Even the GOAT needs a break sometimes. Simone Biles shocked the world when she bowed out of the Tokyo Olympics — but that wasn’t the first time she’d advocated for her mental health.
In July 2021, the four-time Olympic gold medalist fell while trying to land a vault in the team final in Japan and subsequently took herself out of the competition. Teammates Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Grace McCallum carried on without their leader, ultimately placing second behind the Russian Olympic Committee.
Though she was seen consulting with the team’s training staff, Biles later confirmed that she “thankfully” didn’t have a physical injury. “That’s why I took a step back, because I didn’t want to do something silly out there and get injured,” she told reporters after the medal ceremony. “I thought it was best if these girls took over and did the rest of the job — which they absolutely did, they’re Olympic silver medalists now. And they should be really proud of themselves for how well they did last-minute, having to [adjust].”
The Dancing With the Stars alum “got a little bit lost in the air” while attempting her risky skill, she explained. “It’s just something we have to go in the gym and work on.”
Longtime fans of the gymnast were surprised to see her do anything other than power through in the face of adversity. However, staying in the competition could have “robbed” the team of their medal — and could have ended in serious injury.
“I knew they would be OK without me. Just watching them train, they’re a couple of the strongest competitors I know,” Biles said of her elite teammates. “Their heads are always on straight, and they have a lot of dedication and courage.”
Biles has proven herself to be one of the best athletes in the world — not just in her sport — but has had her fair share of battles behind the scenes. In 2018, she revealed that she was one of the many gymnasts who were sexually abused by former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, whose victims also include Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas. He faces more than 170 years in prison for assaulting women and girls.
The Ohio native didn’t immediately come forward with her story because she was still coming to terms with what had happened. “It’s not like we had a lot of people to talk about it with,” she recalled in an episode of Simone vs Herself. “I remember asking one of my friends, ‘Hey, have I been sexually assaulted?’ and I thought I was being dramatic at first, and she said, ‘No, absolutely.'”
After starting to accept that she was a survivor of abuse, Biles felt “super depressed” and “shut everybody out,” she admitted in the Facebook series.
“With gymnasts, when you get injured, your heal time is four to six weeks, but then with something so traumatic that happens like this?” she added. “There is no four to six weeks, so it’s hard for us to process that. There’s, like, no time limit or healing time for it, so you just take it day by day.”
Raisman was one of many fellow athletes to show Biles support after her exit from the Tokyo tournament in July 2021. Former teammate Laurie Hernandez reminded fans that there’s more at stake than just a gold medal.
“When something like this happens, there’s just immense pressure [and] this feeling of, ‘I don’t want to let my team down.’ … At the end of the day, mentally, physically, we just want to make sure she’s OK,” she told Today at the time. “Having to put that much pressure on [Simone] to carry the team to gold, it’s not fair. This is a team of four, not a team of one.”
Scroll down for a look back at some of Biles’ most inspiring comments about caring for her mind and body:
"I say put mental health first," Biles said in July 2021, telling press at the Olympic Games that she was inspired by Naomi Osaka's strength earlier in the year. "Because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it's OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it." Shutterstock (2)
Biles needed "a good mental rest" after her upset at the team final in Tokyo, she said in a July 2021 press conference. "Usually you practice mindfulness. ... We'll have the morning off, so that's a great start. ... Then you're really focused in and tuned in on practice." Mental wellness "starts from outside the gym," she added. "We want to relax. And we'll do that, hopefully get some fresh air — and we'll just see [what's next]." Shutterstock
The 2021 Olympics season was "really stressful," the World Champion admitted after exiting the team final competition. "I think just as a whole, not having an audience, there are a lot of different variables going into it. It's been a long week, it's been a long Olympic process, it's been a long year. So, [there's] just a lot of different variables, and I think we're just a little bit too stressed out. But we should be out here having fun, and sometimes that's not the case." Shutterstock
"I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness," Biles said in a press conference after Team USA took home the silver medal in July 2021. "And I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job. And I didn't want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screwups, because they've worked way too hard for that. So I just decided that those girls need to go and do the rest of our competition." Shutterstock
The Courage to Soar author didn't put her best foot forward at the qualifying meet in Tokyo — and she knew it. "It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times," she wrote via Instagram. "I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke! BUT I'm happy my family was able to be with me virtually 🤍 They mean the world to me!" Shutterstock
After stepping away from the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, Biles admitted she crumbled under the intense pressure of performing for her country. "We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we're human, too," she told reporters at the time, per The Associated Press. "We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do." Shutterstock
Like many pro sports players, Biles has become an advocate for important causes outside of the arena. While she's not afraid to address certain issues, she also knows it's important to take her time. "Everybody expects me to speak out, but I kind of do it whenever I'm ready, in a good mental place, because it is a lot at the end of the day, and it does spark a very big conversation," she told WSJ. magazine in July 2021. Shutterstock
When the Tokyo Olympics were pushed back an entire year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas-based gymnast went "through the emotions" — and allowed herself to feel each one deeply. "Sad, mad, angry, pissed off, hysterical — all of the phases. And that's the first time in my life I've ever felt the emotions rather than somebody coming up to me and telling me, 'Hey, it's gonna be OK,'" she told Sports Illustrated in July 2021. "I got to relish in all of those emotions and phases myself rather than people telling me, 'Hey, it's gonna be OK You should be fine.' ... I don't have to be fine. I can be pissed off for now. I can be mad. I can be angry. I can be joyful, you know? So it was actually really nice because it was the first time in my life that's ever happened." Shutterstock
In her 2021 docuseries, Simone vs Herself, the elite athlete reflected on the long journey to healing after she was assaulted by Nassar. "All those years, nobody ever told us what sexual abuse was," she recalled. "So we didn't really feel like we were going through it or victims. ... I was one of the luckier ones because I didn't get it as bad as some of the other girls I knew." Biles was "super depressed" after coming to the realization that what she went through was serious. "I didn't want to leave my room, and I didn't want to go anywhere. I kind of just shut everybody out. I don't know, it was probably hard for me," she said. "I remember being on the phone with my agent, and telling my mom and my agent that I slept all the time. Because sleeping was better than offing myself. It was my way to escape reality. Sleeping was like the closest thing to death for me at that point, so I just slept all the time." Shutterstock
Before finding a healthy way to deal with her struggles, Biles coped "by compartmentalizing," she told Glamour in June 2021. "I try not to think about it because I can't afford to — if I let them rule me, they're winning," she noted. Eventually, however, she learned the right balance. "Before I would only focus on the gym. But me being happy outside the gym is just as important as me being happy and doing well in the gym. Now it's like everything's coming together," she told the outlet. Shutterstock
"I thought I could figure it out on my own, but that's sometimes not the case," Biles told Glamour in June 2021 about her experience with therapy. "And that's not something you should feel guilty or ashamed of. Once I got over that fact, I actually enjoyed it and looked forward to going to therapy. It's a safe space." Shutterstock
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