“Tear in My Head”: Simone Biles’ Ex-Teammate Ignored Health Risk to Make America Proud at the Olympics (Exclusive)

Simone Biles’ calf injury on her opening day qualifications round at the Paris Olympics had us all holding our breath. But in less than 15 minutes, she had that injury taped up and walked out like it was just a small hiccup. Ever wonder why she seemed so unfazed? Well, we at EssentiallySports are here in Paris and got the inside scoop from one of Simone’s old Rio 2016 “Final Five” teammates!

The athlete, an Olay Cleansing Melts ambassador, opened up about her skincare journey in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports. She highlighted the challenges she faced during competitions and her current skincare essentials, including hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and a good cleanser. And then she revealed how dealing with injuries is just part of the game for these gymnastics heavyweights on the Paris final five squad. Case in point: this 2016 Rio Olympic balance beam silver medalist also battled through the pain to help the USA snag victory!

Simone Biles’ “Final Five” teammate spills the tea on injury and USA glory from the French Capital!

EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview, caught up with Laurie Hernandez, the two-time Olympic medalist and NBC analyst, right here amid the epicenter of sporting greatness at the Paris Olympics 2024. We dove into the hot topic of injuries, especially since Simone Biles just pulled off a jaw-dropping All-Around win and five event qualifications on Day 2, all while nursing that calf injury. Laurie even confessed during her live commentary that watching Simone’s performance made her a bit queasy!

However, when we dug deeper into the injury talk with Laurie Hernandez, she told our Paris Olympics correspondent, Shreya Verma, that despite the dramatic moments, seasoned pros like these are no strangers to the bumps and bruises of hardcore gymnastics. Laurie said, speaking from her own experience, “I mean, this team, specifically, they’re used to having injuries, whatever that looks like to each individual athlete. So it’s not necessarily that they need my advice on anything. But for you know, for those that are listening, I remember competing in 2016, with a small tear in my head, and it’s like, This is the highest stage of your life.”

The retired gymnast also had some words of wisdom for the Paris Five, reflecting on her own journey. She shared, “And I don’t recommend or encourage anyone to have to push through the pain but when it comes to having to work so hard, for me, it was 11 years before getting to the Olympics and this is the moment when it counts.”

Reminding all of the dedication of being an Olympian, Laurie Hernandez continued, “You’re going to work through a couple of injuries to make sure that you can show up for the team, for the country, and also for yourself, so sometimes you just have to work through it and you can take care of it later.” Laurie added that if it weren’t for the Olympics, they’d take the time to heal, but with the high stakes, “sometimes that’s not the case.”

Reflecting on Laurie Hernandez’s words really brings home the sheer grit these athletes show every day. It’s also a reminder of just how much the sport has changed over the years. The 2016 crew, including Simone Biles, faced some seriously tough and even dark conditioning as they chased their dreams. Remember when Simone admitted to swiping food at the Karolyi Ranch because of the intense, tough love?

Laurie Hernandez’s confession shines a light on gymnastics’ dark past that Biles and others endured

The 2016 “Final Five” squad had huge smiles when they clinched team gold at the Rio Olympics, but behind the scenes, they endured one of the darkest chapters in the sport’s history. In the first two episodes of her Netflix series, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, key members of the “Final Five” alongside Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian, opened up about the grueling conditions they faced under the Karolyis at the infamous Karolyi Ranch. Nestled in Sam Houston National Forest, this 2,000-acre ranch was a hub of USA Gymnastics’ international success from 2001 to 2018 but also a place of harsh training methods.

In the second episode, “I Will Not Be Broken,” we got a glimpse of the 2016 National Team Camp, where Simone revealed, “Growing up in Marta’s era, I felt like I had to dim my personality.” Karolyi’s strict and often criticized coaching methods, honed from their work with legends like Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, have left a lasting mark. Aly Raisman also shared her own trauma, including the abuse she and Simone and the others suffered from Larry Nassar. The episode showed how gymnasts were even discouraged from laughing during practice. Simone recalled an incident where, after taking just a slight step forward on a vault, she was told, “I was worthless to the team.” But the harsh conditions didn’t stop there.

In a 2021 CBS interview, Simone confessed that she and other gymnasts would sneak into the cafeteria at night to steal food and satisfy their hunger. She said, “I’ve never told that to anybody, like, on film or anything. But there would be nights where we’re, like, running with our hoodie up, and we would break into the cafeteria to eat.” The Netflix series also highlighted how Marta Karolyi criticized the girls’ weight and appearance and urged them to compete while injured. Kerri Strug’s infamous vault on an injured ankle at the 1996 Atlanta Games, with Bela Karolyi shouting “You can do it!” from the sidelines, is a glaring example of these methods.

Dominique Moceanu, from the “Magnificent Seven,” also spoke out about the intense and demanding training under the Karolyis, noting, “As someone who was directly coached by Bela & Marta Karolyi, who began their coaching careers in the U.S. in 1981, I experienced the intensity & demands of their decades-long influence firsthand. Their methods led to successes on the competition floor but often at the cost of athletes’ mental & physical health.”

Today, gymnastics is a whole different game, thanks to SafeSport and USA Gymnastics putting a spotlight on athletes’ physical and mental well-being. This focus is why Simone Biles is back with renewed energy after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and her opening performance in Paris shows just that. As we look back on these seismic changes, what do you think about Laurie Hernandez’s insights shared with EssentiallySports and the fact that she competed and snagged two medals at the 2016 Olympics despite an injury? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!