The 3-Word Mantra Simone Biles Used to Make History

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In a social media post on Friday, Biles revealed her most important strategy.

 

Simone Biles of Team USA during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Photo: Getty Images

 

I sometimes wonder what it might be like to be Simone Biles.

 

Not literally. I mean, I'm not a gymnast and I'm never going to be able to do the things she does. Basically, no one can.

 

I am, however, fascinated by the journey she has taken over the past three years to get back to the biggest stage in her sport and not just compete--but dominate. After what can only be described as a disappointing Tokyo Olympics, when Biles withdrew from the team competition with a bad case of the "twisties," she spent a lot of time working out her demons.

 

More than a few people took to social media to call Biles a quitter--that she gave up on her team. They criticized her for not being tough enough to endure whatever challenges she was facing or for not being a true champion since she didn't finish the competition.

 

Obviously, people on social media generally have no idea what a gymnast actually does. I'm sure they meant to say that she's the greatest gymnast and arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time.

 

If anything, her decision in 2021 to prioritize her mental health and safety shows a level of maturity that has a lot more to do with her success than you might otherwise think. More importantly, she demonstrated that taking care of her mental health is just as important as any other part of her training. In fact, for Biles, a big part of what it took to get here, on this stage, was to prioritize her mental health.

 

"Being in a good mental spot, seeing my therapist every Thursday is kind of religious for me. So that's why I'm here today," Biles said in an interview with NBC News last month.

 

The day Biles made history as the first American woman to repeat as all-around champion was no different. "Even this morning at 7 a.m., I saw my therapist," Biles told reporters.

 

I don't think there's any question that Biles' commitment to her mental health is the single most important part of her story. On Friday morning, the day after she made history, Biles posted a simple photo of herself on Instagram with a three-word caption: "mental health matters."

 

That simple three-word mantra might be the most significant contribution Biles makes. Even if you're never going to compete at the highest level of a sport, there's something powerful about acknowledging the truth of those three words.

 

As a general rule, we just assume Olympic athletes are invincible. I mean, we know that's not true, but we act as though it must be. These are humans who are capable of things that seem impossible to the rest of us. We watch, and we cheer, and we enjoy celebrating their victory, but we have almost no concept at all of what it takes to get there. And, a lot of times the things that it takes are brutal and take a toll, not just physically, but mentally.

 

About those social media posts. There are still plenty of people with opinions about Biles and whether or not she conforms to their view of who and what she should be. But she's in a much better position to deal with them now.

 

"Following up with my therapist, I turned off the comments on the Instagram," Biles said in her recent Netflix documentary series. "Don't care if you want to comment good or bad, you're not going to be allowed. And, Twitter, I actually deleted a couple times on my phone."

Honestly, that's pretty good advice for all of us. Making your mental health a priority might be the single most important thing you can do to increase your chance of success--whatever that looks like.

 

Yes, Biles' gymnastics accomplishments are extraordinary, but her willingness to be candid about her challenges may be her most lasting legacy and it's one we should talk about more.

 

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