Call it a hunch, but Simone Biles knew something was wrong. She had already told her teammates, “I’m fighting demons right now, but I’m going to do it for you guys.” However, that invariably turned worse and Biles had to step back for her mindfulness in Tokyo. But why the Tokyo talk now when there’s no turning back for her after Paris? Well, that’s because the 11x Olympic medalist seems finally ready to look on the brighter side.

Tokyo was and will always be the peak of her testing times. No one can ever forget how Biles felt like she was in jail with her own body and mind. But, every difficulty comes bearing a lesson and that is an integral part of growth. As for America’s most decorated gymnast, right after she wrapped up the seventh stop of the Gold Over America Tour, she addressed her Tokyo setback from the glass-half-full perspective.

Simone Biles is grateful, even for the learnings

As Simone Biles spoke to George Balekji from NESN in a virtual interview, she candidly answered how gratifying it was for her to return to Paris and get three golds after everything she went through in Tokyo, not just vis-a-vis the competition but also her mental health. “I think it was truly a blessing in disguise because if what didn’t happen in Tokyo, I truly don’t believe I’d be in a mentally stable position…” 

Biles added, “I also believe I wouldn’t be able to get on my social media platforms and share my story with people and resonate with them and encourage them to get the help that they deserve.” This seems quite plausible as after Tokyo, she embraced her mental health needs, prioritized them, and started being an advocate, starting at the 2021 GOAT tour, where she shared that it’s okay to not be okay.

And today, she’s incredibly proud of that as she answered Balekji, “I am really blessed and grateful that that played out that way and grateful that I got to share my story and be raw, vulnerable, and open.” Biles further added that this is exactly how she had always wanted to be with her fan base, transparent. And Tokyo gave her that chance. It also made her supporters see her as human rather than ‘Simone Biles’ and that felt really nice to her!

Well, today Biles gets to write her own story and that’s because of the lessons she’s taken forward from Tokyo. Today, she swears by therapy and when she won the accolades in Paris, she was grateful that after all the years of mental work, her efforts finally paid out. And thanks to her, Team USA has a comprehensive mental health plan too.

Simone Biles transformed the mental health landscape for Team USA

Did you know, that in 2020, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic committee onboarded Jessica Bartley, the psychological services senior director for the side? Her team was extensive and had a 24/7 phone line for athletes, coaches, and staff members. Regular screenings, education and training, crisis services, emergency mental health action layouts, all of these were brought into execution. So not only is the stigma around mental health vanished from the scene, but better facilities are not in place.

Simone Biles’ works both on and off the mat for her best results. Every Thursday for the past 3 years, she’s been speaking to her therapist. And while she did get a tad nervous before her Paris performances, she’s never been happier. We saw how she had fun with gymnastics in Paris, be it pulling out her goat necklace or saying that she’s just the little Simone from Spring Texas who likes to flip.

And the same fervor now gets carried to the Simone Biles-led Gold Over America Tour 2024 that visits 30 cities. This time, they depict the fairytale end she had in Paris, wherein they show, “the outcome of putting in that work, taking care of yourself and where it gets you.” Clearly, she’s in a good place mentally, and from here, her return to LA does not seem impossible after all. Do you agree Tokyo was that silver lining that propelled her to this point?