Once, Simone Biles embraced the unknown beauty of her journey to the Olympics, reveling in her youthful curiosity and innocence. But that was years ago, a chapter left behind in her teenage years, marked by a certain playfulness. Now, at 27, her evolution is evident not just in legal documents but in her expanded perspective.
Gone is the narrow focus of greatness, replaced by a broader vision. This shift was starkly visible in her latest triumph, her ninth national title, where her victory was not marked by a gymnastic feat but by a confident stride forward. It came early on when Biles watched 2020 Olympic champion and good friend Sunisa Lee spin awkwardly in the air during her vault and land on her back, a mixture of surprise and fear spreading across her face.
"I was kind of thinking that this was over," Lee said. Then Biles appeared at her side, unprompted. She knew exactly where Lee was in that moment better than anyone.
Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, a similar wayward vault by Biles started a chain of events that led to her withdrawing from multiple competitions and dragging the discussion on the importance of mental health front and center. Watching Lee, who has spent most of the last two years battling kidney issues that have made her weight yo-yo and complicated her training, try to gather herself, Biles left her World Champions Centre teammates and gave Lee the kind of support Biles relied on so heavily back in Japan. "I know how traumatizing it is, especially o.
