Shock waves traveled across the world this past week when Simone Biles withdrew from several individual and team Olympic events. As quickly as the public expressed concern for the most decorated American gymnast of all time, there were also harsh comments spewed through social media channels. The decision was not an easy one for Biles and was made after consultation with medical staff. Toting expectations for athletic dominance and repeated brilliance while shouldering her country’s gold medal hopes was simply like “the weight of the world on me while making it look easy - until it no longer was,” Biles said in a statement.
The tremendous pressure she had been facing as the “head star of the Olympics” was acknowledged by Biles. She said she needed to focus on her mental health. “We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we’re human too.” Biles admitted she was not in the right state of mind to continue competition. “Physically I feel good—but emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment.”
Her withdrawal from the Olympic events prompted a lot of talk about the widespread deterioration of young Americans’ mental health. Biles is a star athlete, and her experience may seem vastly different from that of an ordinary young adult. But, in the age of instant media sharing and the cultural emphasis on fame and validation, it has become paramount to try to separate image and perception from reality. Everyone thought they knew Simone Biles based on what they could see about her, but they did not understand how she was doing mentally until she shared that with the public. Social media has made the pathologies of fame ubiquitous. We think we know someone, and we hold them to a higher standard than we should because of it. Biles’ candid admission, which follows tennis great Naomi Osaka’s decision earlier this year to withdraw from tennis tournaments to protect her mental health, again puts a global spotlight on the often-taboo subject of mental health in sports, and in life.
Biles and Osaka are but just a couple of athletes advocating for their own, and others’ mental health. Joining them recently is retired Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps. He has raised awareness for mental health since his retirement by launching his mental health campaign in June 2018. He has been open about having suicidal thoughts after the London Olympics in 2012. He emphasizes to fans that they need to remember that athletes are human too. “Nobody is perfect--so, yes, it is OK not to be OK. It’s OK to go through ups and downs and emotional roller coasters.” He said this past week, “I think the biggest thing is we all need to ask for help sometimes, too, when we go through those times. For me, I can say personally that it was something very challenging. It was hard for me to ask for help. I felt like I was carrying, as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s a tough situation.”
The action we must now take as a society is remembering we are all human with human needs and emotions. No matter the amount of training an athlete has, or the job, wealth, education someone has, we are all human. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we manage stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health awareness and advocacy is becoming more openly talked about, but there is still much work to be done as a society. Stigma and fear play a pivotal role in someone asking for help. We must be more open in our communications with each other, and not just sharing on social media platforms. We need to support one another and be opened to hearing what people are expressing to us in the workplace, schools, home, and in everyday life.
Rather than be critical of Biles’ decision, we need to applaud her for recognizing that her mental health affects her physical health and performance. No person is immune to stress, depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts.
““The outpouring of love and support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics, which I never truly believed before.” ”
