>> THAT WAS A GREAT, GREAT
PIECE.
NOW THE CONVERSATION WE’VE BEEN
WAITING FOR, LOOKING FORWARD TO.
GYMNASTICS SUPERSTAR SIMONE
BILES.
HEY, HONEY.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I’M GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS?
>> OKAY.
SO, SIMONE, FIRST OF ALL, I’VE
BEEN THINKING ABOUT RIO.
I COULDN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT
IT THE OTHER DAY.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE FINAL
FIVE, HOW ALL THOSE MEDALS YOU
WON, AND THEN I WAS THINKING OF
ZAC EFRON.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN HE STEPPED
INTO YOUR WORLD?
>> YES.
>> AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL
THESE THINGS, I WAS THINKING,
LIKE, LET’S JUST RELIVE FOR ONE
SECOND.
UH-HUH.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> YOU STILL FEEL IT.
I KNEW IT.
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE
GAME AS YOU PREPARE FOR ALL THE
HARD WORK BUT THE FUN THAT’S
AHEAD?
>> YEAH.
TRAINING HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT.
IT’S BEEN KIND OF CRAZY, BUT
GOING IN EVERY DAY KNOWING AND
HOPING THAT 2021 IS ON THE
HORIZON KEEPS ME GOING.
IT’S JUST -- WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN, SO WE
TRAIN AS IT IS.
>> I SHOWED A LITTLE OF THE
QUOTE, UNQUOTE FUN YOU’RE HAVING
AS YOU’RE TRAINING.
WE SHOWED THE DOUBLE TUCK THAT
YOU DID, THAT YOU SAID YOU
HADN’T DONE SINCE YOU WERE 13.
>> YEAH.
>> IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THIS
STUFF, LIKE, HOW DO YOU TRAIN
DURING A PANDEMIC?
>> YEAH.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE KIND OF HAVE TO
STAGGER OUR WORKOUTS SO THAT THE
OTHER GIRLS CAN GET IN.
EVERYBODY HAS TO WEAR A MASK
ENTERING AND LEAVING THE
FACILITY.
ALL OF THE STAFF HAS TO WEAR A
MASK THE ENTIRE TIME THEY’RE IN
THE BUILDING.
AFTER EVERY SESSION, THERE ARE
TIMES FOR CLEANING, WHERE WE’RE
CLEANING THE MATS, EQUIPMENT,
MAKING SURE THE ATHLETES AND
STAFF ARE SAFE.
>> COOL.
BY THE WAY, THE COVER OF "VOGUE"
IS STUNNING.
>> OH, THANK YOU.
>> I MEAN, THE COVER OF "VOGUE"
IS STUNNING.
WHAT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL, I HAVE
TO SAY, THAN THE OUTSIDE AND ALL
THE PICTURES, IS JUST HOW YOU
REVEALED YOURSELF INSIDE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.
IT JUST STRUCK ME.
SIMONE IS GROWN UP, MAN.
THAT’S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
>> YES.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING,
AND YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
MOVEMENT.
IT JUST STRUCK ME, AND I
WONDERED IF YOU REMEMBER,
YOURSELF, WHAT AN EARLY BRUSH
WITH RACISM WAS FOR YOU AS A
LITTLE GIRL.
>> YEAH.
I DIDN’T REALLY EXPERIENCE IT
WHENEVER I WAS YOUNGER.
OBVIOUSLY, I WENT TO A
PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOL, BUT
I DIDN’T REALLY NOTICE RACISM
UNTIL 2013.
I WAS ON A WORLD SCENE, AND WHAT
MADE THE NEWS WAS ANOTHER
GYMNAST SAYING THAT IF WE
PAINTED OUR SKIN BLACK, MAYBE WE
WOULD ALL WIN, BECAUSE I HAD
BEAT HER OUT OF A BEAM MEDAL AND
SHE WAS UPSET.
THAT WAS THE NEWS, RATHER THAN
ME WINNING WORLDS.
OTHER THAN THAT, IT HAPPENS
EVERY DAY, AND I FEEL LIKE EVERY
BLACK ATHLETE OR COLORED ATHLETE
COULD SAY THAT THEY’VE
EXPERIENCED IT THROUGH THEIR
CAREER.
BUT WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING
FOR THOSE LITTLE ONES LOOKING UP
TO US.
>> YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO TEACH THOSE
LITTLE ONES LOOKING UP TO YOU,
WANTING TO BE THE NEXT SIMONE?
>> WELL, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT
YOU LOOK LIKE.
YOU CAN STRIVE FOR GREATNESS,
AND YOU CAN BE GREAT.
>> WELL, I DO LOVE THAT.
CAN I BRING UP ONE OTHER THING
THAT KIND OF BROKE MY HEART?
I FEEL PROTECTIVE OF YOU FOR
SOME REASON.
>> YEAH.
>> I CAN’T HELP IT.
YOU OPENED UP ABOUT YOUR MENTAL
HEALTH DURING THE WHOLE LARRY
NASSAR SCANDAL, AND YOU SAID
THIS, "AT ONE POINT, I SLEPT SO
MUCH.
FOR ME, IT WAS THE CLOSEST THING
TO DEATH WITHOUT HARMING MYSELF.
IT WAS AN ESCAPE FROM ALL OF MY
THOUGHTS."
I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO INCREDIBLY
BRAVE TO SAY, BUT WHY DID YOU
FEEL IT WAS IMPORTANT?
>> BECAUSE I FEEL, AS ATHLETES
AND SURVIVORS, EVERYONE GOES
THROUGH IT.
I FELT THE NEED TO SHARE IT,
THAT I FEEL THE SAME WAY AS YOU
DO.
IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT.
OBVIOUSLY, I’M GOING TO THERAPY
FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, BUT
THERAPY ISN’T BAD.
IN THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT
MAYBE I HAD A PROBLEM, BUT NOW I
KIND OF LOOK FORWARD TO THERAPY
BECAUSE IT’S A SAFE OUTLET FOR
ME.
I HOPE EVERYONE FEELS
COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT GOING
TO THERAPY AND SPEAKING OUT.
>> I THINK IT’S SUPER COOL.
BY THE WAY, HOW IS MOM?
LAST TIME WE SPOKE, YOU SAID SHE
LEFT FOOD FOR YOU ON THE CURB
THAT YOU HAD TO KIND OF GO AND
PICK UP.
>> YEAH.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO HANG
OUT WITH YOUR MOM NOW SOME?
>> YES.
SHE’S STILL -- SHE HAS A NURSING
BACKGROUND, SO SHE’S STILL CRAZY
ABOUT IT.
WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN WE GO IN
THE HOUSE.
IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY, YOU CAN’T
COME OVER.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE ARE ALLOWED
IN THE HOUSE.
WE SPEND OUR WEEKENDS AT THE
POOL, AND THEN MY MOM COOKS
SUNDAY DINNER.
SO WE GET IN THE HOUSE, AND WE
SPEND TIME WITH THE FAMILY.
>> WELL, I LOVE IT.
CONGRATS.
I DON’T KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW,
YOU’RE A MOM OF TWO ADORABLE
DOGS.
>> YES.
>> CONGRATULATIONS ON
EVERYTHING.
FINALLY, SIMONE, YOU CALL
GROWING UP KIND OF ADULTING.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, FROM MEETING
YOU AND KNOWING YOU EARLY ON TO
THIS MOMENT, YOU’RE DOING IT
BEAUTIFULLY.
>> OH, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET’S GO 2021.
COME ON, WE GOT TO GET THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> ALL RIGHT?
>> I KNOW, THANK YOU.
>> I’LL SURPRISE YOU WITH SOME
OTHER SUPERSTAR WHEN WE GET
THERE.
ALL RIGHT, SIMONE.
THANK YOU.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU, HODA.
I LOVE YOU.
>> I LOVE YOU RIGHT BACK.
>>> OUR OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN
CELEBRATION, BY THE WAY, IS NOT
OVER.
EVEN MORE ATHLETES ARE JOINING
US IN THE NEXT HOUR, ALONG WITH
NBC SPORT’S MIKE TIRICO.
ALL NEXT WEEK, WE’RE GOING TO
CHECK OUT OUR CHECK "TODAY AT
THE OLYMPIC GAMES," A SERIES ON
OUR NEW STREAMING CHANNEL,
"TODAY ALL DAY" ON PEACOCK AND
DOT COM.
WE’RE EVERYWHERE.
WE’LL REVISIT FAVORITE MOMENTS
FROM PAST OLYMPICS.
>> MAY I RECOMMEND WATCHING
SIMONE BILES ON REPEAT, HODA?
IT’S GOOD INSPIRATION FOR YOUR
DAY.
SHE IS LOVELY AND AMAZING.
>> BY THE WAY, SAVANNAH, REAL
QUICK, SIMONE, IF YOU’RE STILL
THERE, SAVANNAH WAS SHOWING HER
DAUGHTER VIDEO OF YOU FLIPPING
AROUND.
HER DAUGHTER NOW WANTS TO BE A
GYMNAST.
>> HOW CUTE.
TELL HER I SAID HELLO.
>> I’LL TELL YOU THE TRUTH, SHE
SAID, "I WANT TO BE LIKE HER,"
AND I WAS LIKE, "WELL" --
>> THAT IS TOO CUTE.
>> I SAID, "WORK HARD LIKE
SIMONE.
I GUARANTEE YOU SHE SPENT HOURS
AND DAYS AND HOURS AND DAYS IN
THE GYM AND WORKED HARD TO GET