Simone Biles discusses her recovery with medication and therapy

Simone Biles discussed her comeback to top-level international gymnastics competition at the 2023 Global Health Summit in Miami.

Simone Biles discusses her recovery with medication and therapy

Simone Biles (Pic Credit: Imago)

Olympic champion Simone Biles has performed gymnastics despite sustaining fractured ribs and toes. The preeminent gymnast, often recognized as the greatest, has consistently embraced challenges. In 2021, she made the extraordinary decision to opt out of the Tokyo Olympics finals to focus on her mental well-being. 

She made a choice that proved to be one of her most difficult. At 26, she was honored in Miami at the 17th Global Wellness Summit’s inauguration for her trailblazing advocacy in mental health.

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Simone Biles was awarded the Debra Simon Award for Mental Wellness Advancement by Fountain Life CEO Bill Kapp for prioritizing her mental well-being over her athletic performance. Biles has been discussing mental health a great deal following her time in Tokyo.

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After what happened in Tokyo I was able to join that [mental health] conversation and kind of help people, teach people that it’s OK to not be OK. But I think the hardest thing after COVID was a lot of people realized that maybe they need to get help and not just help, but that you deserve that help.
Biles said during a panel with Susie Ellis, the summit’s chair and CEO, prior to receiving the award

She is encouraging people to talk openly about their challenges. During a meeting facilitated by Summit CEO Susie Ellis, she discussed this topic. Biles further noted the pandemic’s role in heightening awareness of mental health issues, underlining the individual’s right to seek and receive the necessary support.

Biles talks about her ‘twisties’ scare

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Simone Biles decided to step back due to experiencing ‘the twisties,’ a condition that disrupts the psychological connection between mind and body, leading to a loss of spatial orientation during aerial maneuvers.

Simone Biles [Image Credit- Sports Illustrated]
Simone Biles [Image Credit- Sports Illustrated]

Because of this mental block, Biles, who compares his ability to land safely to that of a cat with multiple lives, frequently found himself in terrifying situations. Concurrently, Biles was preparing to provide testimony to a U.S. Senate committee regarding the FBI’s mismanagement of the inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct by Larry Nassar.

Nassar, the former physician for USA Gymnastics, is accused by Biles and over 150 other athletes of using his position to sexually abuse them during medical appointments. She, along with other survivors, is pursuing reparations exceeding $1 billion from the FBI for its failures in the Nassar case, who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence.

After taking a two-year break to prioritize his mental health recovery, Biles contemplated making a comeback to compete again, even though he initially had reservations about participating this year. In a testament to her continued excellence in the sport, she had the distinction of a gymnastic maneuver being named after her — the Biles II — in October, following her execution of the complex Yurchenko double pike at a global event, marking her as the first female gymnast to accomplish this feat.