At the age of 22, gymnast Simone Biles has achieved quite a bit and continues to blow people away with her magnetic moves. As of 2020, the 4’8” athlete has a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals.
However, Biles also experienced her share of setbacks in the sports industry. Although she is preparing for her final Olympic match six days a week, it has been a struggle for her mentally. Amidst COVID-19, she was unsure if she could compete in the Tokyo Olympics due to the outbreak of the virus and the one-year delay. It was a massive blow for Biles because she was training vigorously.
“Pushing through those training… I had in my mind, “In three months I’ll be done.. How do you push back for another year?,” said the Olympic star.
She was also concerned about the frequent sexual assaults committed by former Olympic doctor, Larry Nassar. Although Nassar is serving a life sentence for his malicious behavior towards young girls and women in the league, Biles is still furious about the situation’s mismanagement. The gymnast said she would not allow a daughter to compete in the Olympics and demanded an investigation on Nassar for years on sexual assault. Biles is the only gymnast that was assaulted by Nassar that is still with the organization.
“I don’t feel comfortable enough, because they haven’t taken accountability for their actions and what they’ve done. And they haven’t ensured us that it’s never going to happen ever again,” said Biles.
USA Gymnastics sent a statement to “60 Minutes” in response to the Biles interview: “We recognize how deeply we have broken the trust of our athletes and community, and are working hard to build that trust back. Everything we do now is aimed at creating a safe, inclusive, and positive culture for everyone who participates in our sport. And while we know that this kind of meaningful and lasting culture change does not happen overnight, we will keep working toward that goal until every member feels supported, included, safe, and empowered.”
