Simone Biles is one of the most renowned gymnasts ever. Her Olympic medals and World championships total 32. However, it is impossible to quantify the influence her voice has on creating awareness of the importance of mental health and the factors affecting one’s state of mind. However, her journey through life has not been easy.
The 19-year-old Simone made her debut in the 2016 Rio Olympics with her heart full of hopes and dreams. With a resounding victory of five medals, she shook the world of gymnastics by storm. Sadly, this is only one side of the story.
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While the champion gymnast was celebrating her victory and feeling relieved that her years of preparation had paid off, she received some tasteless comments and accusations.
Simone Biles was accused
Biles became the first African-American gymnast to win a World all-around title. Significantly, it was a huge breakthrough for the community, and the entire world appreciated her brilliance. However, a few people found this feat unbelievable or rather unacceptable. They accused the Olympian gymnast of consuming banned substances to enhance her performance.
Russian hackers stole Biles’ medical information from World Anti-Doping Agency and released them. Following this, she made a tweet about her medical condition. Biles clarified that she believes in clean sports and she doesn’t flout any rules.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 13, 2016
Later, the issue was considered, and an investigation was carried out. Then, the International Federation of Gymnasts confirmed the same was not in violation of any rules.
READ MORE: Seven Times Olympic Medalist Simone Biles Once Revealed a Household Chore That She Absolutely Hates
The Olympian gymnast maintained her cool throughout the process. Regarding haters, she said, “But for them to bring that up as a reason why I won and to say that I was doping doesn’t make any sense.” Fair to say, this situation serves as a classic example of a famous proverb, ‘Always the tree that bears fruits are stoned.’
Biles was not ashamed
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Behind her beaming smile are tales of struggle and pain, fair to say, her self-belief and strong convictions are probably a result of her grit and endurance. The gymnastics GOAT affirmed that she was not ashamed of the accusation. She also said that she didn’t mind telling kids about it.
Biles was subject to comments and criticism about her physical appearance and doping accusation. She gave fitting responses to all the comments. She said, “People were talking about my body and about doping and all that stuff, and you could tell it was from jealousy and from people who were angry and mad.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Swimming Legend Michael Phelps Stood Beside Gymnastics G.O.A.T Simone Biles During Her Worst
The Olympic gold medallist made an emphatic note that people tend to forget that players do have feelings and that words could be hurtful. The iron-willed and stubborn Simone gave a fitting reply to all the naysayers when she said, “You can try to break me, but I’ll probably turn it around and use it for the better.“