GOAT, or “Greatest of All Time”, is the nickname given to gymnast Simon Biles. Winning six Olympic medals and 25 World Championship medals, Simon Biles was highly anticipated to receive medals in the 2020 Summer Olympic games. However, Biles suddenly withdrew, reminding the world of the importance of athletes’ mental health. In commemoration of World Mental Health Day on October 10, let’s look into the story of her life and beliefs of Simone Biles, who is called the “Queen of Gymnastics'' with CAH.

     Simone Biles was born on March 14th, 1994 in Columbus, Ohio. Simone Biles’ biological mom, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in Simone’s early years. Therefore, Simone and her brothers were put in foster care and had a deprived childhood. When Simone was six, her maternal grandparents adopted and wholeheartedly supported her, but she faced racial limitations and discrimination being black. There were few opportunities to participate in training due to social and financial constraints. However, Simone Biles ended up becoming the greatest gymnast of all time by setting numerous records People had high expectations for Biles at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. On July 27th, when the women’s individual all-around final took place at the Tokyo Olympics, she posted “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times”, on her personal Instagram revealing the weight of the Olympic stage. Then, the following day, she withdrew from the team competition. The news of her resignation shocked the world. Shortly after, Simone Biles said at a press conference, “My body and my mind just said no.” She explained the reason for her abstention, saying that she suffered with “the twisties” and that it was a decision she made - to protect herself; both body and mind. Simone Biles’ abstinence sparked a discussion about the mental health of Olympic athletes. Simone Biles said, “We’re not just athletes or entertainment. We’re human too and we have emotions and feelings […] It’s something that people should be more aware of.” Her words changed people’s perceptions. Oftentimes, the image of an athlete who endures injuries and plays till the end is glamorized with the word “fighting spirit” and is praised by people. In fact, conservative media criticized her abstention as weakness and lack of patriotism. However, Simone Biles’ courageous actions have provided an opportunity to understand the importance of mental health. Simone Biles was named TIME magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2021 and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in 2022.