In a stunning turn of events, Simone Biles stepped down from her individual competitions at Tokyo 2020, citing mental health concerns. She prioritized her mental health over Olympic glory and set an example for athletes around the world.

With her courageous act, Biles brought light to a topic in desperate need of it. Moreover, she paved the way for others to do the same.

One of the athletes Biles inspired was Lindsey Vonn, the American alpine ski racer. Recently, she opened up on how much Biles helped her and other athletes like her with her stance on mental health.

Vonn is grateful to Biles

Biles was going through an unprecedented amount of pressure, which ultimately took a toll on her performance. She experienced a case of twisties while competing in Tokyo. This was when she realized she needed to take a step back.

With her brave move, she inspired many athletes, and Lindsey Vonn was one of them. Vonn herself struggled with depression during her career. She believes that when elite athletes like Simone Biles speak up about mental health, it really helps bring the cause to light.

“The fact that Simone [Biles] talked about it and pulled out of her competition in the Olympics really shed light on it in a way that hasn?t been done before,” said Vonn.

She also mentioned pro tennis player, Naomi Osaka, for leading the path initially.

“They?ve really brought the conversation to a global scale that we haven?t seen before.”

Vonn credits both Biles and Osaka for talking about the importance of mental health publicly and making it known to people. This helped many other athletes also speak up for themselves.

Simone Biles doesn’t want to be an advocate of mental health

Ever since Biles opened up about her mental health struggles, people have looked up to her for guidance and advice. However, Biles has revealed that she was not looking forward to becoming an advocate of mental health.

? Everybody wanted me to be an advocate and the face for mental health. And I was like, no, I?m not expertise,” said Biles.

“Like I am still going through my own unique journey and that?s something I need to figure out before I can try to help people and talk about,? Biles added.

Biles is currently on a sabbatical, enjoying life away from the sport. How long do you think before Biles returns to competitive gymnastics?

READ MORE: Away From Gymnastics, What is Simone Biles Doing Now?