Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo
came as a great surprise and disappointment to many.
According to the BBC, Biles, the most successful U.S. gymnast of all time,
revealed that she decided to quit the competition in order to focus on her mental health.
"I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat,
work on my mindfulness, and I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job."
Biles opened up about the intense pressures of competing in the Olympics on Instagram.
She explained to her millions of followers,
"[It] wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it.
I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know
I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard."
Commenting on Biles' withdrawal, fellow Olympian Michael Phelps revealed that he sympathizes with
her current situation. The former U.S. swimmer told NBC's Mike Tirico on Tuesday, July 27:
"The Olympics is overwhelming. There's a lot of emotions that
go into it. [...] I think athletes, and Olympic athletes in general,
we need someone who we can trust. Somebody that can let us be ourselves,
listen and allow us to become vulnerable. Somebody who is not gonna come try to fix us."
Phelps went on to say that Olympic athletes do tend to,
quote "carry a lot of things and a lot of weight" on their shoulders.
Commenting further on Biles' withdrawal, Michael added that his heart broke upon hearing the news.
"We're human beings, nobody is perfect. It's okay to not be okay ... I felt like I was carrying,
as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It's a tough situation."
According to NBC Washington, Phelps himself experienced mental health struggles throughout
his Olympic swimming career, and has in the past opened up about his battle with depression.
"I didn't have self love, I had no self confidence,
and I didn't like who I saw in the mirror. So I just got kind of sick of it."
By seeking professional help, Michael was eventually able to overcome his mental
health issues and later set up the Michael Phelps Foundation which aims to promote
mental, emotional, and physical health. Per USA Today, Phelps is also on the board of Medibio,
an organization that aims to focus on the diagnosis of mental health disorders.
Sharing a few more thoughts on the fallout from Biles' Olympic exit, the swimming
champion explained that he hopes her decision to quit will become an eye-opening experience.
"I hope this is an opportunity for us to jump on board and to even blow this mental
health thing even more wide open. It is so much bigger than we could even ever imagine. This is
something that's gonna take a lot of time, a lot of hard work and people who are willing to help."
Phelps wasn't the only Olympic athlete to share his thoughts on Biles' withdrawal from
the 2020 Tokyo games. During a candid interview with CNBC, former U.S. female gymnast Shannon
Miller praised Simone's decision to put her mental and physical well being first. She said:
"What I think is really important here is,
you have Simone, who clearly knew something wasn't quite right, and when you are flying
and flipping and turning 10, 15 feet above the floor, looking for a landing,
you better be in the right headspace or really bad things are going to happen."
"I think it's so important for the message to be sent that it
is important to be aware of your body, be aware of your emotional state and
your mental state as well. I think that's a good message for all of us."
Elsewhere, the former Team USA gymnast Aly Raisman said she was "completely
devastated" about the situation, adding that she hopes Biles is okay. Raisman continued:
"I think it's also just really important to think about how much pressure has been on her, and
there's only so much that someone can take. She's human, and I think sometimes people forget that."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the
Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness
helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.