Who Are We to Judge?

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast ever.

That's saying a lot. She has mesmerized the world with her achievements and her gravity-defying moves on a variety of equipment. for more than 10 years. 

Biles is the gymnast with the most World medals (25), the most World gold medals (19), and she is the female gymnast with the most World all-round titles (5). In 2021, she completed a Yurchenko double pike vault, something never before done by a female.

She started making a name for herself in 2011 at the age of 14, and two years later she took home gold medals at the World championships.

Biles has competed with broken toes on both feet and with a kidney stone. She has suffered injuries resulting from her profession. Yet someone today accused her of being selfish for withdrawing from today's team competition for mental health reasons. Another person said she had quit, and Olympians aren't allowed to quit.  Biles, according to this person, "quit on her teammates." 

I don't know Simone Biles, but it is very clear that she is not a quitter. She was in foster care as a youngster until she was adopted by her grandparents. She has competed at the highest levels of world gymnastics despite injuries and illness. She has become the face of survivors of sexual abuse, at the hands of the gymnastics team doctor. She is now competing in an Olympics unlike any other, with no family, friends or fans in the stands due to Japan's strict covid restrictions. Yes, other athletes have no supporters (other than teammates) in the stands as well. But how many other athletes have the notoriety and pressure of Simone Biles? Withdrawing from the Olympics is not something any world-class athlete would do without a very good reason. 

I am quite shocked by the number of Americans -- most of whom most likely have trouble getting off the couch to waddle to the refrigerator -- who are self-proclaimed experts. Have any of these pundits ever competed in an Olympics? No? What a surprise. Do any of these experts have experience or expertise in dealing with an inordinate amount of pressure for their entire adult lives? No? Have any of these people -- experts, all of them to be sure -- ever needed to step back and take a 'mental health day' when the pressures of life get to be too much? Of course they have. But when a top level athlete needs to step away, she is criticized and called a quitter. 

Unless these people have experienced what Simone Biles has experienced, they need to sit down, shut up and keep their opinions to themselves. How dare these armchair athletes criticize her and accuse her of being a quitter. 

I'm quite certain she didn't reach this decision lightly. I'm sure she did a lot of soul searching before deciding to withdraw from the team competition. But doing so kept her from injuring herself because she wasn't able to have the intense focus she needs to compete at the highest level. Had she competed and failed, she would have been blamed for costing the women's gymnastics team a medal. Instead, her teammates stepped up and won a silver medal.

As an online friend posted, "The fact that Simone Biles is out here alive and breathing after the horrific, repeated sexual abuse she survived, which was known about by many adults who did nothing, makes her inspiring forever. 

Simone Biles was just a kid when Nassar abused her. She's alive. What more do you want?

Not everyone who is sexually abused survives. Simone Biles survived.

This is enough. 

She doesn't owe us or anyone else one single thing.

Would she be under this attack is she were white, or if she were male? I think we know the answer.

The world number 1 female tennis player, Naomi Osaka, withdrew from the French Open in 2021 citing mental health issues. Swimmer Michael Phelps, holder of more Olympic gold medals than anyone in history (23), has been very public about his mental health challenges and he encourages those struggling with mental health issues to seek professional help. 

I applaud Simone Biles for her accomplishments as a human being, for her achievements as a superb athlete, and for her bravery. I applaud her for making her mental health a priority. The world would be a much better place if more people followed her example. 

I hope she is able to continue to astonish the world with her grace and athleticism. But if she decides that for her own mental and physical well-being, she needs to retire from competition, I will support her all the way. She, unlike most people, doesn't have the luxury of dealing with her issues privately. The 'experts' need to keep their mouths shut rather than criticizing others who are struggling.

Whatever she decides to do, I am certain that we haven't heard the last of this amazing young woman.