Simone Biles and the Ripple Effect of Her Decision to Prioritize Mental Health
Photo by Simone Biles on Instagram.
International headlines were made after USA Gymnastics announced Olympic gymnast Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to focus on her mental health. Although it is easy for outsiders to belittle the reasoning behind this decision, Biles's psychological state quite literally put her at physical risk. Biles reported that she was experiencing a phenomenon known as the "twisties," meaning that her brain could not comprehend or keep track of where she was in the air. This sensation has dangerous repercussions for an athlete, as the brain refuses to cooperate with the body and can result in serious injuries.
What exactly causes this phenomenon? According to Jamie Shapiro, Ph.D., a certified mental performance coach and co-director of the Master's in Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver, the twisties are a result of stress and anxiety. An anxious mental state can lead to a mental block, where a wave of anxiety overwhelms the athlete’s senses and hence disorients them. This is due to the physical and cognitive changes resulting from stress, such as increased muscle tension, increased heart and breathing rate, and increased sweat response. The twisties are very common in the gymnastics world; former US gymnast Gabby Douglas has publicly spoken about her experience with the affliction that occurred during the 2011 US nationals.
Considering the immense pressure put on Biles as an athlete, whether on a personal or national level, it comes as no surprise that she felt extremely overwhelmed going into the Tokyo Olympics, which therefore took a toll on her physiological state. In addition to the pressure she feels to come out on top as a gymnast, Biles carries many other burdens. Since coming forward as a survivor of sexual assault in 2018 by her former national gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar, she has worked with a therapist to deal with this traumatic experience. The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics only made things worse for Biles, as it meant an additional year of training with USA gymnastics, an institution that had failed to protect her and her teammates against abuse and refused to take accountability for Nassar's actions. Former USA gymnastics CEO Steve Penny was forced to resign back in 2017 after it was revealed he waited 5 weeks to report allegations of Nassar’s abuse to the FBI. The allegations being held back from the public was also detrimental for the organization’s reputation. During an interview with Today, Biles specified that her reasons for staying with USA gymnastics were not based solely on her passion towards the sport. She stated: “If there weren't a remaining survivor in the sport, they would’ve just brushed [Nassar’s crimes] to the side.”
Furthermore, the process of competing at the Olympics is extremely draining — especially during a global pandemic. Daily testing, tons of restrictions, and the constant fear of catching the virus and spreading it to teammates can all be extremely overwhelming factors to athletes already under a tremendous amount of stress. All it takes is one positive COVID test result to instantly wipe away years of hard work and training, which can be very anxiety-inducing.
Photo by Simone Biles on Instagram.
Simone Biles is not the first athlete to open up about the pressure of being an Olympic favourite and the detriments it has on one’s mental health. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete in history, discussed his depression and the struggles of bearing the weight of a nation in his 2020 documentary The Weight of Gold. Another athlete who prioritized mental health over competition is Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon for the sake of her psychological state. With the fear of letting down family, coaches, teams, the entire country, and even themselves, it is no surprise that these top athletes face various mental health struggles.
Although some have called Biles' character into question following her choice to withdraw from events at the Olympics, accusing her of being a quitter and showing weakness, her decision required a remarkable amount of strength, and its impact created a ripple effect for athletes everywhere, inspiring them to prioritize their mental health first. Even student-athletes can learn a valuable lesson from Simone's actions.
The pressure to perform and compete well alongside maintaining a healthy personal life can take a significant toll on an athlete's mental health. Student-athletes have the additional pressure to maintain their classwork while also keeping up with practice, training, and competitions. Despite the fact that student-athletes are a unique sub-group within the campus community, as they have access to many additional support systems, academic assistance centres, and healthy foods, they may be more vulnerable to mental health problems than expected. Considering the high stakes that these athletes face, whether it be a scholarship they need to maintain or the desire to perform highly to impress sponsors or scouts, it is not surprising that a large number of them become mentally drained.
A journal article by researchers at the University of North Carolina, West Virginia University, and Arizona State University made a variety of interesting points about varsity athletes’ mental health. They found that suicide was the fourth leading cause of death for student-athletes, with high depression and anxiety rates in this sub-group possibly being influenced by lack of sleep, academic stress, sports injuries, pressure to perform well, and overtraining. The same article also discusses the fact that these varsity athletes are often reluctant to seek help, since there is a preconceived notion that to be an athlete, one has to be "mentally tough" and not show any signs of weakness, which many perceive mental illness to be.
It is not easy for athletes to open up about these struggles, as there is a lot on the line, like a position on a team or sponsorships. Hence, more attention needs to be brought to this subject to create a safe and welcoming environment for athletes to put themselves first. Biles herself pointed this out in an interview with Time magazine, stating: "I definitely think it's a little late in the game to have this conversation," she said. "I expect it to be at the forefront a little bit more because I think athletes kind of suppress their emotions and how they are feeling. At the end of the day, we are not just entertainment, we are humans."
If more top athletes make the same decision as Biles or at least open up about their struggles, similarly to what Michael Phelps did, younger athletes will feel more comfortable to follow in their footsteps and protect their own mental health, creating a more healthy environment surrounding sports in the process.