Biles, 24, was a favorite to take up to five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, but instead opened a conversation about the mental health of athletes.
On July 27, Biles, feeling unsure of herself during a vault exercise, “responded in a way that stunned millions of viewers around the world,” Time reported.
She left the vault, put on her warm-up suit and exited the competition, saying that her mind and body were not in sync. Biles withdrew from the next four events, returning to participate in her final event and taking a bronze in the balance beam. She also won a team silver medal.
Biles’ exit earned the support of her fellow athletes in gymnastics and in other sports, Reuters reported.
“What Simone did changed the way we view our well-being, 100%,” teammate Sunisa Lee, who won the all-around gold medal in Tokyo, told Time. “It showed us that we are more than the sport, that we are human beings who also can have days that are hard. It really humanized us.”
“If 2020 showcased the power of athletes as activists after the murder of George Floyd, this year demonstrated how athletes are uniquely positioned to propel mental health to the forefront of a broader cultural conversation,” Time wrote. “While a few sports stars have opened up about mental health—Michael Phelps, for instance, has been candid about his post-Olympic depression -- in 2021, the discussion became more wide-reaching and sustained. After withdrawing from the French Open in May to prioritize her well-being, citing anxiety, Naomi Osaka wrote in a Time essay, “It’s OK not to be OK.”
“I do believe everything happens for a reason, and there was a purpose,” Biles told the magazine. “Not only did I get to use my voice, but it was validated as well.”
Time noted that at a time when anxiety and depression rates were rising, Biles “made clear the importance of prioritizing oneself and refusing to succumb to external expectations.
“With the eyes of the world upon her, she took the extraordinary step of saying, ‘That’s enough. I’m enough,’” the magazine wrote.
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Photos: Simone Biles through the years Here are some memorable photos of seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles through the years. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2013: Simone Biles (center) of Spring, Texas, on the podium with Kyla Ross (left) of Aliso Viejo, California, and Brenna Dowell of Odessa, Missouri, after winning the All-Round title during the Senior Women Competition at the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships at the XL Centre in Hartford, Connecticut, on Aug. 17, 2013. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2014: Simone Biles of the United States performs on the balance beam during the women's team final on Day 2 of the 45th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Guangxi Sports Center Stadium on October 8, 2014, in Nanning, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2015: Simone Biles of United States competes on the beam during Day 10 of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the SSE Hydro on November 1, 2015, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Ian MacNicol/Getty images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2016: Gold medalist Simone Biles of the United States poses for photographs after the medal ceremony for the Women's Individual All-Around on Day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Rio Olympic Arena on August 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2017: Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman (left) and Simone Biles attend the 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2018: Simone Biles warms up on the balance beam during Day 2 of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships 2018 at TD Garden on August 17, 2018, in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2019: Simone Biles of The United States poses for photos with her multiple gold medals during Day 10 of the 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle on October 13, 2019, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2020: Simone Biles visits the Lower Eastside Girls Club with SK-II at Lower East Side Girls Club on March 3, 2020, in New York City. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for SK-II)
Photos: Simone Biles through the years 2021: Simone Biles of Team United States poses with the bronze medal following the Women's Balance Beam Final on Day 11 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
