In 2018, four-time Olympic champion, nineteen-time world champion and seven-time national champion gymnast Simone Biles made a huge leap for professional athletes, specifically female athletes, when she spoke out about the sexual abuse she and others Many others suffered at the hands of American gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
and in 2021, he made another big leap at the tokyo olympics when he withdrew from the team final and individual competition for medical and mental reasons. this showed athletes around the world that they should have a say in their bodies and their mental health. she normalized the word “no,” which is so important to people in the public eye. so we should definitely send fan mail to simone biles guys because I have a feeling she’ll want to see the support we still have for this olympic gymnast goat.
When she retired, Biles had done something no other Olympic gymnast had been able to do in the past, even greats like Dominique Moceanu or Kerri Strug. Unlike Moceanu and Strug (because they weren’t allowed), Biles defended her mental and physical health and stepped back after she said she suffered from a case of “the twisties.”
what are twisties?
“twisties” is a term in the gymnastics world that means you have a disconnect between mind and body when you’re performing. and it’s incredibly risky when you’re performing skills that are as dangerous and difficult as bile. it’s like your muscle memory is there, but mentally you’re not a participant.
In a Washington Post article it was explained: “Twisters are essentially like ‘the yips’ in other sports. But in gymnastics, the phenomenon affects athletes when they are in the air, so the disconnection mind- body can be dangerous, even to someone of the caliber of bile.”
biles says in an interview with npr that she was not physically injured, thankfully. “And so I took a step back, because I didn’t want to do something stupid and get injured. so i thought it was best if these girls took over and did the rest of the work, which they absolutely did, they are now olympic silver medalists. and they should be very proud of themselves for how well they did at the last minute, having to [adjust].”
support from the bile of former Olympic gymnasts
In case you didn’t know, at the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta, Moceanu and Strug felt they had to keep pushing to compete despite both suffering catastrophic injuries.
moceanu shared a tweet in full support of bile, saying: “I was 14 years old with a tibial stress fracture, left alone without a cervical spine exam after this fall. I competed in the Olympic floor final minutes later. @simone_biles’ decision shows that we have a say in our own health – ‘a say’ I never felt I had as an Olympian.”
moceanu continued in subsequent tweets: “in our sport, we essentially dive into a pool with no water. when you lose the ability to find the ground, which seems to be part of @simone_biles’ decision, the consequences can be catastrophic. made the right decision for the team & herself.”
and after moceanu “crushed her head and neck”, as she tweets, not even larry nassar examined her, and she was expected to go back there and do it again.
There is a popular facebook post from byron heath that went viral showing how kerri strug was basically forced to take her second jump after breaking her ankle. she told her trainer bela karolyi that she couldn’t feel her leg, and he told her that she had to shake it off and go one more time. The additional injuries she sustained from this incident forced her to retire from the sport of her life at age 18.
kerri strug offered biles her support in her tweet that read “sending you love @simone_biles-team united states of america.”
and you can also show your support, either through twitter like the Olympians or by mail.
where to send fan letters to simone biles
the address of bills is:
center of world champions
simone bills
cox road 11200,
e-suite
conroe, tx 77385 united states
And chances are she’ll read your words, because Biles might be the best gymnast in the world right now, but she’s down to earth and has a family that keeps her grounded. the biles are a close-knit family and have been her biggest support system. her grandparents adopted her after spending several years in foster care and she moved in with them when she was 6, the same year she went to her first gym class.
on simone biles page on gymnastics in america, after listing nearly a quarter of a page of her staggering number of awards and wins, biles shares some of her favorite things: in school, her best subject is story (proper, since she’s doing it!), she loves pretty little liars and the hunger games series, and when she’s not in the gym, she goes out to the mall with her friends.
well that, and answering all the mail from his fans. She’s been regularly reading and responding to fans for years, though she’s probably a little busy right now, competing in the olympics and all. but I’m sure she would still be happy to hear the love, support and encouragement from all her fans around the world, especially with all the negativity and misunderstandings swirling around.
We love and support you, Simone! thank you for making a great leap for female athletes and women around the world. you’re still the goat.