It’s easy for the rest of us to sit back and relax while we watch Simone Biles dominate the mat. Yes, she makes it look easier than it is. But we’ve all learned that the 27-year-old isn’t invincible. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she surprised everyone after gracefully bowing out of contention. The Olympian realized she was this close to the threshold and didn’t want to get hurt. However, a similar fear plagued her during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at the Target Center in Minneapolis. 

Injuries are a common factor in every sport. But many witnessed the dangers gymnasts defy daily. Let’s be honest. They consistently perform gravity-defying stunts, landing on joints that have no choice but to withstand constant blows. But that’s just how it goes. The Olympian has mastered the art of making things seem effortless. However, even she couldn’t move past the dreary sights in front of her.

Skye Blakely showed up to the Olympic Trials on crutches, waving to the crowd with tear-filled eyes. Shortly after, Shilese Jones suffered an injury on the mat. If that wasn’t scary enough, Kayla DiCello had to be wheeled out of the stadium too. In Episode 3 of Simone Biles Rising, Cecile Landi reveals how harrowing this experience was for the rest of the gymnasts. “That’s when we kind of told the girls, like, ‘Hey, stay in your bubble. Just try not to look around.'” 

However, the 11x Olympic medalist was rattled. “Whenever something like that happens, you’re so terrified. An injury can happen to any of us at any point. So I think we get a little weary once that happens,” she confessed. Imagine this – you have been training for most of your life for the chance to represent your nation on the world’s biggest stage. But amid the rising tensions, you watch your friends hurt themselves. That’s exactly how the 27-year-old felt. 

Cecile Landi picked up on her anxiety: “I know Simone, she was scared of she would get hurt next.” Even though she tried calming the gymnast down, she knew it wouldn’t help. “It’s easier said than done. Like, we all felt it,” she confessed. We see stills of the coach giving Simone Biles a pep talk before she steps onto the mat. Hoping to keep things as normal as possible, she exclaimed, “Don’t overthink. You can do it every day.” Who would’ve thought that even the G.O.A.T. would need words of affirmation? But some of this tension followed her to the French capital. 

Simone Biles dealt with extreme agony during the Paris Olympics

Cecile Landi tried to help the Olympian calm down, but it only added more to her fears. ” Most of us are going to overthink all of the logistics we never think about,” she stated. Things worked in her favor, though. The 27-year-old successfully made it through to Paris and was ready to begin her Redemption Tour. Watching her smile throughout the games was a welcoming sight. But under all the glitz and glamour, she was uncertain about claiming her throne. 

Simone Biles was preparing to make a triumphant return on the world’s biggest stage. But an awkward fall into the pit nearly derailed it. When the Olympian tried standing up, she realized her knee was not okay. Even though she was in excruciating pain, she decided to push through. However, on an episode of her Netflix documentary, she pulled the curtains back on just how severe her injury was. “Whenever I would land on the floor, I thought I was gonna pass out ’cause it would hurt so bad,” she confessed. 

Before the Team final, the gymnast injured her calf too. Worried about her Achilles, the 27-year-old approached Cecile Landi while the doctors rushed in. Even though it wasn’t as bad as what she had expected, the G.O.A.T. had a torn calf. Undeterred, she decided to trudge on, her sights solely set on clinching an Olympic gold. The documentary’s director, Katie Walsh, was in awe watching this unfold in front of her. 

In a casual sit-down interview with Sports Business Journal, she exclaimed, “I mean, she is so tough and determined, and nothing was going to get in the way for her.” That does sound like Simone Biles. Walsh couldn’t help but sing her praises, “Yeah. I think once you see, you know, what she was going through in those days, you just appreciate so much more.” The gymnast has consistently turned heads with her flawless routines on the mat, but the moments where she’s just as uncertain as the rest of us would tug on your heartstrings.