and wave. I just wanted to have like a breakdown.” Reflecting on this moment of anguish, it’s important to acknowledge the hardships faced by even our sports icons as humans. As Simone continues her healing, fans eagerly await her return in the Olympic year 2024 as she redeems herself from this experience.
