For the longest time, an athlete’s mental health was something many refused to acknowledge. That was until Simone Biles decided to step into the spotlight and talk about her struggles. Track and field’s most decorated athlete in history, Allyson Felix, has several accolades to her name. After spending the majority of her life competing at the Summer Games, the sprinter decided to hang her running shoes up for good in 2022. Even though she has retired, she isn’t willing to step away from the sport just yet.

When she looks back, she wishes she would’ve made more time for herself. In a conversation with Elle, Gabby Thomas commended her for eventually making that change. The 2020 Tokyo Bronze Medalist confessed, “Allyson, you are so inspiring coming out and taking these stances. Simone Biles, too. This is a moment where young athletes like myself are seeing change in real time.” It may have taken some time, but sports has truly stepped into a new era!

Gabby Thomas and Allyson Felix discuss mental health

Looking back, Felix wishes she could have taken that decision sooner. After the 2020 Tokyo Games, she finally understood it was okay to prioritize herself. She has since been more vocal about how she felt, and Thomas let her know how grateful she was for that. “I’m coming up in an age where we are looking at these veteran athletes who are able to speak about these things. Years ago, that wasn’t the norm,” the World Championships silver medalist stated. But none of that history holds as much weight anymore.

“You are a person first, and then an athlete,“ Thomas reflects. After spending 20 stellar years on the track, if you ask Allyson Felix if she has any regrets, her answer will surprise you. At the peak of her career, the 38-year-old would keep pushing herself to achieve her goals. While she now understands how unhealthy that was, that is all she was familiar with back then. 

It’s no surprise that Gabby Thomas understands Felix’s plight. During her time at Harvard, the 27-year-old contested in several track and field events. Along with this, she was also pursuing a degree in neurobiology. Even though she was able to excel at both academics and athletics initially, she eventually crumbled under the pressure. Midway through her second season of collegiate track and field, Thomas wasn’t too sure about competing for another year. Avoiding burnout was her highest priority.

So, the 3x Diamond League winner opted for a semester in Senegal, instead. Even though this meant she couldn’t participate in any future meets, Thomas believed this would prove to be the best decision in the long run. And it boy, how it all worked out! The sprinter came back stronger than ever, and will now represent the USA at the upcoming Summer Games in the French capital. And a certain legend of gymnastics seems to have paved the way for her to follow.

Simone Biles’ brave move that paved a path for the rest of her peers

After suffering from an unfortunate case of the “twisties,” Simone Biles decided to step down from her quest for Olympic glory in Tokyo. “It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head,” she told reporters after. The decision wasn’t an easy one to make, and as much as people wanted to see her compete, showering a plethora of their messages of disappointment on her back then—she knew she had to step away and focus on herself. The gymnast stayed away from the sport she loved the most for 2 long years.

Biles didn’t realize this back then, but her move opened the floodgates for several other athletes to address their struggles. Felix herself expressed how it was this moment that changed her perspective. “I think it really has such an impact to be able to say that it’s okay to not be okay. And it’s okay to prioritize taking care of yourself. That can exist in the same space as being an elite athlete,” she told Well+Good, highlighting how if she had known this back when she competed, she definitely would have done things differently. And Thomas feels grateful for her predecessors taking stances like that.

In Gabby Thomas’s words, back then, “It was all about winning. It was all about the medal count and the times you ran. I feel really grateful to be running in an age where that isn’t everything and that’s not who you are.” The statement couldn’t have been truer, as the world is looking at discussing topics like mental health and the limits of athletes with a certain sensitivity that wasn’t really evident before now. But these women aren’t the only ones to have been impacted by Biles’ bravado. 

2019 Pan American Games silver medalist Keturah Orji was also inspired by Biles’ determination. On an 11Alive podcast, she stated how the increased attention around mental health has been a game changer. “I think when Simone Biles sat out, um it really showed people that again, people are more than their sport.” Her words affirm how many often view athletes as superhumans, and forget that they struggle like the rest of us. 

Even though Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas, and Allyson Felix are working towards destigmatizing the conversation around mental health, we truly have a long way to go. However, recognizing the compelling example they have set is just as important. Sure, they are familiar with the thrilling nature of the sport, but even legends need to step back and look after themselves in their need of the hour. While Felix won’t be competing at the French capital, Biles and Thomas will be hoping to bring home Olympic glory. Who knows, maybe the message they have started sending out will ultimately pave the way forward for a pristine era in sports, where the world learns to consider these athletes more for their humane selves than for their achievements!