On Simone Biles
I’ve seen quite a few posts about Simone Biles, so I figured I’d add my take to the mix.
I’ll start by saying that no one is on the same level as Simone Biles when it comes to gymnastics. I’m sure she’s deficient in some areas of her life like maybe she’s a terrible speller or always burns her grilled cheese, but she is arguably one of the greatest athletes ever to compete when it comes to gymnastics.
She is not a quitter; she is not a bad role model; she is not a bad American. Simone Biles suffered sexual abuse under the very people who were supposed to protect her, yet she continued to compete and win. She won championships with kidney stones, and she has won championships with broken toes. Pound for pound, she is probably one of the toughest humans out there.
What happened to her yesterday was devastating for her, but thankfully it was not tragic.
From what I’ve read, she experienced what they call in gymnastics “the twisties.” Basically, she couldn’t differentiate the floor from the ceiling. Here’s another way to relate to it. Pilots run the risk of experiencing the same effect when they fly through a storm. They become disorientated, and that disorientation creates this effect that no longer allows them to tell the difference between the sky and ground to the point where they don’t even trust their instruments. This disorientation is what people speculate happened to John F. Kennedy Jr. when he crashed his plane.
Now, you may say yeah, but she wasn’t flying a plane, so suck it up and get back out there. That’s where you are dead wrong. Unlike most other athletes, Gymnasts have to be 100% mentally prepared every time they step on the mat. A Baseball player can work through a hitting slump, a soccer player can run through a mental gaffe, a runner or kayaker, or pretty much any other athlete can work through their mental state without serious risk.
A gymnast can’t, especially a gymnast who executing maneuvers with difficulties most mortals couldn’t even comprehend. That’s Simone Biles. Even if she is 100% mentally prepared, she risks paralysis or worse every time she steps on that mat. One slip, and she could snap her neck in an instant. One false step, and she could break her back.
That’s the difference between her and everyone else.
Now, this whole episode has made me think about the bigger problem we face in this nation. We have a growing number of people who lack basic empathy. Empathy is not pity, and empathy is not weakness. Empathy is being able to see a situation that you’re not physically or mentally a part of and being able to put your prejudices aside and see something from someone else’s position. Empathy is being able to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and stepping out of them with an understanding of their struggles. Empathy is never having experienced bullying but understanding that bullying is nonetheless wrong and standing up for those who have been bullied. Empathy is taking into account that others have hardships we never see and being able to take that into consideration.
What we see by people calling Simone Biles a quitter or an embarrassment is a fundamental lack of empathy. Simone Biles is 24 years old and has dedicated her life and given her health to gymnastics. She has been competing for Team USA for half of her life. Simone Biles has accomplished more in 24 years than most of us ever will in our combined lifetimes.
Sports are great, I love sports, and I love the Olympics just like I love all world competitions. I think it brings us closer together as a species, and it gives us a better understanding of our “enemies” by allowing us to see them as humans. But, we can never lose sight of the fact that these are just games. They are a part of being human, but they aren’t the sum of humanity.
Simone Biles made the hardest decision of her career yesterday because she knew that if she continued, she ran the risk of seriously hurting herself and hurting her teammates’ chances in the long run. She did not make that decision lightly because she has dedicated every waking moment to yesterday. The weight on her shoulders has been more than the majority of us could handle.
So, all I ask is that if your opinion of Simone Biles has changed because of what transpired yesterday that you take a long hard look at yourself and try to figure out why you can’t muster enough empathy to say — That couldn’t have been easy for her.
