GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's time for 'My 2 Cents.'
The Olympic Games are in full-swing in Tokyo and the biggest story today has to do with women's gymnastics. Simone Biles withdrew from the team final over mental health concerns.
In a recent Instagram post before the event, Biles said, "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times."
The 24-year-old superstar gymnast has been dubbed the Greatest of All Time - nailing moves that no gymnast has before. She has four separate skills named after her, six Olympic medals and is the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history.
When I hear that my first thought is "wow, that's insanely impressive," my second thought is, "that's an insane amount of pressure." We've all felt the weight of others' expectations before but I doubt many of us have felt it to this extent.
People have been quick to slam her decision to pull out of the team event - upset she didn't "push through." But others, including myself, are so proud of her.
Mental health is just as important as physical health. If Biles reached a point where she, a veteran of the Olympics and other high-profile competitions, knew she couldn't move forward, we have to respect that the same way we would if she broke a bone.
I think we also need to consider what this young woman has dealt with over the last five years. The pressure of being an Olympian, the stress of being dubbed the GOAT, the responsibility of leading a team, competing on a world stage, having all eyes on you, doing interviews, seeing people's opinions on social media, being in Tokyo without friends family and fans, having to train an extra year because of the pandemic delay and reliving a sexual assault publicly.
No medal is worth risking an athlete's health. She performs superhuman moves but she's still human. Let's remember that.