?I Don?t Think It?s Possible?- Simone Biles Was Thinking of Quitting Gymnastics Before Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles has been away from the sport she loves for over a year now. The most decorated gymnast in history has struggled with one thing or the other throughout her life. Be it shortage of food, stealing from the cafeteria, living in foster care, or being adopted, Biles has been through a lot. And when the time came for her to shine, Simone shone the brightest.

Her withdrawal during the Tokyo Games was a major shock to many people. But Simone had been struggling with mental health issues since the games were postponed.

Simone Biles had trouble coping with the postponement

The Covid-19 pandemic brought the entire world to a halt. It also brought a halt to the world of sports. Major global sporting events were postponed because of the pandemic. It took a toll on the mental health of many athletes. One amongst whom was American gymnastics GOAT,?Simone Biles.

Giving an interview in 2021, Biles told about her struggles, particularly about the closure of her training facility.?“I just sat there, and I was like, ‘I really don’t know how I’m gonna do this. Like, another year out? I don’t think it’s possible for me at this point mentally,'”?said Simone.

Biles?added,?”Pushing through those trainings when I had in my mind, ‘In three months I’ll be done,’ it’s like, how do you push back for another year?”?Simone’s 50,000-sq ft Texas gym was also shut down during the pandemic. She said this made her depressed. During that time, Biles mostly slept and wanted to quit the sport. She took seven weeks off to recuperate, something she had never done before.

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The games were originally to take place from 24th July to 9th August 2020. But the revised schedule saw them take place from 23rd July to 8th August 2021. The American contingent placed 1st on the medal tally with 39 golds out of 113 medals. Biles won one bronze (individual) and one silver (team) medal at the games.

What’s next for Simone?

The 4’8 American may be small in stature, but she has big plans for the future. Biles is currently busy with her wedding planning with her fianc? and NFL star Jonathan Owens. But what about her gymnastics future?

Simone has previously mentioned she is not yet done with the sport. We might even speculate she may look to get a 5th trick named after her in the sport. Coaching is not one thing Simone has on her mind as she is not done competing. With only two games under her belt, Simone may look to bag a place at the upcoming Paris Games in 2024.

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For now, she is happy with where she’s at, and we too are happy for her, aren’t we?