2021 was a dark year for one Simone Biles. Instead of taking one more step to greatness, she experienced one of her worst setbacks. Yes, we are talking about her pulling out from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. How did it come to? Well, on the fateful day of July 26, 2021, Team USA gave the official statement that Biles pulled out from the team finals due to a medical issue.

This left the community in doubt over her future at upcoming events. But Simone also received massive support from fans and stars about her prioritizing her health over securing laurels. Despite not getting to defend her all-around title at the Olympics, many big names backed her decision. And the sports fraternity was all for it. 

Among those towering personalities who supported Biles was Michael Phelps. Being a mental health victim himself as well as holding the distinction of being the greatest swimmer alive, Phelps knew a thing or two about Simone’s struggle. And he gave her his full support on how to overcome these roadblocks. But the gymnast’s struggles were deep too. But did they come to be? Let’s start from the start.

Simone Biles entered the darkest place despite a pull from behind 

In July 2021, Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics because of her mental health problems. But these issues did not spring up overnight. No, in fact, according to a report published on Business Insider on July 27, 2021, the Texas native had been feeling the fangs of her mental issue since the game was postponed in 2020 because of COVID-19. The closure of her training facility in Texas also contributed to her disarray. In fact, even before all of these debacles came to be, Biles admitted her struggles while interacting with CBS News.

Simone mentioned, “I was very depressed.” But there was no way for the public to know what she was going through. This is because the magazine did not disclose this admission in their publications. And to add to Simone’s misery, there was no way for her to back out. After all, she was expected to lead the charge for Team USA’s pursuit of gold. But as everyone knows, her struggle proved too steep a hurdle for her to overcome then and there. But as she lost this golden chance to bring glory to the US, an American hero gave the gymnast his full support.

None other than the mighty Michael Phelps with his heavy bag of 23 Golds came to her rescue. In a conversation with NBC Olympics on July 27, Phelps said, “We’re human beings. Nobody is perfect. It’s okay to not be okay, to go through ups and downs. The biggest thing is we all need to ask for help.” And coming from a man of Phelps calibre it is pretty easy to see how much he went through. But this support is exactly what Biles needed.

Having a clear idea of Simone’s issue, he further conceded, “I can say personally it was very challenging. It was hard for me to ask for help. I felt like I was carrying, as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s a tough situation.” The situation took a lot of time for the Olympic all-around champion to reclaim her mental space. But what about Phelps’ issues? Did he feel the same—to quit the sport? 

Michael Phelps experienced a similar dark phase 

In the Business Insider’s report mentioned earlier, Sharyn Alfonsi mentioned something about Simone Biles’ quit part. Sharyn had the responsibility to carry out Simone’s interview for the CBS News Magazine. Well, the renowned journalist later revealed a few more words regarding her experience of taking the gymnast’s interview.

There, she mentioned, “Biles said she became depressed, slept constantly, and wanted to quit.” Almost a similar situation, highlighting the lack of confidence, was there for Michael Phelps, 17 years before the Tokyo Olympics. How? A look back might help in realizing the problem. 

Last year, on December 31, NBC News shared a video on YouTube showing Michael Phelps. In the video, the 23-time Olympic champion discussed the dark phase he experienced after the Athens Olympics. Meanwhile, he said, “I would say probably 2004. 2004 was my first taste of post-Olympic depression.” For him, it was feeling uncertain about his future in his professional career. 

Shedding light on that, the 39-year-old legend said, “You know coming off such a high and it’s basically you get to like the edge of the cliff and you’re like cool now what? I guess I got to wait four more years to have the chance to do it again, right?” But while this encounter with his inner darkness was something Phelps still cannot forget, it again begs the point that there are chances for recovery.

And as if to make a point for Phelps’s statement, Simone also got her redemption song. In perfect form and with sheer dominance, $imoney gave a picture-perfect performance to bag three golds and one silver in Paris 2024. Thus, while her journey saw her having the highest of highs, it all came after overcoming some truly dark moments.

And now, with the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships just six months away, Simone Biles will be looking forward to some more glory.