“Decision Will Stay With You Much Longer”: Simone Biles’ Decision to Quit Prompted Honest Opinion by Daniel Cormier in 2021

Simone Biles is a popular name in the gymnastics world. With her mesmerizing flips and turns, Biles never fails to win hearts. Given her mastery of the sport, the athlete won seven Olympic medals, four of which are gold. Nonetheless, no route to success is easy. The gymnast overcame several obstacles on her way to the peak, both in her personal and professional life. 

Nonetheless, even after becoming the GOAT, Simone Biles stepped down, citing mental health reasons. Many elite athletes, including UFC Double Champion Daniel Cormier, spoke regarding the same in a supportive tone. 

Simone Biles receives support from the UFC star

The importance of mental health is often ignored and left unseen. Breaking all the stigmas, Simone Biles took a stand for herself and decided to focus on her mental well-being in 2021. While being an Olympian can be prestigious, it is also both mentally and physically strenuous. 

This called upon a lot of criticism on her plate. Even though Biles’ supporters never left her side, there were a bunch of people ready to denounce her. Nevertheless, UFC superstar Daniel Cormier made a valuable point and supported Biles’ decision in 2021.

“All right, you show up to the Olympics with a shirt that says “GOAT,” and then you decided you can’t compete? That decision will stay with you much longer than everybody else,” said Daniel. “But it’s her decision. I can’t judge her.”

Furthermore, he also emphasized that it is unfair to judge her. Not everyone knows how difficult and pressurizing it is to compete at the elite level. In addition, practicing rigorously for years and then withdrawing at the end also requires guts. 

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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was not as smooth as Biles and her fans expected it to be. The gymnast stepped aside from several events on account of her psychological state. Even so, she managed to bag a bronze medal on the balance beam and highlighted her talent once again. 

Mental health beyond everything

Simone Biles helped throw light upon the significance of mental health last year. Although the decision was for herself, it encouraged countless athletes to focus on themselves. 

The Olympic champion said, “I say put mental health first because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to.”

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According to the star gymnast, giving up is not always a sign of weakness. If one is giving up for themselves and their well-being, it shows how brave and courageous an individual is. Therefore, she said, “It’s okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor and person you really are.”