Tokyo Olympics 2020: Simone Biles Brings Attention to Mental Health Awareness

    If you have been staying up to date with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, you may already know that Simone Biles, the 24-year-old American gymnast and Five-time World Champion, has dropped out of the Tokyo Games, initially shocking millions of viewers. After suffering an injury during a vault event, Biles decided that she will sit out the rest of the women's team final. The US gymnastics team will have to finish the remainder of the team competition without Biles, arguably their greatest asset. Biles finished her Olympics run this year earning a Bronze medal, but more importantly, her greatest impact was her positive stance on mental health. It is no surprise that athletes, especially ones competing in the Olympics, are under immense amounts of stress and pressure, and Biles details how the games take a toll on her mental health. 

    She quotes, "Put your mental health first. That's more important than any other medal you could win." The initial response to her decision may not have been the most positive, but overall, many people emphasized with Biles about her situation, and praised her for helping to remove the stigma of mental illness. Among the many that defended Biles' decision, former First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated Biles for her achievement: "We are proud of you and we are rooting for you." Through Simone Biles' example of strength and self-love, she further demonstrates that telling the world you are not okay is far more valuable than any Olympic medals around your neck will ever be. 

Sources: 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/27/us-gymnastics-star-simone-biles-drops-out-of-womens-team-event

https://www.sbnation.com/2021/8/4/22607986/simone-biles-bronze-mental-health-tokyo-olympics

https://nypost.com/2021/07/28/michelle-obama-defends-simone-biles-in-wake-of-olympic-withdrawal/