Hours After Making It to Worlds 17 Year Old Breaks Silence on ?Mental Struggles?

The gymnastics elites Simone Biles and Joscelyn Roberson have more in common than just a shared passion for their sport. Both gymnasts have fallen prey to the ‘Twisties’ scare. 26-year-old Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to ‘Twisties’ and further normalized putting self-care over the sport. At the time Roberson then 15, was struggling to make her way into the elite team with an impressive portfolio of beam golds, floor bronzes, and vault silvers as a junior.

Learning from the G.O.A.T of gymnastics, Roberson felt at ease about their mutual connection. The 17-year-old quickly cemented her name as a promising athlete this year collecting nine vault medals. In the Worlds selection camp, she secured her spot in the 5 gymnast team headed to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. After making a strong statement with her artistic display, Roberson candidly spoke about a significant step up that pushed her forward in her gymnastics career. Today, we know that Roberson was also affected by ‘Twisties’.

Simone Biles’s fellow WCC gymnast Joscelyn Roberson opens up on her journey

This year, Roberson is without a doubt the US Team’s most promising new gymnast. Biles also became the reigning all-around champion after returning from her two-year-long hiatus. Both gymnasts made it to the World’s five-member team after which Roberson appeared in a post-event interview on the USA Gymnastics YouTube video. Speaking with the media the gymnast said, she “was mentally struggling” before joining World Champions Centre (WCC).

She added how the main goal was to be a WCC member further crediting how it changed her gymnastics game. She says, “I was mentally struggling a lot because I was working so hard in the gym and nothing was ever paying off of me.” She explained how the assignments at Biles’s gym (WCC) helped her progress. She eventually fell in love with the sport and even picked up a particular skill that made her extremely excited. Well, a particular skill definitely shows a heap of medals in her kitty.

In addition to being the team’s reigning vault champion, Roberson also secured 3rd All-Around place at the Core Hydration Classic and a seventh-place finish at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Sweeping the mats with all-around titles, Biles, joined in on a twin-win moment. While not many know the amusing story that connects them, earlier this year, Roberson shared a real conversation with Biles about the scary mental blocks setbacks.

?Joscelyn Roberson talks about ‘Twisties’ and the role of Simone Biles

So, what exactly are ‘Twisties’ and why are they so dangerous for a gymnast?

?Twisties? is an informal term in Gymnastics that refers to a kind of mental block that gymnasts experience while they are performing skills that require them to twist and turn in the air. According to psychologists, this is a condition where there is a disconnect between the brain and the body. The body has trouble connecting to the motor programs in the brain. This can make the gymnast feel that he or she is not in control of their movements. Physically, this can lead to inability to perform some movements and mentally this can cause stress and anxiety leading to a mental block that they can?t perform certain gymnastic moves now. Simone Biles suffered from them and so did Roberson.

READ MORE Once Riddled With Self-Doubt Despite Inspiring Simone Biles, 17-Year-Old US Gymnast Opens Up on Unlikely Connection With the Legend

At Biles’ Houston-located World Champions Centre, Roberson found a safe haven to address her frequent “twisties” occurrences. In her interview with the Olympics, she recalled the reassuring talks with the Olympian gymnast who was hard-struck by the setback in the Games.

She recalled Biles saying, ?how it was the weirdest feeling and how she didn?t feel in control of her body.? After this Roberson added how she could resonate with her experience.

Their casual conversation over the many practice days boosted Roberson’s confidence. She said, ?Talking about the twisties with her made me feel like I wasn?t the only one who got the twisties.?

Over time, the change in setting began to reflect on her performance, which continued to improve with each competition. Up next, both gymnasts will compete to retain America’s team gold in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships which will commence on 30th September to 8th October 2023.

Watch this story ?Used to Be So Scared of Everything?: Just Like Simone Biles, 17-Year-Old Gymnastics Star Rises Up Again After Dealing With Twisties