The gymnastics all-round individual competition is tomorrow and while we don’t yet know what will happen, I think it’s safe to say my hope for Simone Biles was realized.
What makes Simone Biles’ performance in Paris so incredible to me is the tremendous mental strength it has taken for her to come back to these Games. Not to mention the physical strength! And she possesses it not just in the obvious places–did you see how her toes held onto that beam when she had a wobble? This woman has strong as hell toes! As Laurie Hernandez pointed out as she commented for NBC primetime, “any athlete would’ve fallen after that.”
Well, Simone Biles is not any athlete.
If you haven’t watched the two episodes of Simone Biles Rising that have been released on Netflix (with more to come in the fall, presumably after the Olympics), I recommend that you watch them as soon as possible. You see evidence of so much of the physical, mental and emotional work Biles has done to get here. And so much of that is healing from the trauma USA gymnastics has inflicted upon her in years past.
But perhaps not everyone has fully understood or dealt with the “emotional and verbal abuse” of the Mártha Károlyi era.
A month before Team USA would earn gold in Paris, former American gymnast MyKayla Skinner went viral for her comments when she claimed that apart from Simone, current gymnasts lack the “talent and depth” from years past because their coaches are not allowed to be as tough on them. Understandably, her video went viral, people called her out, and she gave the tried and true apology of being “misunderstood,” “misinterpreted,” and taken “out of context.” But to me, when in her follow-up video she uses the phrase “work ethic” to “clarify” what she had said in her original video (where she had not even bothered to learn the pronunciation of Hezly Rivera before running her mouth!), she is just proving that she meant what she said. And when you are calling out people’s work ethic like that, you need to be ready for a worldwide viral IG caption to be rubbed in your face.
After Skinner’s apology video did not work, she shared another statement through her representative to People:
"I want to formally apologize to Team USA and to our gymnastic community for my comments during my recent YouTube episodes of the gymnastics Olympic trials."
"It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work. Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you," she continued. "Upon reflection I was comparing the 'Marta Era' to the current era. I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments. I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize."
Skinner added: "It is most important to me that the sport I love continue down the path of healing and ensures a positive environment for all. I wish you all the very best in Paris. I will be cheering you all on! Go Team USA!”
Needless to say, I don’t think many of us bought the sincerity of this written apology.
When Gabby Douglas was asked to respond to MyKayla Skinner’s comments during a virtual interview with E! News, she was incredibly diplomatic. Without judging Skinner, Douglas expressed that different athletes have different coaching needs. When she described her own preference/need, Douglas said she likes having “a tough coach” that can “push the best out of you.” But she also made sure to clarify that a tough coach should not be confused with one who is mean.
A few years ago, I had that tough and amazing type of trainer, Melodie. She put me in the best shape of my life when I finished my PhD. And when I called her up months before my 40th birthday, she gave me amazing workouts via Zoom–this woman could tell when a weight was not heavy enough for me through a tiny screen! But she was also ridiculously supportive as she coached me safely through exercises I never knew my body could do. She pushed me physically and mentally so much, in a cathartic way that no one else has been able to match. I always joked that she was a great therapist. I almost always had some sort of physical or mental breakthrough when I worked out with her. I know my sessions with Melodie made me a better teacher and even a better person. I am still on the search for a trainer as good as Melodie that can kick my ass, in the best way possible, of course. Why did you have to move to become a badass physical therapist, yogi and entrepreneur in another city? But Melodie was always a badass. As I was writing this, I remembered that she worked with Olympic track and field runners when I was training with her.
When I watched Simone Biles Rising, there is a brief moment from it that haunts me a little bit. When the gymnasts are at camp with Károlyi and end their training session for the day, they recite a thank you that is robotic–so quick and void of feeling–and that to me encapsulates why Biles at camp “felt like [she] had to dim [her] personality.” This is also where she was told she was “worthless to the team” when she messed up on a vault. Simone Biles being called “worthless”? I can only imagine the insults and harassment the rest of them experienced while training there.
As I wrote before–to me, Simone Biles showing up at the Paris games is a win. A real one. But I now hope that a Team USA gold in women’s gymnastics has made obvious to all what some of us already knew: that there is another way to win. When Simone Biles was at her physical peak, when she had prepared and trained as hard as she (and anyone) possibly could, and she could not compete in Tokyo, that should have shown us the real cost of that type of training. Training that, in her own words, was borderline abusive and that allowed for further abuse to be inflicted upon her off the mat. I am still so impressed with the healing work Simone has done to come back. Simone in 2024 knows she does not need to endure physical, emotional, and verbal abuse to perform at her best. Simone in 2024 knows it is possible to mentor and be mentored in a safe, encouraging, and challenging environment. Simone in 2024 knows she can be a WHOLE HUMAN BEING who enjoys life, takes time off, and still accomplishes amazing feats. These are lessons we could all stand to learn.
