Opinion: I used to be an elite athlete. I relate to Simone Biles's struggle
Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast in history, made a life-changing choice on Tuesday: She withdrew from the finals of the team competition, putting her own wellbeing first. Her team went on without her, winning silver as the Russian team took the gold. She told members of the media: "I'd just never felt like this going into a competition before and I tried to go out there and have fun... but once I came out here, I was like: No, the mental's not there, so I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself."
Biles, who posted to Instagram earlier in the competition that she felt the "weight of the world" on her shoulders, showed significant strain during her most recent performance. But, along with all the achievements and medals she's acquired during her legendary career, this moment -- the best in the world putting her mental wellbeing first, saying openly "It's been really stressful these Olympic Games" may be her most defining one, showing others the importance of self-care.
This year, with the pandemic adding so much uncertainty and stress, Olympic athletes are struggling with even higher expectations and less support, facing the pain of competing without the family and friends who have encouraged them in getting this far, knowing that a single positive Covid test or unexpected outbreak could derail years of training.
Pandemic concerns and mental health struggles are also not mutually exclusive. Becca Meyers, a deaf and blind Paralympic swimmer who withdrew from the Games after she said her request to bring her mother as a personal care assistant was denied, has said the decision "tore her apart." The words she used to describe how she has been feeling are so telling: "I've always been known as Becca the swimmer and not Becca the deaf-blind person. And now I feel very worthless as a person. For someone who trained five years for this moment, especially an extra year with the pandemic, it makes it all seem like it was for nothing."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/opinions/simone-biles-naomi-osaka-olympics-mental-health-ives-rublee/index.html
____________________________________________________________________________________
This piece probably delineates it all better than any one I've yet read.
= new reply since forum marked as read
