Shedding ‘Quitter’ Tag, Simone Biles Stands in Support of Those in Distress: ‘Not the Poster Child, but I’ll Support’

Mental health in the gymnastics realm was taboo. That was until Simone Biles decided to break all the stereotypes. Being vocal about keeping one’s mind and body at bay, things took a wild turn when Biles decided to quit the Tokyo Olympics. Having faced difficulties in syncing her body with her mind mid-air, Biles decided to draw a line. With the whole world watching, Biles made an audacious decision to prioritize herself before the games.

This was something new for the gymnastics fraternity. Because in the olden days, women’s gymnasts were perceived as ‘Little Girls in Pretty Boxes.’ While the world called Biles a ‘quitter,’ the US gymnastics queen showed guts to stand up for her. Biles did not hesitate to come out and defend herself, saying that her mind and body were of utmost importance. This idea of putting oneself above the sport was something that nobody was ready for.

And with the passage of time, Biles has become an unexpected advocate for mental health issues. In a recent interview with CNN, Biles mentioned how she supports and values every individual’s battle. Reflecting on the topic, the gymnastics GOAT stated that she did not want to be a ‘poster girl’ for the act. Instead, her victory lies solely in inspiring others to break the shackles and speak for themselves.

Biles said, “Everybody’s mental health journey is unique… I’m not the poster child for it, but I’ll support (anyone’s) mental health journey. Now people come up to me and they’re like, ‘I’ve been in therapy for the first time in my life, and thank you so much,’ There’s power in that. And I just know I’m helping people out there.” The 27-year-old’s brave approach did make a huge difference in the realm of gymnastics. The previously heavily sought after ‘No Pain, No Gain’ motto has been discarded by most since.

Speaking about the matter, Biles has earlier laid stress on how to deal with the mental struggles. She insisted that people facing problems must not hesitate to reach out for help. The Olympic gold medalist also reminded that human nature will try to suppress the idea of asking for help. She gave her own example after Tokyo, when she was down and out, and even considered retirement.

It was then that Biles took therapy and started to see drastic changes within weeks. Biles has also spoken about using an app called Cerebral. Having benefited significantly from the company, the Olympic champion is now working as the Chief Impact Officer for the brand. Interestingly, it was not only her fans that Simone Biles influenced. She also had her husband, Jonathan Owens, resort to therapy.

Simone Biles helps out Jonathan Owens with therapy

Jonathan Owens was a first-hand witness to Simone Biles’ struggles. Looking at her mentally bruised and battered wife, Owens offered all the help he could have at his disposal. However, the NFL star noticed something—his wife was showing drastic improvements while taking therapy. Now, Owens too, just like the others, was skeptical about therapy initially and thought that it actually did not serve a purpose.

Gradually, the Chicago Bears’ star became inspired and opted for therapy himself. Speaking on the incident on the Netflix documentary ‘Simone Biles Rising’, Owens stated, “She really opened my eyes.” Owens also said how Biles had asked her to opt for a therapist. Despite dismissing her initial advice, Owens did listen to his wife and it made all the difference. Looking back at his experience, Owens said, “It’s a humbling thing because you have to go back and look at yourself in the mirror.”

Thus, after conquering the gymnastics realm, Simone Biles has been actively looking to transform people’s lives too. This way, she truly stands as an exemplary figure who is not only concerned about her own professional field but is eager to make an impact for society’s greater good.

Supporting Simone Biles, BFF Jordan Chiles Reveals How Tokyo’s Chaos Was a Blessing in Disguise: ‘People Are Understanding’

“She’s not a quitter,” Jordan Chiles said in 2021 when many in media and online were quick to discredit Simone Biles. The gymnastics legend faltered during the vault finals and withdrew from the competition. However, while many worked to tear down the champion, Biles didn’t shy away from exposing her vulnerable side. In fact, she spoke up for every Olympic athlete and the immense pressure they face during competition.

“Being in that position that she was in during that time frame and her being vulnerable, it just made it even better for, not just me, but everybody around us,” said Jordan Chiles. While the gymnastics legend had faltered in repeating her 2016 Rio Olympic success, Biles had opened up about athletes’ woes. It was thanks to the 27-year-old that the world learned of the ‘twisties.’

A popular term among those involved with gymnastics, ‘twisties’ is the quirky nickname of the phenomenon when gymnasts lose the synergy between their mind and body. Simone Biles was going through a similar condition in Tokyo in 2020 and revealed how the burden of expectations and ruthless pursuit of glory may have contributed to the issue.

While skeptics dismissed it as an excuse, droves of athletes seconded the 27-year-old’s concerns. “And having somebody like her, whether people see it or don’t see it… it’s definitely cool to finally see that people are understanding where she’s coming from, not just as an athlete but also as a human,” Chiles said in an exclusive interview with CNN.

Besides fellow gymnasts such as Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee, multiple former and active athletes followed Simone Biles‘ lead. Sporting legends such as 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who had been a longtime advocate of athletes’ mental health, praised the 27-year-old’s decision to speak up on the grandest stage. Now three years down the line, Biles has seen change.

“Now people come up to me and they’re like, ‘I’ve been in therapy for the first time in my life, and thank you so much.’ There’s power in that. And I just know I’m helping people out there,” the seven-time Olympic gold medalist told CNN. One of the people Biles empowered to open up to also happened to be her best friend, Jordan Chiles.

How Jordan Chiles has opened up after Simone Biles’ bold move

Since watching her World Champions Center buddy show her vulnerable side in Tokyo, Chiles has followed suit. The two-time Olympian has shared her own tumultuous and often scarring journey behind the gymnastic glory. Even three years after Tokyo 2024, the 23-year-old narrated a harrowing chapter of her gymnastics journey on The Squeeze podcast.

Simone Biles’ training partner explained how Olympic glory became the only focus of her life as a teenager. “From being 15 years old now, my mindset had always been Olympics, Olympics, Olympics. It was nonstop. People only saw me as an athlete,” Chiles told the Lautners. The Olympian’s life became all about achieving excellence, even at the cost of her mental health.

“I had a coach who verbally ab–d me and emotionally ab–d me… There were a lot of times when I did want to quit.” confessed a teary-eyed Jordan Chiles. In another interview with POPSUGAR, Chiles added that the former coach even restored to body shaming so Chiles would never think about gaining weight.

However, had it not been for Simone Biles’ bold decision to admit her failure at the Olympics, Chiles may have never opened up about the darker elements behind the fame and glamour of being an Olympic medalist. So the best friends and athletes are glad to see people seeking help thanks to their decision to open up.

Simone Biles, Cardi B, and Giancarlo Esposito Celebrate ‘Moments’ in Netflix Ad

Netflix has launched a star-studded campaign, dubbed “It’s so good,” to promote its newest app feature, Moments.

The new feature allows fans to bookmark and share memorable scenes from popular shows on social media platforms.

It was launched on Netflix’s iOS app this October, with an Android release set to follow in the coming weeks.

Created in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, the campaign features Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, rapper Cardi B, and actor Giancarlo Esposito among the celeb-filled cameo for the streaming platform’s latest spot.

By spotlighting high-profile icons, Netflix taps into influencer marketing’s power, using these cultural voices to turn the new feature into a must-try experience that fans will want to dive into.

The Must-Watch Titles Everyone’s Buzzing About

“It’s So Good” captures the enthusiastic buzz and excitement over some of Netflix’s most popular titles, including Stranger Things, Squid Game, Wednesday, Baby Reindeer, and Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

The ad starts with Giancarlo Esposito describing to a group of onlookers how Wednesday Addams’ dance in “Wednesday,” the Netflix adaptation of the popular Addams Family franchise, evokes emotionalism.

Seeking to portray the obsession over new shows in a relatable tone, the spot continues showing more fans citing scenes from their favorite Netflix shows.

The energy peaks with Olympic gymnast Simone Bile explaining how binge-watching “Drive to Survive” made her contemplate whether racing could be her “next thing.”

Capturing the fervor of fan obsession, the ad builds to a crescendo as the stars enthusiastically proclaim their favorite shows being “so good,” wrapping up with Netflix’s iconic logo.

Earlier this year, the streaming giant partnered with Google on an “Emily in Paris” shopping experience in honor of the popular show’s latest season premiere.

Victim of Racism, Simone Biles Speaks Out on Eliminating Biases From American Gymnastics: “What They Need”

Simone Biles has conquered the world of gymnastics and is the undisputed GOAT. Unfortunately, when it comes to the dreaded topic of racism, there are still battles left to be fought on the frontline. Appearing in an interview with Hoda Kotb on TODAY, Biles talked on the topic of racism. When asked whether she has been a victim of racism, Biles stated that till 2013, everything seemed normal.

Despite attending a white school, Biles was lucky enough not to be scarred by the ill effects of racism. Unfortunately, the shield eventually broke, when Biles was competing at the 2013 World Championships. Recalling the incident, Biles said, “I was on a world scene, and what made the news was, another gymnast saying that if we painted our skin black maybe we would all win because I had beaten her out of beam medal, and she got upset. And that [was] really the news.” Now, while this was certainly a shocking turn of events, Biles decided to be a role model for the upcoming generations so that they could be devoid of these ill practices.

Biles also had some words of courage for the young gymnasts looking up to her. She said to CNN Sports, “If you look at the Paris Olympic team you have representation from all over and so it’s those kids in the crowd looking at the male gymnast and the female gymnast saying, 1look just like them, I can do it. That’s what they need. It gives them all the confidence.”  Well, the incident that Biles referred to involved the Italian gymnast, Carlotta Ferlito.

At just 16 years old, Simone Biles became the first gymnast of color to win an all-around title. However, things took a bitter turn when Biles defeated Ferlito to clinch the bronze medal in the balance beam category. The Italian gymnast did not take the result in good spirits. Instead, she accused Biles of winning due to her race rather than her talent.

Lashing out at the results, Ferlito stated that she told her teammate Vanessa Ferrari to paint their skin black next time. Such a comment took the internet by storm, and Ferlito later apologized to Biles on X. However, Simone Biles was not the only athlete to face racism; her BFF, Jordan Chiles, has also experienced similar challenges.

Jordan Chiles accused of ‘robbing’ the Olympics floor finals 

After an inquiry from Cecile Landi titled the game in Chiles’ favor, the internet began to take shots at Jordan Chiles. Before the inquiry, it was Ana Barbosu of Romania who was slated to win the bronze medal. Unfortunately, with Chiles getting a revised score, the medal ended up with Chiles. This was not taken in a good light by a lot of fans. Most of them accused Jordan Chiles of ‘robbing’ the finals as she was a gymnast of color.

With things taking a scathing turn, Jordan’s mother, Gina Chiles took to X and wrote, “The racist disgusting comments are still happening in 2024. I’m tired of people who say it no longer exists. My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched…and she’s being called disgusting things.” Ultimately, in a sad turn of events, the bronze medal was indeed taken away from Jordan Chiles.

Following an inquiry at the Court of Arbitration from Romania, Team USA was found to be late in submitting the inquiry in Paris. Thus, Chiles’ revised score was considered as void and Ana Barbosu was awarded as the bronze medalist. Thus, despite both Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles reigning at the top of their sports, they still were not invincible from the scathing clutches of racism.