Simone Biles hit her followers with an important piece of advice after her historic win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 27-year-old gymnastics powerhouse took to Instagram on Friday, August 2, to share a serene photo of herself sitting cross-legged on a chair, her arms resting gently in her lap, and her eyes closed. The message?
“Mental health matters,” she captioned the post.
This post comes on the heels of Biles’ stunning performance in Paris, where she earned the top score in the individual all-around final for women’s gymnastics on August 1. Her performance secured her second gold medal of the Games, with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade earning silver and Team USA’s Suni Lee taking home bronze.
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Speaking with reporters after the win, Biles confirmed that she saw her therapist at 7 a.m. the morning of the finals, stating, “I’m making sure that I’m mentally well.”
In addition to the gold medal, the Texas native, often hailed as the G.O.A.T. gymnast for her unparalleled achievements, received another special gift after her latest victory: a stunning goat pendant necklace. This exquisite piece, crafted by Janet Heller Fine Jewelry, boasts 546 diamonds and is set on a silver chain, celebrating her remarkable success.
Biles recently surpassed Shannon Miller to become the most-decorated American Olympic gymnast of all time. She cemented her spot on the all-time winners list with the U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s gold medal win on July 30, alongside teammates Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and newcomer Hezly Rivera.
The recent accomplishments solidify Biles’ triumphant return to the sport after her well-documented withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Games, citing a struggle with “the twisties,” a disorienting condition that affects gymnasts’ spatial awareness.
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“This is definitely our redemption tour. I feel like we all have more to give,” Biles shared at a June press conference. She spoke on behalf of herself and her teammates, expressing a shared commitment to competing for themselves and their love of the sport, rather than external validation. “We’re going to go out there, and we’re going to do our best.”
Despite facing criticism and being labeled a “quitter” by some after her mental health struggles, Biles remained resilient and unfazed by naysayers.
Addressing the negativity, she quipped, “They’ll still say like, ‘Oh, my gosh, are you going to quit again, are you going to quit again?’ And if I did, what are you going to do about it? Tweet me some more? Like, I’ve already dealt with it for three years. But yeah, they want to see us fail.”
