The Weight of the World
To be given a title like The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) has to be burdensome. Personally, I’ve never been the greatest at anything. Yes, good at some things. Maybe exceptional at a few. But never the greatest. Simone Biles is quite literally the face of Team USA for these Olympic Games. She’s on every magazine, newspaper, Facebook headline and now in the news across the globe.
On Tuesday, July 27th the GOAT made a decision to withdraw her position in the all-around competition for women’s gymnastics because of her mental health. A 24-year-old who has overcome diversity, sexual assault, racism, and more while still becoming the best.
We are proud of her for taking her mental wellness seriously. The honest answer is that we are all human beings. Whether you are an Olympic athlete or not. We have said it before and we’ll say it again. We all have a body and sometimes it gets sick. We all have a brain and sometimes it gets sick. We commend her on the self-awareness it takes to know when you are at a point of breaking. Especially with the entire world watching you. We also applaud her teammates and coaches for supporting her decision.
Many of us can take a lesson from Simone, like know when enough is enough. Knowing when you need a minute to breathe. Do not let the influence of others push you past your breaking point. Simone has been a role model for men, women, boys, and girls for a decade and this decision is no different. Thank you for showing so many that it’s ok to not be ok sometimes.
Written by Tiffany Careins
